Can ICTs contribute enormously in the eradication of poverty in Uganda if considered major physical infrastructure?

ICTs cover a wide range of tools and technologies that can be used to foster development. They are drivers for change and their impact in the economic, social, cultural, political and individual spheres of life is widely accepted and recognised world over. Information and communication technology such as computers, mobile phones, projectors, digital cameras, music players, and many others have found applications in every conceivable area where people work and interact including businesses, educational institutes, and research organizations among others.

And though much talked about, it is hardly used in some of the most important sector in Uganda. Such sectors include the Agricultural sector, a sector that dorminates Uganda’s economy and accounts for 41.6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 85% of the export earnings and 80% of employment opportunities.

The Ugandan Government is increasingly adopting the internet for activities that have broader social implications for grassroots communities. Efforts include laying a fibre-optic backbone infrastructure; e-governance infrastructure in 27 ministries as well as a universal fund as part of the Rural Communications Development fund (RCDF).

A national ICT policy framework was set up in 2002 to ensure the optimum utilization of information to foster social economic development. The policy focuses on three areas: Information as a resource for development,Mechanisms for accessing informationand ICT as an industry. The policy recognises that the three areas are not mutually exclusive.

While several policies and legislations like “Uganda Access to information Act (2005)”,“Telecommunications sector policy (1996)” and “The communications bill (2007)”have been put in place, gaps exist when considering access to information broadly. For example, the Rural Communications Development fund (RCDF) is not funding broadband access and it has largely offered subsides for the establishment of services at district headquarters which are mostly urban or semi-urban ignoring the needs of the rural and underserved population who are its primary constituency.

Since the inception of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ministry in 2006, Uganda has up to date had three ministers: Dr. Ham Mulira, Mr. Aggrey Awori and now Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda. However, even with an entire ministry in place, there is lot more to be done in enabling access, use and application of ICTs to the rural majority.

Photo: Khatukhira at 2011 Agriculture Fair in 2011

There is a great need to building the capacity of people to enable their use of internet and basic ICTs such as mobile phones whose benefits are amplified by the fact that the spread of mobile technology in many rural areas has occurred much faster than with other information & communication technologies (ICTs).

There is also a need develop local content in local languages and applications in high utility value for the community. Areas to look into include; health, education, market information, agriculture and local administration.

The ministry in partnership with stakeholders needs to device sustainable plans for RCDF grantees and align some of its programs to the government‘s poverty reduction program. And finally to enact cyber laws to curb malpractices and to increase confidence in electronic transactions

Despite these benefits and opportunities presented by ICTs in the eradication of poverty, challenges like high costs of, limited network coverage and limited usage capacity still exist.
The chances of success and sustainability of rural ICT funds like Rural Communications Development Fund(RCDF) by Uganda Communications Commission are greater when they do not duplicate services provided by existing information sources such as the kiosks, telecentres and digital doorways among others.

mhealth: Mobile Phones to expand demand for, and use of ANC/PMTCT services in rural Uganda

Any development agenda in Uganda must look beyond the city and for a simple reason, over 80% of the total population lives in rural areas.

Almost 70% of the world’s mobile phone subscribers are in the developing world. As an affordable and accessible means of communication, both men and women are realizing the potential of this technology to create economic opportunities and strengthen social networks in rural areas. The mobile phone is no longer just a communication tool but one that`s capable of providing additional integrated functions.

Today, mobile telephony is being used to provide information on health, Agriculture, Education and entrepreneurship to rural communities through Short Message Service (SMS) and multi-media supported systems in many parts of Uganda and Africa at large. This has been made possible through public, private and NGO sector initiatives.

According to the 2010 MDG progress report for Uganda, maternal health indicators for Uganda have generally remained poor in the last two decades. Over the period of 1995-2000 maternal mortality stagnated about 505 deaths per 100,000 live births. The Uganda demographic and health survey of 2006 estimated Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) at 435 deaths per 100,000 live births, making a total reduction of only 70 deaths per 100,000 live births in half a decade.

The 2007 ministry of health expenditure survey in Uganda clearly indicates that the main causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in Uganda have overtime been considered preventable and or treatable. These common causes include but are not limited to; abortion, haemorrhage, sepsis and obstructed labour.

As a result of this, The Netherlands National committee for UNICEF in partnership with UNICEF Kampala, the Ministry of Health, Text to Change, The Association of Volunteers in International Service (AVSI), and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) are implementing an intervention to increase ANC and PMTCT attendance by educating communities about Antenatal care (ANC) /Prevention of mother to child Transmission(PMTCT) services and HIV/AIDS prevention in western and Northern Uganda.  

The project will use available technology, mainly the mobile phones to educate and mobilize mothers, families and community members to demand for ANC and PMTCT services. Through the short Message service (SMS), mothers will be reminded about ANC appointments, PMTCT services and their importance as well as provide information about HIV/AID and Malaria prevention.

Mobile telephony is the most preferred technology for this health intervention because it effectively reduces the “distance” between individuals and institutions making sharing of information and knowledge easier and more effective. The benefits of mobile phones are amplified by the fact that the spread of mobile technology in some rural areas has occurred much faster than with other information & communication technologies (ICTs). In a country like Uganda, mobile technology has quickly become much more cost effective for telecommunication provision.

Despite these benefits of the mobile phone, challenges like high costs of handsets, limited network coverage and limited usage capacity still exist but these are being solved by the potential of new models of phones that combine text, audio and video to be used in a more systematic manner that enables sharing of user generated multimedia content.

The chances of success and sustainability of rural health services that are based on mobile telephony are greater when they do not duplicate services provided by existing information sources such as the kiosks, telecentres , digital doorways and information centres.

Calling all Women Tech Bloggers

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Register your blog as a tech blog with BlogHer. How do I add my blog to the Blog Directory? Are there any rules about adding blogs?

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Cross posted from: http://www.blogher.com/calling-all-women-tech-bloggers

“CLIMATE SMART” AGRICULTURE INITIATIVES WILL SAVE AFRICA

Is Africa not fulfilling her Agricultural Potential? Will Africa ever be food secure? What role can the youth play in the agricultural value chain? And what’s this CLIMATE CHANGE ALL ABOUT? 
The questions are endless yet there seem to be no answers to them.

When the CLIMATE changes, does that mean anything to you? Does it affect food production, security and yields? I think it’s high time AFICAN adapted to Climate change.

At the recent Food Agriculture and Natural resources policy analysis Network (FARNPAN) annual conference that I attended in Swaziland , Dr Sepo Hachigonta the FANRPAN climate Change Coordinator said that, Climate change possess a real risk to the future of farming and food security in Africa, thus all stakeholders including policy makers, researchers, scientists and farmers should engage to find solutions.

Climate change impacts are much localised and hence some areas are more vulnerable than others. Therefore African Governments need to spearhead initiatives of climate proofing Agriculture with all partners involved in climate change adaptation strategies. The capacity of policy analysts, scientists and Journalists must be enhanced in the fields of Agriculture, Climate and socio-economics to collectively build a strong base of evidence on cropping systems to inform adaptation policies and investment decisions. It’s also important to build the capacity of young researchers on climate issues and on how the environment interacts with social, human and economic sectors.

“A key strategy of managing risk and vulnerability associated with Climate change is developing and implementing evidence based policies and programs that respond to local realities and priorities”

For a country like Uganda who’s economy is dominated by the agricultural sector, which accounts for 41.6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 85% of the export earnings and 80% of employment opportunities with the youngest population yet highest youth unemployment in the world,  (World Bank report on Africa Development Indicators (ADI) 2008/2009. Fifty six (56%).This is an indicator that in order to achieve meaningful development programms and projects, there is need to involve the youth and have the programs youth oriented. Is there any role that the youth in Uganda are playing to achieve climate smart agriculture and initiatives that will assist farmers to climate proof agriculture? 

This is what bloggers and Journos ought to understand about reporting on climate change. 

FOOD!! ARE THE YOUTH RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS SECURITY?

It's BLOG ACTION DAY once again and this year's theme is FOOD. Sharing my thoughts with you all

Since late August 2011, I have been travelling from one country to another attending a number of conference. I just realised that in one way or another, the issue of FOOD featured so much in all the three conferences.

While some people in some parts of the world are fighting obesity, others in another part of the world are starving to death because they have no access to food.

The first of these series of conferences I went for was the One Young World summit2011 that took place in Zurich Switzerland from 1^st to 4^th September. With a scholarship from MTN, I was amazed at the number of young people who had convened to talk about issues that are currently affecting the world. One of them was HEALTH.  The keynote speaker for the health panel was TED prize winner Jamie Oliver of FoodRevolution who spoke about global Obesity.

Some of my tweets during the session on health and food with the hash tag (#fixhealth) were: 

·         "You and I need to educate each other about the food that we eat"

·         "We need to act against wasting food"

·         "We need to respect the fact that we have food and other don`t"

·         "We all have passion for food, Yes, but do we have respect for farmers"

·         "We need to change our lifestyle and change our eating habits too"

·       "As we fight hunger and starvation in Africa, we should also sort out the issue of obesity in   the US and Europe".

·         "Food is a basic need and a human right"

·         "The general children are borne in a junk food culture"

·         "Food Security is not necessarily about improving production but increasing access to food".

 

The Second was the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) Annual High Level Regional Food Security Multi-Stakeholder Policy Dialogue 2011 which was held from 19th to 23rd September 2011 in Mbabane (Swaziland). The theme of this year's annual regional dialogue was "Advocating for the active engagement of the youth in the agriculture value chain".  Top on the agenda was the issue of how youth can be engaged in achieving food security on the African continent. From the discussions, it was evident that few youth engage in Agriculture and yet the continent`s largest population is that of the young people.  Her Majesty, Queen Mother Ntombi, Indlovukazi of Swaziland received the food security policy leadership award for her role in great role in Agricultural initiatives in Swaziland including one on the Marula fruit seed. Read more http://nawsheenh.blogspot.com/2011/09/fanrpan-annual-high-level-regional-food.html The question that remained on everyone`s mind was how we can make agriculture `Sexy` and profitable to the youth.

The final conference was the second Global Knowledge share Fair http://www.sharefair.net/share-fair-11-rome/about-the-fair/en/

As the world mourned world icons like Nobel prize winner Wangari and  Apple`s Steve Jobs how many thought of the thousand dying of starvation just  because they cannot afford a meal?

And who thinks that youth have a great role to play for the world and most especially Africa to achieve food security?