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Using Radio to Improve Local Responses to Climate Variability: The Case of Alpaca Farmers in the Peruvian Andes

Photo Credit: CDI and IRDC

The Centre for Development Informatics (CDI) at the University of Manchester with the support of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) recently released a report on agricultural adaption for climate change. This report, “Using Radio to Improve Local Responses to Climate Variability,” focuses on a radio program made available to alpaca farmers in the Peruvian Andes.

Life of farmers in the Andes is difficult at times are made more volatile in light of climate vulnerability. Lately there have been unexpected cold spells coupled with heavy snowfall. Peru has the largest number of South American camelids (the animal group that includes llama, alpaca, vicuna and guanaco) in the world, providing a subsistence to 65,000 families at altitudes of 3,500 to 5,000 meters, where other forms of agriculture are impractical. With climate variations that have lead to below-average temperatures and water scarcity, there has been an increased death rate of livestock, the “main income source, this loss of animals condemns further those who are already living in conditions of severe poverty.”

The study notes a lack of adaptive capacity among farmers for short-term action. To address this, the CAMELTEC project was initiated from 2008 to 2010 by Peruvian NGO Desco with financial support of Oxfam GB.

CAMELTEC broadcasted technological, social, political, and institutional information with a heavy focus on meteorological warnings, market prices of alpaca wool and husbandry advice to remote communities. CAMELTEC also aired a weekly 20-minute broadcast called Amanecer Alpaquero (Alpaca Farmer’s Daybreak) that included more specific information and discussion on pertinent problems, the show “was popular with all members of Alpaca farming families not just because of the vital information provided, but also because of its use of humor and music in transmitting its message.”

Radio was chosen as the medium for engaging farmers because of its low setup, operating costs, and “the availability of cheap battery-powered AM radios means that the majority of Alpaca farming households have access to local radio broadcasts.” Radio is deemed the best option for communication because it has the best reception coverage in the andean topography where it has been “historically cost-prohibitive to construct infrastructure such as paved roads, electricity and fixed telecommunications up to the farmsteads.” Though most farmers have mobile phones, the utility is limited.

The CAMELTEC project had three goals:

– strengthen local organizations such as farmer-cooperatives to enable the introduction of sustainable (including climate-sustainable) livestock practices

– improve the quality and quantity of alpaca wool being produced, through good husbandry and reproductive management practices

– improve income through changes to wool output and through better market access

The project is deemed successful, decreasing livestock mortality by 12% and saving an equivalent of US $500 on average per farmer. Another benefit of the radio program was its access to females, addressing traditional gender barriers that make it difficult for women to be involved in community farming meetings. The program has encouraged “a more systematic approach to breeding, the utilization of farming cooperatives for marketing of alpaca wool, and a more commercial approach to farming; all of which have helped to either maintain or raise income levels.

Photo Credit: CDI and IRDC

What made CAMELTEC successful? “Deep local knowledge and experience were vital… building as it did on Demsco’s many years of working with local farmers” to gain trust and expertise. However the inability to deliver skill knowledge and the high price of batteries limited the project. The study concludes with the suggestion of strengthening radio programing related to climate change adaptation to improve institutional building.

February 16, 2012/by actualize

Connectivity, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

World RadioCom Conference: Implications for Mobile Connectivity

Photo Credit: Hongkiat.com

Over 3000 participants from around the world are expected to gather at the CICG Convention Center, Geneva between January 23 – February 17, 2012 for the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC). The outcome of this international treaty-making conference will have worldwide ramifications in the field of communications.

Key issues on the agenda include:

1. Reviewing and revising the international regulatory framework for radiocommunications (RC) to reflect the increasing convergence in radio services arising from the rapid evolution of ICTs.

2. Management of scarce radio-frequency spectrum to provide new opportunities for RC services.

3. Management of satellite orbital slots and associated spectrum resources.

4. The introduction of mobile broadband and other advanced technologies.

At this conference, participants representing nations across the globe will be deciding on issues relating to the sharing of frequency spectrum to allow the deployment or continuous use of all types of radiocommunication services – wireless, broadcasting, satellite, aeronautical etc. Just as any other international conference or world summit, preparations begin several years in advance through regional pre-conferences, presentations of position papers, and the declarations are made at the conference.

Photo Credit: CTIA

Implications for Mobile Technologies and International Development

The interest in spectrum management could receive high attention looking at the potentials that the mobile and wireless industry has for the global economy. In the United States, the President announced a “National Wireless Initiative” in his 2011 State of the Union that will foster the conditions for the next generations of wireless technology, nearly doubling the amount of wireless spectrum available for mobile broadband.

But unfortunately spectrum is a limited and scarce resource that requires careful global, regional and national planning and regulation. To be able to meet the increasing demand of users, the mobile communication industry requires continued availability of radio spectrum in sufficient quantity within suitable bands and arranged in a consistent and harmonized manner.

Even though the sovereignty of individual nations to make domestic allocation and use decisions of spectrum must be respected, it is imperative that the spectrum as a global resource be managed well. Most especially, because of the on-going phenomenon of globalization, harmonization – both national and international could be on top of the agenda. This will ensure that discrete frequency bands are available for a specific use, such as 3G, 4G or wi-fi. Innovative plans such as auctions that would allow the current owners of the spectrum to share in the proceeds could be attractive both nationally and internationally.

The World Radiocommunication Conference, held every three to four years, is mandated to review and revise the Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the use of radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits. WRC-12 will facilitate the management of scarce orbit/spectrum resources in the interest of end-users, with global implications for both policy-makers and the industry.

January 9, 2012/by actualize

Humanitarian Assistance, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Experimenting with Youth ICT Projects in Dadaab Refugee Camp

Photo: Voices of Africa

I have been searching online for the past couple of weeks for signs on people working on ICT4D projects in the refugee camps in the Horn of Africa. Through a reference from a friend I stumbled upon the news page for Voices of Africa for Sustainable Development (VOA4SD). The Dadaab mission team is doing on the ground ICT4D work, often shooting from the hip and trying to see what works. Though this approach isn’t ideal, I have to hand it to them for working in the camps themselves. Their experiences are ones that we should all learn from regarding ICT4Education projects, ICT in Humanitarian crises, and youth in development.

To quickly explain the context of the VOA4SD Dadaab mission team’s experience thus far, three young VOA4SD members arrived at Dadaab Refugee Camp on July 20^th. Their first goal was to deliver medical equipment from GIZ, the German Development Organization. After successfully delivering the equipment, they documented any ICT access, needs, and current projects in the camp. They stayed in the camp until August 1, 2011, upon which they returned to Nairobi to create a more comprehensive ICT strategy, DadaabNet, for the camps with other important stakeholders.

Now, DadaabNet is a Global Giving initiative, attempting to raise $10,000 to create the youth-run radio station, as well as providing computers and Internet access for interim schools and health centers.

The VOA4SD experience in their own words from their blog:

Day one – Ifo Camp:
- “It was not long before we saw an internet cafe. After speaking to the owner to establish his needs and those of the camp we quickly ascertained that the youth were in desperate need of something to fill their time and they already loved ICT. Everyone was using internet via the mobile phones, but do not know how to transfer the skills to a computer. Facebook was said to be extremely popular among the youth with photos being a prized possession. One disabled young man we met had been traveling more than 20 km twice a week by matatu to take computer studies courses. His motivation was truly amazing. He enthusiastically said that he believed all the youth in Dadaab would love to learn how to use computers and they already their phones to post to Facebook in Arabic.”
Day four – Formed a proposal for DadaabNet:
- “DadaabNet will bring wireless information, communications, and education to Dadaab, the world’s largest refugee camp. Our mission is to create a youth run community Internet service and education provider. The project will bring a wireless intranet, internal camp/refugee communications system and the lowest cost internet access throughout Dadaab and the nearby vicinity. Intranet will host free educational materials including videos made in Somali to be accessed through mobile phones and computers. We will make available educational materials pertaining to health, nutrition, sanitation, as well as education resources on computer training and how to use technology for sustainable development. The structure works like this: To view the materials a refugee would give their name, email, and mobile phone number. This becomes the base for our youth communications system. This will empower the youth to be managers of their own communications networks with management and oversight from the NGO partners. Youth can create networks within the system, take courses, become peer trainers, and will gain the skills necessary for employment both inside and outside of the camp. Internet will be made available at a low rate to increase affordability.”
Day five – meeting with Norweigan Refugee Council on their Youth Empowerment Program:
- “We spoke to them and quickly established both their need and the programmes’ need for ICT infrastructure and training. The youth empowerment training includes life skills, basic computer skills, numeracy and literacy, plus a choice of vocations: masonry, hair dressing, electronics, and tailoring. According to the YEP manager, the students have shown immense interest in computer studies with a majority of youth enrolling in the program to have a chance to learn how to use a computer. The first stop was the teacher’s lounge. David called together the teachers, 12 in total so we could be introduced. The teachers were primarily local Kenyan staff and were very welcoming. When we shared the idea about DadaabNet, bringing in a new ICT4D curriculum, and lower cost equipment. They were eager to tell us how they were going to use it in their classrooms. The computer teacher currently has no internet so he was the first to want to engage the students online. He showed us the one simple dongle that was used by all the teachers for internet. It was the only access in the school and they all had to share, leaving little time for learning new skills and gathering educational content for their classes. The hair dressing teacher said she would use the internet to show her students different styles of hair design and she had heard somewhere that there were websites that would show the students different hairstyles on the same head. I laughed as this is one of my seven year old daughter’s favourite online games. The electronics teacher was also eager to have access so that he could show his students diagrams of the equipment they are repairing and use online materials to teach them how to repair computers in addition to the mobile phones they are learning to repair now. All of the teachers were supportive and you could see their heads filling with positive ideas with the mention of increased technology and improved internet access.”
Day seven – Youth Targeted by Militants:
- “It is my understanding that the extremists target youth aged 15-24 most intensively. They are young, easily trained, and because for the culture have great respect for authority. This is the very reason why WE are people who want a free and just world without violence must also recruit the minds and hearts of these young and vulnerable. If we can reach them with education, opportunities for self-employment, ways to advance out of the misery, we can become a beacon of hope. The darkness is so heavy in the air that you can feel it on your skin and no amount of bathing can take it away. Just to smile and talk about the potential of a future with these youths has shown me that they are still reachable. …The NRC organization has the only youth programs in the Dadaab area. Their efforts are commendable and we are working through the appropriate channels for partnership. Yet their current program can only reach a maximum of 600 youth due to lack of space and facilities and there are more than 1000 youth showing up EACH WEEK in need of hope and support.”
Day 10 and summary of needs:
- “The refugees we spoke to as well as other NGOs really want a radio station run by the youth for the youth. With the implementation of DadaabNet this is a simple and low cost program. We hope to work in conjunction with the media team from UNHCR and Lutheran World Foundation. What is great about this idea is that it could be used as a platform to teach the refugees about their rights and the laws which are meant to protect and support them such as the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, the Kenyan Refugee Act, and the new Kenyan constitution. Most of the refugees we spoke to had no knowledge of any of these documents despite being the prevailing jurisdiction controlling their lives.”

What can we learn from VOA4SD’s experience in the camp?

There is a huge lack of infrastructure and communication capabilities in refugee camps. ICTs of any sort are helpful.
The youth are idle in refugee camps and spend the little money they have on computer access. Clearly, then, they have the time and the desire to learn how to use ICTs. If nothing else, ICTs can at least distract children from getting involved with rebel groups, terrorist organizations, or gangs.
Young refugees are familiar with the problems in the camps and can quickly identify various ways in which ICTs could solve problems.

August 12, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Cross Cutting, Mobile, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

What have we learned from all this ICT4D chatter?

I have been blogging about ICT4D consistently for two months. This seems an opportune time to highlight my main thoughts on ICT4D, many of which are shared by others in the ICT4D space.

Here’s a list, feel free to add to it.

Countries with clear ICT policies tend to do better
ICT policies must be integrated within a broader national development plan
Good infrastructure and an enabling regulatory framework are needed
ICTs are merely tools, the potency of which is largely dependent on context and systemic domains
ICTS are not within and of themselves an end
There’s immense potential for economic growth, social cohesion, security, political stability, provision of education, healthcare, agricultural services etc
Look elsewhere for development’s silver bullet—if it exists, you’re looking in the wrong direction
Like development, technologies also have “side-effects” no matter the dosage.
We know very little about the impact of ICTs on economic expansion
Building and boosting capacity of a critical mass of people is integral (access and use are not synonymous!)
Public-private partnerships will be crucial for the sustainability of most initiatives
As most successful projects do, start small, take M&E seriously and scale up
The slickest tech isn’t always the best option

The latter is perhaps the point that I have examined the least, over the last few weeks. But, I have consistently made the point that traditional ICTs, including radio, television sets and so on, should not be abandoned in favor of the latest tech. Context is everything! Connectivity woes, illiteracy and minimal access to the newest gadgets, among other things, demand that we think in terms of complementarity, cultural appropriateness and the financial constraints of proliferating some tools.

Finding ways to make better use of traditional ICTs like radio is important on two fronts. First, radio is the most potent tool to use for the dissemination of information globally—it’s ubiquitous, even in the most far-off and undeveloped parts of the world, due to its portability, reach and affordability. Second, this era of low cost mobile phones, MP3 players and so on offers new and exciting opportunities to use ‘radio’ and radio techniques innovative to improve livelihoods and enterprise.

Next week, I will review the findings of the African Farm Radio Research Initiative (AFRRI), an action research project—funded by the Gates Foundation—that assessed how radio can improve food security in Africa…

July 29, 2011/by actualize

Basic Education, Education, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

3 Million Malawi Children

This post was co-written by Jeffrey Swindle

To improve education quality in Malawi, USAID Malawi implemented the Tikwere Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI) program. The IRI program has affected over three million children and 22,000 teachers since it began in May 2007. Furthermore, management and financing of the program is now moving to the hands of the government, letting USAID allocate its efforts to additional endeavors.

Despite promising increases in primary education enrollment (54% to 70% from 1999 to 2006) in Sub-Saharan Africa, the quality of education is quite low. High teacher and student absence rates, as well as low achievement scores, plague education systems. When researchers make unannounced visits to schools, teachers are absent on average 19% of the time, with higher rates in rural areas.

In Malawi, the situation is particularly grim. According to the Southern Africa Consortium on Monitoring Education Quality (SACMEQ), fewer than 25% of eligible Malawian children remain in school by grade 8. In addition, only 9% of primary school students were found to have reached a minimum level of mastery in reading in English, and a mere 2% of pupils possessed skills beyond basic numeracy.

Teacher at the chalkboard speaking with students. Radio on a chair nearby

Photo credit: USAID/Malawi

To address these challenges, USAID Malawi began the IRI program. In the program, schools are provided with radios, and they listen to a thirty-minute national broadcast each day. Teachers receive text messages on their phones telling them the weekly schedule for the in-service broadcasts prior to the beginning of the term, and through lesson plans produced by Tikwere teachers are informed about what materials they will need to prepare beforehand (posters, pencils, textbooks, etc.). The broadcast focuses on one of three topics: the local language Chichewa, English, and life skills. The broadcasts are prepared professionally and incorporate ideal teaching strategies, including group work, learner-focused discussions, and gender balanced teaching. By listening to the broadcast, teachers learn how they can be most effective. And the students benefit because they receive training from an optimal teacher via radio each day.

Amongst these learners there have been increases in test scores for standard 1 learners in literacy (17% points higher in English and 9% points higher in Chichewa compared to non-participating students) and mathematics (12% points higher than non-participating students).

Teacher pointing at chalkboard, while radio plays.

Photo credit: USAID/Malawi

Additionally, they are particularly engaged during the radio broadcasts; the students anxiously look forward to this special time each day and enrollment has been rising in Tikwere schools which cover over 95% of the 5,300 schools nationwide.

To implement the program, USAID purchased 13,000 freeplay radios which are solar powered at a total cost of $386,400 over a course of three years. Additionally, printed materials to accompany the activities and radio airtime required additional funding. Using conservative estimates, over 2,000,000 children listening to the broadcasts for the first three years. If the same rate of expansion of the project continued, the IRI program affects far more than 3,000,000 million children in Malawi. The total cost per student per year is $0.16, a bargain for improved educational achievement and teacher effectiveness. Currently, the USAID mission to Malawi is working with the government to incorporate the program into the national education plan and finances, making the program financial sustainable without further support from USAID.

Table: Project Total Estimates from Macro International

The final impacts of the IRI program, however, are yet to be measured. Macro International conducted a mid-term evaluation of the project in 2009. Though the IRI program was able to reach approximately 75% of schools in Malawi, at least 10% do not have the connectivity for the radios to work, and the costs were too high and complicated for USAID to provide alternative technologies for IRI. In an ingenious strategy, Tikwere uses this 5% as a control comparison for the learner assessments of the IRI program. Thus far, schools with the Tikwere IRI program show a 17% gain in scores over the control schools.

Photo credit: USAID/Malawi

Originally Zambia implemented the IRI methodology for the out of school program. Because of IRI’s potential for success, the government there adopted it in the conventional schools. Malawi’s experience is adopted from the Taonga Market in Zambia, and other USAID missions have implemented similar programs as well. Hopefully, more missions around the world will implement similar radio programs and see equal impacts.

July 15, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Civil Society, Democracy & Governance, Mobile, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Mobile Khabar to Bring News & Empower via Mobile

Manin turban next to a bus stop featuring a mobile advertisement

Photo Credit: Jan Chipchase

On August 11, Afghans will be able to receive free access to radio news broadcasts, cricket scores, and other informational audio content through their mobile phones.

The USAID project—named Mobile Khabar, roughly translated to “News” in Dari and Pashtu”—is made to improve Afghans’ access to information and empower local journalists.

With 28 percent illiteracy, and an estimated 60 percent of Afghans using mobiles, cellular phones are a widely used technology more accessible than radio and have a much wider reach.

Troy Etulain, the project’s architect and a senior advisor for media development in USAID’s Office of Democracy and Governance, says that when the system is up and running in a month, users will be subscribe to local radio reports by dialing a four-digit code on their cellphones.

Troy Etulain in Afghanistan wearing army fatigues with soldier on right

Troy Etulain in Afghanistan Photo Credit: World Learning

The information will include everything from national cricket scores to English lessons offered through the Afghan foreign ministry. Additionally, audio bloggers will contribute to commentaries through a system similar to voicemail.

The system uses interactive voice response, or IVR and provides free, customizable menus of news and public information via mobile, making a variety of topics for the caller to choose from.

For example, a user could listen to a requested cricket update then hear a story about HIV/AIDS in her hometown, followed by the option to leave a message. The system can also be programmed to tell the user the number of AIDS patients nearby, letting her know that she’s not alone and creating a virtual community similar to other social media sites.

“If the technology connects, empowers or protects them or helps make other people who are not part of the community aware of them and their potential, then it’s doing profoundly new things,” Etulain declares.

USAID funding for the project runs on a $7 million grant that may increase to $16 million if option years on the main contract are fulfilled.

Mobile Khabar is just one part of USAID’s media development program in Afghanistan—the largest the agency has ever funded using new technologies, and regional journalism training centers, to seek and fill information not covered in newsrooms.

Within the centers, professional Afghan journalists and citizen bloggers are being trained in everything from Internet media skills and business management, to the reporting basics, such as ethical objectivity and story selection, Etulain says.

One of the common ways USAID utilizes these journalistic skills on the ground, is supporting community radio stations with the goal of making their operations solvent and the programming relevant to their audience, which encourages civil society participation.

For example, a call-in show that allows citizens to question their elected officials or covers topics that might not otherwise get airplay, like domestic violence or school dropout rates.

Mobile Khabar is a platform that allows local radio stations to become available on mobile phones, an innovative approach that extends the reach of information while encouraging sustainable economic development.

“From a media development perspective, this says to a local radio station in Mazari Sharif: ‘OK, now you have a national audience,” Etulain explains, “Wherever people have access to mobile phones, they can listen to you. And you get paid more the more people that listen to you.”

USAID funding for the project’s programs and bloggers are distributed based on their popularity: the more listeners they attract, the more money those programs and bloggers will earn, he says.

The Mobile Khabar project is a complement between old journalism and new technologies, providing an accessible avenue to inform Afghan civil society on relevant content. All while empowering local journalists to speak up and contribute information on what they see to their people.

July 11, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Agriculture Markets, Extension Service, Food Security, Forestry, Irrigation and Water, Livestock, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

South Sudan: In search of a food policy?

Credit: Farm Africa

After two decades of civil war and amid a tense truce, the world recently welcomed its newest nation, The Republic of South Sudan. But like many of its Sub-Saharan neighbors did 50 years ago, South Sudan joins the rank of nationhood with a raft of intractable developmental challenges– and the high expectations of 8 million people adds importance to each.

While the slate of challenges at hand are all important for sustained socio-economic development, achieving national food security will be key to the success of the nation. It is a vital part of national security and nationhood. But achieving self-sufficiency in food production and food security will require full transformation of the embryonic nation’s agricultural sector.

Although the sector accounts for the majority of economic activity—33% of the rural population lives on agriculture, whereas 45 % and 12 % are agro-pastoralists and fishermen respectively—the industry is stuck in a pre-industrial form. This is particularly bothersome as new nations must effectively manage their citizens’ expectations–for basic services, jobs and food–to thrive.

However, the country has been unable to provide enough food for the people of South Sudan since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005. More than a fifth of the population depends on food aid, and the majority of the country’s food is imported from neighbouring countries, many of which are unstable. This doesn’t bode well for the country, and begs the question: where is the national food policy that would foster sustained food production and security? What should a national food policy for South Sudan entail?

A map showing the 10 states of South Sudan in various colours

Credit: South Sudan Forum For Public Policy

As I noted earlier, at the heart of any food policy must be the repositioning of the agricultural sector. South Sudan’s agriculture is characterized by subsistence farmers and disproportionate involvement in agriculture and forestry, compared to livestock and fisheries. There ought to be a concerted campaign to educate farmers about the importance of diversifying their crops and exploring opportunities in the livestock and fisheries sector.

This will require the bridging of the information divide. In other words, South Sudanese farmers ought to have improved access to better extension services and information that will sensitize and inform them about markets. ICTs will be useful tools for enabling this and should therefore form a central part of the overall food security strategy for South Sudan. However, the full incorporation of ICTs will depend on improvements in connectivity and access– mobile subscription, broadband access and total internet users are all less than the average for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Nonetheless, traditional ICTs such as radio, which is relatively ubiquitous in South Sudan, may be used as a key first step to offer extension services that tackle issues, including irrigation cycles, pest control, access to seeds, fertilizer, transportation and prices. These services may be provided via a series of regularly aired radio programs and features that capture the voices and interests of the farmers. The use of traditional ICTs and other less advanced but newer technologies are likely to be more contextually relevant and appropriate, compared to high end ICTs. The latest technology is not always suitable. In the long-term, many opportunities to use the latest ICTs will mature. That is to say, they exist now, but the infrastructure in not in place to facilitate their effective implementation for the benefit of the majority.

Here are a few of the ICT opportunities:

The provision of access to financial services via mobile money
Improve irrigation and water management services using remote sensing technologies and GIS
Establishment of legible rural and agricultural markets through market information systems
Reduction of waste through proper storage and transportation facilities enabled by logistics technology
Text and other mobile-based extension services to create access to better agriculture and livestock inputs

Despite the immense scope for growth in South Sudan’s agriculture sector, much depends on the development of indigenous agricultural and livestock research, animal health services, infrastructure (including roads and bridges), and the stability of the regulatory and political environment.

July 8, 2011/by actualize

Basic Education, Education, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Its All About Radio in South Sudan

Photo: NDI

ICT4E projects are needed in South Sudan for two major reasons: (1) the majority of the population is illiterate, and (2) 83% reside in rural areas. Illiterate adults and rural populations can both be served via radio services. Adults can listen to the radio while completing other tasks and people in rural areas often do not have access to education among primary school, as the distance to secondary schools is too large. Some radio projects have already been conducted in South Sudan, but their success is unknown.

Map: Mohamed El Bashir Hiraika

The current status of education in South Sudan among the 8.26 million people in South Sudan is particular grim, as seen in the national survey collected in 2009.

52 students per teacher
129 students per classroom
37% of the population above the age of six has ever attended school
27% of those 15 years and above are literate.
The literacy rate for males is 40% compared to 16% for females
53% of the urban adult population is literate, compared to 22% of the rural adult population
40% of the population between 15-24 is literate. The literacy rate for males in this age group is 55% compared to 28% for females.

With support from UNESCO, UNDP, and UNICEF, a few preliminary ICT programs in the national education system of Sudan proper have been implemented. However, many of the projects were cut short as a result of conflict, funding, and a lack of communication among associated parties. Others focused primarily on built capital, such as bringing computers to as many schools as possible, while neglecting social capital, like training people to use the computers well. Internet connections in schools, as well as Internet literacy training courses, were extremely limited in these programs. A few of the projects, as documented in a 2007 InfoDev report, are listed below. However, there has been a lack of monitoring and evaluation of the projects. Subsequently, it is unclear whether and to what degree the projects were successful in South Sudan.

Civic Education via Radio for Southern Sudan: In partnership with the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Education Development Center Sudan Radio Service has developed a new civic education radio series that will increase listeners’ knowledge of political developments and also promote increased discussion of political developments, tolerance of diverse viewpoints, and non-violent solutions to complex problems.
Sudan Radio Service: As part of an effort to increase the participation of the southern Sudanese, the Sudan Radio Service provides access to balanced and useful information through radio-based education and entertainment programs presented by local presenters in several local languages.
dot-EDU Southern Sudan Interactive Radio Instruction (SSIRI) Program: This program designs, develops, and pilot-tests appropriate and cost-effective technologies such as interactive radio instruction in an effort to provide learning opportunities for children, adults, and teachers in southern Sudan.

July 8, 2011/by actualize

Agriculture, Irrigation and Water, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Tanzania’s Bold ICT for Irrigation Strategy

Consistent with the view that the crafting and implementation of bold and strategic ICT policies is key for sustained agricultural development in the developing world, I have pointed out the need for improved policy frameworks in a range of countries. However, it is also important to commend those developing states that continue to make progress in this regard. Tanzania’s national e-government policy is one such example. This policy framework has enabled the Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MoWI) to develop a long-term ICT strategy, which includes using GIS, radio and cell phones, to deliver irrigation and water services.

Picture showing an irrigation system- green plants being watered.

A Guide To Irrigation Methods — Irrigation Systems

The nascent strategy aims to achieve two pivotal things by 2014. First, it intends to help managers and engineers identify areas suitable for and in need of irrigation. The lack of reliable information and poor data collection processes has been a key challenge. To combat this, MoWI’s ICT strategy paves the way for the use of remote sensing and GIS technology to gather information on soil quality and available water resources. According to Daily News Online, Joash Nytambehead, head of the ICT unit at MoWI, says a system has been developed to capture data on all water points in the country. It involves visits to water points where GPS receivers are used to record and later collate coordinates. This is being complemented by efforts to map cellphone and internet connectivity, and access to traditional ICTs such as radio, across the east-African country.

Cellphones are currently being used by field officers to collect and instantaneously relay data on the condition of pumps and the types of crops being grown, which promises to strengthen the planning process. Managers will be better able to make use of GIS and field information to efficiently determine priority sites and the nature of irrigation systems that are needed. This is a major positive development because integrated water management is lacking in Sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the greatest dependence on rainfall, yet home to poor water management procedures and irrigation services.

The second and equally essential aim of Tanzania’s ICT strategy is that it should enable the state to efficiently inform the population about efforts to improve irrigation services. This is crucial because too often great projects flop when intended beneficiaries are left in the dark. The efforts to map mobile and internet connectivity, as well as, access to radio and other traditional ICTs, will allow the state to plot who may be target via the web, text massaging versus radio/TV programs and PSAs. This strategy is also expected to pave the way for streamlining services across offices and departments involved in the project.

While not a panacea, this policy position is a bold step in the right direction. The mix of ICTs that are being used to improve Tanzanian’s access to irrigation services is relevant and culturally appropriate.

June 15, 2011/by actualize

Civil Society, Democracy & Governance, Originally posted on the GBI Portal

Accessing the Public Sphere Through Mobile: Haiti

During the 1970s, missionaries would walk around the towns in Haiti distributing radios to spread the message of the church. Haitians would accept them freely—not for the religious messages, but so they could tune into the Creole news services. Forty years later, a new wireless tool allows them to access news but with one fundamental difference: now they can participate in the conversation through their mobile phone.

Last week during World Press Freedom Day in Washington D.C., the sentiment that mobile phones serve as a catalyst for a two way flow of information between governments and citizens in the developing world was continuously echoed.

For the 77% of the world’s population who own cell phones, it is like a modern printing press in the palm of their hands.

Michèle Montas (Photo Credit: Richard Patterson for NY Times)

Michèle Montas, Senior Advisor to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Haiti, United Nations Stabilization Mission, Haiti, observed that the widespread availability of cell phones began with a heavy push from the private sector but has resulted with an increased demand from the people. “We could find them (mobiles) in the countryside, in the slums of Port au Prince, in the hands of a street market woman, in the hands of a small shop owner.” she commented.

This extensive accessibility paves the way for citizens to use mobile phones as a tool to contribute information and express their opinions to the public sphere.

Ms. Montas alluded that although cell phones aided in humanitarian assistance after the earthquakes, mobile phones have also altered the way Haitians can now lend their relevant perspectives, notably by calling into radio talk shows they play an active role in public discourse.

“There has been an explosion of meshing of media, of journalists, and of people that just want to speak out,” she stated, “If you gave them a microphone they would just speak out on the microphone, today they would do it on a cell phone.”

Mobile phones are dramatically changing the landscape of how citizens can actively access and contribute information to the public sphere; they boost the morale of citizens in societies where the voiceless can finally be heard by the majority and inform governments of what their citizens need.

Please view the video of Ms. Montas during the past World Press Freedom Day on the Panel “Accessing the Digit Benefit”: