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[

] 94

A

LMOST

700

MILLION

people worldwide have access to the

Internet. The majority of them, about 62 per cent, live in

North America and Western Europe, while only 2 per cent

of Internet users live in Africa. Access to telephones, especially

mobile telephones, is increasing rapidly in sub-Saharan Africa. In

Tanzania, for example, about 60 per cent of villages have direct

access to mobile phone networks. But few people, only 2.5 per cent

of the total population, actually own a mobile phone.

Statistics such as these continue to spur debate over the digital

divide between rich and poor countries and, increasingly, it has been

recognized that this divide also exists between rural and urban areas

within poor countries themselves. The truth is that the digital divide

is a symptom of a wider inequality, especially in rural areas of devel-

oping countries, where more than 800 million of the world’s poorest

people live. Many of these people suffer from chronic hunger. They

do not have access to safe water, electricity, or to roads, markets and

employment opportunities, or to an education.

Communication technologies such as the Internet are fantastic

tools. However, most rural poor people do not enjoy the benefits

precisely because they are poor. The International Fund for

Agricultural Development’s (IFAD) approach to the use of infor-

mation and communication technologies (ICT) to support

development initiatives is to focus on people and not technology.

Information and communication technology is a tool, not a solu-

tion. Technology is really only an instrument. Content and how the

technology is used are what make the difference.

It is crucial that the emphasis is on communication processes,

and learning and sharing – not on technology itself.

This implies participation, sharing of knowledge in a horizontal

way, and respect for diversity and culture. This is fundamental to

IFAD’s commitment to strengthen the capacity of rural poor people

and their organizations to overcome poverty.

Access presents one of the most obvious obstacles to ICT use in

the developing world – especially in rural areas, where electricity is

not always available or reliable, poor roads and terrain, and extreme

weather can add to a remote community’s isolation. But the real

challenge facing IFAD and others involved in rural development is

learning how to make ICT meaningful as well as accessible, so they

can effect real change in the lives of poor people.

In effect, access to ICT becomes important only once certain

conditions have been met.

The first step is ownership: poor people need to have a stake in

their own development before projects can be successful.

ICT cannot help empower poor people unless content is locally-

driven and meets their particular needs. Language can present a

major hurdle, especially on the Internet: English remains its domi-

nant language. Moreover, the Web is designed primarily for literate

users, which excludes nearly 1 billion poor people in the world.

Blending the new and the old

Appropriate technology should always be a consideration in using

ICT for development. The most modern and expensive equipment

is not necessarily the best way to reach poor people, or to enable

them to communicate among themselves or with others. For

example, in rural areas of the developing world, radio is often the

only mass medium available. Several IFAD projects have supported

radio broadcasting. In Mexico, an initiative in the Mexcanu region

of the Yucatan Peninsula trained children to develop and broadcast

their own radio programmes. The children, who were often the only

literate people in their communities, spoke both Mayan and Spanish.

As a result, they provided an important communication bridge for

older generations, who often only spoke Mayan. They also combined

radio with the Internet to expand access to useful information. By

accessing the Internet, the children were able to get information on

matters of local concern, like crop prices and market opportunities,

vocational training and access to microcredit programmes, and share

it with the rest of the community.

The Mayan radio project is just one example of how blending

new communication technologies with older ones can benefit rural

poor people. In Peru, for example, farmers have used geographical

information systems, or “talking maps”, to assess the status of their

natural resources. They then walk from farm to farm, sharing their

knowledge with the community.

Local content and ownership

Another example of IFAD’s work with ICT in rural areas is the First

Mile Project in Tanzania. Emerging experience from the initiative

underlines the importance of local ownership, relevant content and

the blending of old and new communication technologies.

Linked to an IFAD-supported agricultural marketing systems

programme, the First Mile Project will build the capacity of small

producers, processors, traders and others in the market chain, to

communicate better, form partnerships and learn from each other

to ensure better access to markets and market information. The term

“first mile” refers to bridging the connectivity gap between a village

with no electricity and no telephone line to the nearest computer

that is online.

The major challenge of the First Mile Project is to determine how

smallholder farmers can connect through intermediaries to the

Internet, to get market information and to communicate with other

How can information and communication

technologies make a difference

to rural poor people?

International Fund for Agricultural Development