In recent times, there has been a sudden surge of interest globally in the generation and use of local and open knowledge and involvement of local communities. Such initiatives in Africa include the Open Knowledge Network, Open Educational Resources, e-Society and the most recent is the Knowledge Networks initiative, which is a UN initiative jointly implemented by the Regional Commissions of the UN with the ESCWA as the lead agency. The African Knowledge Network was launched in Dar Es salaam this July, with the aim of empowering poor and disadvantaged communities through the transformative of existing ICT access points.The working mechanism of this Network will be generation of local content through a Network of community telecentres to a central Web Portal where information/Knowledge can be openly accessed.
Why the sudden interest in local content?
Implementators of Access4Dev projects have progressively realized that without the involvement and participation of local communities, not much has been achieved in way of directly impacting on livelihoods. Having this knowledge/information transformed into something tangible that touches livelihood at the grassroot level, has most times been a challenge. All the knowledge/content generated during project periods, most times remains untapped or inaccessible to the people whose lives it was meant to improve.
Will Web Portals solve this problem?
In Africa, we have to realize that, we are a verbal community. The use of community radios and lately mobile phones can prove this. The growth rate of these two information channels have been so rapid in rural and remote districts, this is so because it cuts across the literacy levels and secondly the use of local language is automatic. Transmission and access to information using these two channels is therefore very common in rural communities.
Another of the approaches that is currently being applied by the Knowledge Networks is the use of Telecentres and Information points at community level. These are being tapped on the assumption that, these information/community information points have been in existence in these communities for a period of time and based on this assumption is that they are actively used by the communities. However the use of Web Portals for content management will prove challenging given the low levels of ICT literacy and poor telecommunication infrastructure. Such initiatives are not bad per se, but have to be critically assessed and explored as the local terrain is not always even in terms of technologically oriented projects.
The next question would be: When will Africa get there?
Answer: We are progressively getting there!!
I like your article. The question whether web portals will solve the problem great, it is true that Africa is a verbal society and most people do not read, however this statement for the community I work with refers to books, in fact many only read for exams.
Technology has revolutionized this however, picture a student revising his/her notes on a smart phone, or viewing scientific explanations on an ipod. Face book among other social network sites is an example of a widely accessed portal. For me it is all about presentation, packaging and delivery. If you are smart in your delivery many will get interested and access content.
You refer to deeply rural places where technology is yet to reach, the question therefore is about infrastructure and literacy levels. Mobile phones have penetrated this group and therefore content packaged for instance in sms form can be a solution.
05 01 2010 mwendabai sinyindahi,
Janet you are on the right track. keep up the good work.
local content is a critical driver; for example, maternal Health (e-health).
The issue of good maternal health is crosscutting. The local community will appreciate and support such a Telecenter whose content impacts positevely on their lives.
At a deep rural telecenter offering e-health. All you might require is 2 trained personnel, a PC with internet connection, a digital camera, and mobile phone, to SMS or Email the health records of the patient/mothers in distress to qualified Doctors and in an instant the the Doctors's response received to save the situation immediately resulting in saving of lots of lives and great reduction in the rate of high maternal death very common in deep rural Africa.
