Introduction
‘ICT on Demand’ is a project initiated by the Education Commission of the ADCC -African Diaspora Community Council in The Netherlands. The committee members decided on ICT as a focus and ‘educational circles’ as a method, which refers to forming a regional circle of particular countries in major regions of Africa. These countries will benefit from a pilot project through which computers are delivered and ICT in education is set up, evolving in training of trainers and through co-operation with the neighbouring countries into enhancement of education through ICT within the region.
Who is the initiator and driving force behind this project?
Kenneth Robinson, originally from Surinam is an ICT teacher at Zadkine ICT College in Spijkenisse just south of Rotterdam. He also happens to be the chair of the ADCC (African Diaspora Community Council) in Holland and the chair of the Education Commission of the ADCC. He is not only dedicated to his job but also to using his talents and resources to improve the lives of others, particularly in Surinam and Africa.
He initiated an ICT project for Surinam nearly four years ago in which Zadkine ICT College donated 100 refurbished computers.
What is Zadkine?
Zadkine is a conglomerate of 50 training colleges in and around the City of Rotterdam, with 25,000 students and 2,000 personnel. Zadkine offers professional education to youth at secondary level as well as to adults in evening classes. The disciplines offered are almost unlimited; any profession you can think of and in different forms, like daily for several years, or short evening or part time courses. All come with plenty of practice at the college or in the private sector with a firm, workshop or factory. For the purpose of assuring places for a stage or employment, Zadkine College keeps good and close contacts with the private sector.
The name Zadkine is taken from the Russian sculptor Ossip Zadkine (1890 - 1967), who while visiting a friend saw the destruction of the centre of Rotterdam in 1940 by German bombing at the beginning of World War II. He made the famous sculpture of the figure with a hole for a heart, which unveiled in 1953, stands at a prominent place in the city.
Zadkine College is not unfamiliar with organizing projects for or in Africa. This February five teams of students and teachers from the Zadkine Automotive College leave for the Africa with specially prepared four-wheel-drive vehicles. In the framework of the project ‘Go for Africa’ they will teach in the Gambia and leave the vehicle behind for the local technical school.
What is Zadkine doing in the ‘ICT on Demand’ project?
On the initiative of Kenneth Robinson Zadkine ICT College is donating 100 refurbished computers and memory sticks with software to three schools in South Africa. The computers have been received from various Zadkine College locations in and around Spijkenisse. In the Zadkine ICT College workshop the computers have had the memory erased, been dismantled, put back together again and checked to be in working condition.
The handling of the computers has been done by students as part of the project, but also as a practical training. Zadkine ICT College Spijkenisse is planning to integrate this in the curriculum, making this development co-operation activity cut both ways.
The South African Embassy is also involved as they recommended the recipient schools and are providing the packing materials as well as local and international transport.
Kenneth Robinson plans to use his summer holiday for a self sponsored trip to South Africa in the framework of the project to see the benefiting schools for himself.
What about ICT in Africa?
ICT in Africa has many faces and is in various stages of development. The unstoppable globalisation distinguishes itself also in the dissemination of information and communication and causes a continuing demand among individuals, groups, schools, institutions, companies, donors and at time even governments.
The surprising speed of adoption of the mobile phone in Africa, many times over the fixed lines caused a paradigm shift. Inventive state of the art solutions like ‘mobile money’, the Ushahidi citizen reporting model and mobile phone journalism are already in practice in Africa. As an example young journalists capture news with their mobile phone, add the story on a small keyboard with a slot for their mobile phone and upload their feature directly to the web or their news editor. East Africa is a beehive of improvement in communication with several glass fibre marine cables being landed. On the other hand internet costs are incredible high with connectivity charged by time unit more as a rule than an exception. The desire to be able to communicate is often so high that people may spend up to half of their income on communication, or walk up to three kilometres several times a week to charge their mobile phone.
Computers are beginning to appear everywhere, in small shops, easing accountancy and administration, in schools, institutions and government offices. Unfortunately in education ICT is often restricted to ‘how to use the computer’ but not used as a tool for education. Some countries are making a start with e-governance, but sadly often top down, enabling governments to improve services and enhance their control but not enabling citizens to participate in society in their own right. Due to lack of infrastructure ICT in Africa is largely restricted to the cities, causing the rural areas to be almost isolated.
Reality Check - Computers and Rural Development
At a conference Grant Cambridge of the Meraka Institute described the situation in rural South Africa, where:
- There is virtually no access to computers
- There is limited access to knowledge and information
- A child’s potential to learn is directly proportional to the knowledge of the teacher
- Many people have never even typed their names on a keyboard
- Where the edge of your world is as far as you can walk in a day
This stark reality is very true for many rural areas in other African countries as well.
I have been to places which can only be reached on foot and roads may never reach and then don’t even think of more basic needs like potable water, health facilities or sustainable food supply. Or is being able to communicate over distances you may never cover in any other way or receiving information and education on demand also becoming a basic need?
Conclusion
‘Feeding Africa Through New Technologies: Let Us Act Now’ was the title of the speech made by the Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika at the most recent African Union Summit, in fact the 14th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of AU in Ethiopia 31st January 2010. It was his acceptance speech on his election as chair of the assembly of the African Union. He told his colleagues to use ICT solving Africa’s problems like putting in place food security programs. He implored his audience that Africa should go beyond decisions and resolutions and start with action. He also mentioned the need to develop transport and telecommunications and connect countries through ICT.
He said: “I am convinced that information and communication technology can play a major role in the development of agriculture and food security on our continent. This would enable our farmers to access important information on agricultural products, advanced technologies, research findings, as well as markets.” Courageous words, but whether action will follow is yet to be seen.
In any case, as the basic character of ICT is to communicate, ADCC, Zadkine and Kenneth Robinson are on the right way!
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