GKD Members:
My name is Modesto, I am making this comment because, I have experienced
what it means to have no access to any information technology. In a
village where there is no proper roads, no electricity, no telephone, no
postal services nearby and no clean water, is it not like being trapped
in a jail? You may call it a slum, but there are slums in the "First
World" too with a different level of poverty. Information and communication
technology is, I believe, as necessary as the above basic human
necessities described above in some of the developing countries.
As much as I would like to agree with Rajaraman, my departure is where
the statement: "information is no use if the poor do not have the
capacity to use it to their benefit". Let me tell you that, in the
region in which poverty is beyond measure, as described above, the poor
travel over 40 miles in some developing countries, on foot to go and
make a telephone call at the central postal service, commonly at the
district offices, to reach a relative who stays in the capital city
where amenities are available. The need to make that communication link
is very important to such a poor person. It can save lives in that
village, or at the person's home, in cases of illnesses.
If it is the time necessary to reform a countries national policies, one
would this time of cyber revolution include in their priorities central
units where telephones, electricity, PCs connected to the Internet are
made available to rural communities. Even if an elderly person is
illiterate, there must be a relative who is computer literate to send
the message whenever, the need arises. These needs may include, the
urgency for school fees, the sick to be taken to the hospital for
treatment, seeking an advice from a doctor, a friend, a relative, etc.,
etc.
We have a sustainable development plan to initiate Internet centers
whereby one could find such amenities as: photocopiers, wordprocessing
services, telephones, smart cards, and postal services and emergency
means of transport at every parish of a walking distance within every
ten miles in the villages of the poor. If you are in a position to help
in an way possible, please do. The wish list which includes:
computers, photocopiers, street-stand-alone telephones, for sub-Sahara
African region specs. (220-240 Voltage).
Please let me know if this is a viable option to improve the lives of
the poor, if not what is it? Food, water, clothing and housing are
truly the obvious needs of the poor, but to improve their lives from
object poverty, would you not provide them with ICT, as one of your
development list of priorities, if you were in that position? I look
forward to receiving your response.
Modesto Ombiga
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