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Leveraging New Technologies

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R
Richwell Phinias

This document discusses leveraging new technologies like social media and mobile phones to promote constructive dialogue and sharing of information in Zimbabwe. It focuses on how an aunt ("Auntie") who works as a market gardener could benefit from technologies. While Auntie faces challenges like lack of education and high costs of internet and phones, technologies could help her access market prices, reduce production costs, and make important connections. The document outlines opportunities for Auntie such as using social media to get market prices before trips and information about crop demands and input sales. Overall it argues that technologies, especially affordable mobile phones, are critical to sharing development information nationwide.

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Leveraging New Technologies for Constructive Dialogue, Knowledge and Information Packaging for Development #CSZSummerSchool Friday 15 Nov 2013
Leveraging New Technologies for Constructive Dialogue ? Real Name: Nigel Mugamu ? Twitter: @SirNige ? Facebook: Sir Nigel¡¯s Journey ? Website: www.sirnige.com ? Instagram: SirNige
#263Chat & @263Chat
What is #263Chat? ? Crowd-sourcing solutions for challenges/issues ordinary people face daily ? Twitter based weekly discussion on Zimbabwe ? 1 theme & therefore 1 focus ? Takes place at 6pm CAT/Zim time ? Plays a role in creating local content for various media & DIALOGUE ? Used to gauge the Zimbabwean pulse
#263Chat Uses ? Creation of CONTENT esp. LOCAL content ? Helping Zimbabweans and non-Zimbabweans understand Zim more through dialogue ? Crowd source solutions and raise awareness of relevant national & societal issues ? Change or influence the Zimbabwean narrative ? Aim: Involve Auntie in the conversation one day
My Aunt
Auntie Stats ? Very little educational opportunity ? Worked for a textile company in Harare for several years before moving back to village ? Lives in our village approx 72kms from Harare ? Market gardener ? Frequently sells her produce in Mbare ? Auntie is familiar with Baba Jukwa
Auntie¡¯s Vegetable Garden
Auntie & ICT 3 Fundamental Roles of ICT in her life: 1. Accessing of information & knowledge 2. Reducing cost of production and transaction 3. Making connections e.g. traders at Mbare
Challenges of Social/New Media ? Relevance to her life ¨C How relevant & useful is social media to Auntie? ? Cost 1) data to get online 2) the actual phone ? How much does ICT contribute to Zim¡¯s GDP? ? Perception that tech/social media is a toy ? Auntie¡¯s voice is irrelevant in her eyes ? Polarised & politicised environment
Social Media & Development ? Social media can save lives e.g. Westgate Mall in Nairobi Kenya ? Social media as a equalizer i.e. access to info ? Social media for economic benefit/empowerment ? Social media to garner public opinion e.g. #263Chat ? Social media used in elections ? Social media to report &/or monitor corruption
Facts re Zimbabwe ? Zim has highest mobile subscriber¡¯s penetration in Africa ¨C 98%. ? Zim has one of highest internet penetration rates in Africa ¨C 35%. ? Zimbabwe has the highest literacy rate in Africa ¨C 90.7%
Interesting Stats re Zimbabwe ? 70% of Zim population are the youth ? 65% of Zim population live in the rural areas ? 52% of Zim population are women
Opportunities of Social/New Media re Auntie ? The use of social media to give Auntie detailed info on the price of produce in Mbare before travelling ? Info re prices of inputs or special sale with suppliers e.g. fertilisers, seed, tools etc ? What produce is in demand in Mbare at any given period? ? What produce is affected by over-supply? ? CRITICAL TO ALL THIS IS AUNTIE¡¯S CELL PHONE
Moving forward ? Whatever solutions are adopted in distributing or accessing info re development across Zim, the use of our cell/mobile phones is CRITICAL. ? Costs of accessing internet data needs to decrease ? Costs of mobile phones needs to decrease ? There has to be a 2-way communication process
Thank you

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Leveraging New Technologies

  • 1. Leveraging New Technologies for Constructive Dialogue, Knowledge and Information Packaging for Development #CSZSummerSchool Friday 15 Nov 2013
  • 2. Leveraging New Technologies for Constructive Dialogue ? Real Name: Nigel Mugamu ? Twitter: @SirNige ? Facebook: Sir Nigel¡¯s Journey ? Website: www.sirnige.com ? Instagram: SirNige
  • 4. What is #263Chat? ? Crowd-sourcing solutions for challenges/issues ordinary people face daily ? Twitter based weekly discussion on Zimbabwe ? 1 theme & therefore 1 focus ? Takes place at 6pm CAT/Zim time ? Plays a role in creating local content for various media & DIALOGUE ? Used to gauge the Zimbabwean pulse
  • 5. #263Chat Uses ? Creation of CONTENT esp. LOCAL content ? Helping Zimbabweans and non-Zimbabweans understand Zim more through dialogue ? Crowd source solutions and raise awareness of relevant national & societal issues ? Change or influence the Zimbabwean narrative ? Aim: Involve Auntie in the conversation one day
  • 7. Auntie Stats ? Very little educational opportunity ? Worked for a textile company in Harare for several years before moving back to village ? Lives in our village approx 72kms from Harare ? Market gardener ? Frequently sells her produce in Mbare ? Auntie is familiar with Baba Jukwa
  • 9. Auntie & ICT 3 Fundamental Roles of ICT in her life: 1. Accessing of information & knowledge 2. Reducing cost of production and transaction 3. Making connections e.g. traders at Mbare
  • 10. Challenges of Social/New Media ? Relevance to her life ¨C How relevant & useful is social media to Auntie? ? Cost 1) data to get online 2) the actual phone ? How much does ICT contribute to Zim¡¯s GDP? ? Perception that tech/social media is a toy ? Auntie¡¯s voice is irrelevant in her eyes ? Polarised & politicised environment
  • 11. Social Media & Development ? Social media can save lives e.g. Westgate Mall in Nairobi Kenya ? Social media as a equalizer i.e. access to info ? Social media for economic benefit/empowerment ? Social media to garner public opinion e.g. #263Chat ? Social media used in elections ? Social media to report &/or monitor corruption
  • 12. Facts re Zimbabwe ? Zim has highest mobile subscriber¡¯s penetration in Africa ¨C 98%. ? Zim has one of highest internet penetration rates in Africa ¨C 35%. ? Zimbabwe has the highest literacy rate in Africa ¨C 90.7%
  • 13. Interesting Stats re Zimbabwe ? 70% of Zim population are the youth ? 65% of Zim population live in the rural areas ? 52% of Zim population are women
  • 14. Opportunities of Social/New Media re Auntie ? The use of social media to give Auntie detailed info on the price of produce in Mbare before travelling ? Info re prices of inputs or special sale with suppliers e.g. fertilisers, seed, tools etc ? What produce is in demand in Mbare at any given period? ? What produce is affected by over-supply? ? CRITICAL TO ALL THIS IS AUNTIE¡¯S CELL PHONE
  • 15. Moving forward ? Whatever solutions are adopted in distributing or accessing info re development across Zim, the use of our cell/mobile phones is CRITICAL. ? Costs of accessing internet data needs to decrease ? Costs of mobile phones needs to decrease ? There has to be a 2-way communication process