I had a fun phone call with a few colleagues this morning to talk about a project I did a couple of years ago in Rwanda. As part of USAID’s Last Mile Initiative to bring connectivity to remote areas, we worked with nine coffee farm cooperatives in Rwanda on a number of different levels. We provided training for their accountants so that they could share information over the internet instead of keeping books on paper and wasting days trying to get the numbers to a central office. We worked with one coop to start a community telecenter so that they could generate enough money to maintain connectivity.
It was a favorite project for me for many reasons. Looking back, some aspects were very successful and some could be improved. The impact of the internet in the developing world has shifted since the telecenter movement started and I can’t help thinking how much fun it would be to go back and work, with the same group, on a program using mobile technology. There is so much potential there. Check out this article from the Economist called “The Meek Shall Inherit the Web” for a peek at what’s coming.
I have some pictures from the trainings we did on my flckr site.
Colleen, what a FANTASTIC article you linked us to! THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT THE WEB. Excellent news and your ability to stay current with our changing world is so inspiring! Love how you share your interests, trips, work, and especially the kind ways you refer to your collegial friendships! What a team you are together!!! — THANKS for keeping us posted!