[UgaBYTES] [uwci-ct] Rural communication: Is there still a need for telecentres now that there are mobile phones?

Mon Nov 24 12:15:17 GMT 2008

Hullo Friends,

It is really amazing to see how far this discussion has generated many
ideas. Indeed I've been away in Buwama telecentre and Sub County where
electricity for the entire five days has been a menace. All telecentre
activities have been affected for the entire week. In fact the telecentre
has been closed entirely and the only functional section was of the
community radio which has power alternative sources. We are still out in the
field for another week of data collection, still covering different sections
of people in the community in the gender evaluation we are conducting.

I also believe like others that mobile phones should be complimentary to
telecentres like any tool used in telecentres. But much as mobile phones are
essential in spreading information faster than telecentres, telecentres
remain relevant places to go to which needs to be scaled up in their
services to reach out to the communities. I've tried to move to many
telecentres but, many of them provide the service of phone charging than
telephone services.  This means that telecentres have to re-strategize to
include telephone services as well and make them more functional and
relevant to the communities. And off course mobile phones have challenges as
well which were highlighted by others on this list. During last week in the
field, we could not communicate using mobile phones because there was no
power to recharge our batteries which made us waste a lot of time and other
resources. This means that using mobile phones in rural areas is still
challenging though highly a necessity.

It is really nice to see people sharing their ideas on this list. Thanks.

Cheers
Sarah mpagi

On Tue, Nov 18, 2008 at 2:08 PM, Ndaula Sulah <ndaulasula at ugabytes.org>wrote:

> Dear Readers,
>
> We say in my mother's style of speech "Omunttu ssi ente" meaning "a human
> being is not a cow", he never mooes in the same style or sound. He changes
> frequently, in talk, sight, walk, ... And so are the problems he
> accounters.
> Mobile technology promises a technology that is as mobile as human beings;
> building on communication, the centre of development. With this it posses
> as
> one of the icons driving this era we live especially if Francis Baccoa's
> thoughts make sense here. He notes chicken dung drives the economy for
> every
> moment; in the 1500 - 1600, he asserts, it was the campus, Gun powder and
> printing <Polly shared the story with me when in Lusaka early this year>.
> The chicken dung has two communication parts; campus and printing. And the
> campus was mobile, so can one deduce the chicken dung driving our time is
> the mobile phone!!! Secondly will mobile phony replace the thinking of
> telecentres!!! Uhmmm...;)
>
>
> For the time I have lived, I have found out that costructive thinking
> builds
> on constructive thinking. This forced others to think that reality is built
> on fiction. And then  follows, W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne (both
> Professors of Strategy and international mgt) assertion that today's
> bussiness is a re-organization of the old or what is already existing
> untapped in our environment, in their book the "Blue Ocean Strategy". But
> is
> it itself a construct grounded by the scientific principle of "energy can
> neither be created or destroyed". Gaining from the above preposition
> requires socialization and simplified specialized resources. While the
> mobile phony provides simplicity it's socialization levels may not have
> reached the leveling that can terminate telecentres. At least not in the
> next 10 years under conditions that mobile phony is working on
> socialization
> possibilties and telecentres are watching on - enjoying the activities.
>
> Simplicity makes me worry though. Telecentres have not communicated simple.
> But the mobile phony is every day and is building from this simplicity to
> complex. As a learmer of development communication, it was always
> emphasized
> by my teacher, Ass. Prof Semaana; take it from simple to complex or design
> it from simple to complex... mobile technologists heard it and practice it
> thus their technology enlightment efforts are lower, telecentres are yet to
> draw the leaf active. This angle means mobile phony can easily be the
> chicken dung that replaced telecentres while we promote telecentres through
> the window of diversity of services, content and technology enlightment.
> The
> urgument here is relative growth for each in terms of users, services,
> infrastructure and innovations that go cheaper within a short gestation
> period everyday. Ofcourse public libraries have not gone brink with the
> introduction of internet, but how many of the new innovations seat on the
> old. Those which have survived innovate with innovators at relatively equal
> rate.
>
>
> Sandra, Sarah and Meddie bring out many angles of telecentre contributions
> for which telecentres must survive the chicken dung. I do not like to
> repeat
> any. But they don't sound exclusive to telecentres. And in fact mobile
> phony
> promises a stylish penetration in those areas than today's offerings of a
> telecentre. And at an increasing rate of penetration. Take for example the
> idea of lasting solution for ICT4D access vs sustainability. The single
> factor is what costs cheaper, what cost cheaper to serve life cycle costs,
> what has a good plan for passing over the costs to the re-buyer and what
> has
> increasing rates of innovations for cheaper services, infrastructure...?
> Whatever takes the more yes, it promises the kick out of business for the
> other or atleast in the niches if they work in the same area.  Patero when
> he was finding the 80/20 principle, he did not think it would shape the way
> individuals and groups think. But it is. It is much more than Marx's
> capitalism. And for telecentres we need to find the 20% aspects that
> distinguish us upto 80% from others including, in today's discussion the
> mobile phony.
>
> Lastly my leisure time fovourite writer (one of), Jack Canified noted in
> his
> book "Success Principal: How to get from where you are to where you want to
> be", that to share you have to own. Many other writers relate owning as a
> natural prerequisite of sharing or giving. I agree too. And I extend it
> though further. It is also a prerequisite for appropriation; appropriation
> of technology. Mobile phony promised personal ownership and management of
> technology. For long this remained a problem in telecentres with community
> ownership stamped vague. But as mobile phony provides this answer the
> community appreciation of the telecentres is bound to increase especially
> as
> the telecentres sharpen the 80/20 focus. Ofcourse making telecentres more
> relevant. But this may not be saying that superownership mobile phony gives
> to individual will not remain it's cutting edge of its higher appropriation
> than that given by telecentres.
>
> But by now the world is excited about the Obama election, here in Uganda
> it's making my president like a mayor!!! Isn't the mobile phony excitement
> alike to us in telecentres? Let me take it from Andrew Mwenda, the Managing
> Editor of "The Independent" - Uganda's monthly magazine. He notes in this
> month issue, in the article  "If Americas don't change Obama, he will",
> that
> the institution of the Americas presidency will not offer Obama the
> achievement the world expects him. Not at least any different from what
> president Clinton, Bush or McCain would. Simple he is president elect for
> America not the world, he notes. But the proof that odds are beatable.
> Raising above social limitations. Taking a leaf from the fallen heroes like
> Malcom X, even though not their failures, is what Mr. Oboma will. And yes
> under his "Yes we can" flag. But will he seat down and things happen; no if
> he does that soon he will pass unnoticed. He must act the inspiration he
> has
> brought in the world. So are the telecentres. But first let us identify the
> 80/20 focus and let us keep it changing to the focus better everyday. The
> mobile phony provides the lessons of simplicity. Let us act simple in
> services and within life requirements of an individual or else telecentres
> remain the sat on technology.
>
>
> Best Regards,
> ---
> Sulah
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 18, 2008 at 10:43 AM, Polly Gaster <polly.gaster at uem.mz>
> wrote:
>
> > Yes, in our view telecentres and mobile phones are complementary. For
> > instance, at this moment some telecentres that had no connectivity are
> now
> > online via mobile phone modems and infrastructures, for the cost of a
> modem
> > and ordinary pay-as-you-go phone cards - good synergy, don't you think?
> > Polly
> >
> > ----
> >
> > Polly Gaster
> > TICs para Desenvolvimento/ICT4D
> > Centro de Informatica da Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (CIUEM)
> > Campus Universitario, Maputo, Mozambique
> > e-mail: polly.gaster at uem.mz
> > cel: +258-82-3264540
> > tel/fax: +258-21-485779
> > Skype: polly_gaster
> >
> >
> > --
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> >
> >
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>
>
> --
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-- 
Nalwoga Sarah Mpagi
Program Officer
Knowledge Management & Research
UgaBYTES Initiative
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