Archiving a large project

[Sandy Watt]

Hi guys was hoping i could pick your expert brains about a archiving a large amount of footage for a project im working with.
The project teaches local young conservationists how to make cheap but effective conservation films for local communities in Kenya and Tanzania.
We now have a huge amount of footage recorded as well as donated from various parties that we need to archive. The idea is that trainee film makers will be able to come to an archive and take all relevant footage away with them to use in their films. an added problem is that we need to have three copies of the archive, one in each the uk, tanzania and kenya.
Does anyone have suggestions as to the best way to do this, or experience of this kind of archive?
what hard drives would be best to use for an expanding project?
what archiving software is easy to use and effective, given we will have to quickly teach locals how to use the software?
Cheers for any help, it is much appreciated,
Sandy