7 November 2008
analysis
Washington, DC — Two case studies in Tanzania, discussed in a new report by wireless internet expert Ian Howard for the Association for Progressive Communications, show two very different models for building sustainable telecentres to meet needs in rural areas. The Family Alliance for Development and Cooperation is an initiative by self-taught technician Joseph Sekiku, in Karagwe, who created a telecentre on his property with the help of small grants. The Sengerema telecentre, some 200 km away, is the result of several donor and community initiatives engaging a range of stakeholders.
The study stresses the need for expanding full internet access, using wireless networks, arguing against the common view that more rapidly expanding mobile phone networks may be able to fill the need for connectivity. There are different possible models for sustainability, he argues, but all require long-term investment in strengthening local technical capacity. Far more important than formal training is identifying potential local "techies" and fostering their skills for troubleshooting and innovation.
This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains a summary and excerpts from the report. The excerpts are from the overview and from the first case study. The full report, including both case studies and appendices with financial data, study is available on the site of the Association of Progressive Communications (http://www.apc.org/en/node/7237)
For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on information and communications technology in Africa, and a customized search of particularly valuable websites dealing with these issues, visit http://www.africafocus.org/ictexp.php
For related background on telecentre support in
East Africa visit http://www.ugabytes.org
The blog by John Kibuuka (http://kjohnah.blogspot.com) has a number of photographs and descriptions of setting up the FADECO telecentre connections. See the blog posts from 2006 and 2007.
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Unbounded possibilities:
Observations on sustaining rural ICTs in Africa
By Ian Howard (APC)
Montevideo, October 2008
Association for Progressive Communications
http://www.apc.org/en/node/7237
This study commissioned by APC and written by wireless expert Ian Howard explores sustainable ICT and the need for wireless internet access for development (W4D). Intended to serve as a guide to members of the W4D community involved in African initiatives, Howard draws conclusions based on his observations of two telecentres in Tanzania with very different business models.
Howard's work is intended to inspire others to share their observations about viable sustainability models for rural telecentres. Future plans include publishing it online in a participative format that will allow others to contribute to it, thus building a knowledge base on the topic.
These two communities featured in this study illustrate that the need for internet access is strong, especially in countries where WiMAX and similar wireless bands are available, challenging the current hype that rural communities ICT needs are being met by mobiles phones.
The study consists of five main sections. The author begins by describing sustainable ICT in the preface, followed by a rationale section, in which he questions whether or not the need for wireless exists. A methodology section explains the data collection process and how the two case studies were selected, followed by the two case studies. Each case study is broken down into four sections: Background, observations, financial analysis and conclusion. The author then adds his final notes and appendices at the end of the study.
The first case study, the Family Alliance for Development and Cooperation, is an initiative by a self-taught technician, Joseph Sekiku, who created a telecentre on his property with the help of small grants. Due to the exorbitant dial-up prices and sluggish connection speeds, Sekiku turned to wireless and began building a network. Though he struggles financially to keep the centre running, the centre is kept operational through the collaboration and dedication of the community. Because of the ongoing need for resourcefulness Sekiku has become a highly knowledgeable individual who is now a leader and expert in computer technologies in his community. Howard draws certain conclusions based on Sekiku's experience, which can serve other newly emerging telecentres.
Through Sekiku's story, Howard demonstrates how a low-cost, sole-proprietor telecentre can be built and flourish in rural areas.
Some 200 km away, in the bigger but largely underdeveloped region of Mwanza, the Sengerema telecentre, is the end result of several initiatives carried out over the past four years. It boasts many different services for its numerous clients including a cyber caf‚, a conference room, an e-training lab and so on, which generate revenue. However, the revenue does not cover all the maintenance expenses of the centre and so it is dependant on grants and other sources of financial assistance. The telecentre is a useful example of a sustainable ICT initiative in rural Tanzania, as it serves as a model for community engagement and is a symbol of hope for youth within the community While it is not financially self-reliant, it remains sustainable because it is embraced by all of its stakeholders.
Unbounded Possibilities: Observations on sustaining rural information and communication technology (ICT) in Africa
Written by Ian Douglas Howard
on behalf of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
October 2008
Contacts:
Association for Progressive Communications
http://www.apc.org * info@apc.org
Ian Howard, Frontier Markets and Sustainable Technologies Expert http://www.integr8tif.com
Excerpts
Preface: What is Sustainable ICT?
In the late 1990s, the use of ICTs in international development work expanded greatly. Reasons behind this expansion include the commoditisation of ICT equipment, the simplification of use and support of equipment, improved access to electricity, more affordable internet connections through telephones and very small aperture terminals (VSATs), and the growing use of ICTs by donors and NGOs themselves. Also, a number of studies by the World Bank and other organisations had affirmed the importance of information for improved health and social wellbeing and the role of communications in economic development. By 2004 almost all donors and NGOs were involved in some sort of ICT4D (Information and Communication Technology for Development) initiative.
Unfortunately, this interest has since subsided. In part this lapse is due to the many ill-executed or misguided projects that failed due to limited local buy-in, flawed economic models, inadequate training, and/or the use of inappropriate equipment. From the perspective of donors, the most obvious failure of ICT4D initiatives was that few were able to persist without their continued intervention and financial support, leading to an impression that ICT4D projects are largely unsustainable.
In the field of ICT4D, the term "sustainable" refers to initiatives that are able to transition to models that can be supported by local and domestic resources. ...
Ironically this understanding of sustainability reflects what has made so many ICT4D projects inherently unsustainable; sponsors generally want to limit their involvement to short-term support in order to incubate it, then have its continued operations handed over to others. This practise, called "parachuting," is ill suited to ICTs as few communities are able to continue to fund and support this equipment. Consequently, when ICT4D projects reach the end of their funding period and are cast off with hopes that the local communities will take over support for them, most list on the water and soon slip under the surface. Internet connections are soon dropped, computers infected by viruses and hardware fails, technical staff move to bigger communities and the projects often disappear as quickly as they arrived.
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