Macha Works Zambia

Hearing Macha Hospital's Manager Administration, Mr. Mabeta, and Minga Hospital's Sr. Esperansa made it clear again: "Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is instrumental in retaining health professionals in rural areas". To alleviate the human resource crisis in Zambia's health sector, and to fight especially the shortages of health workers at every service delivery level in rural areas, ICT can be instrumental. Of course, human resources is critical in the provision of quality health care. It is essential to ensures an adequate and equitable distribution of appropriately motivated, skilled and equitably distributed health workers providing quality services.

With pleasure I read the article "Third World first" in the Boston Globe newspaper. It shows an insight that research and development can bring mutual advantage, which is one of the motivators for excitement about cooperation between us in the rural African context and established institutes world wide. This goes with the notion that in in the aims for Corporate Responsibility, companies expect, among other things, to empower people in Africa to have productive and rewarding lives. High-impact projects are sought to improve global conditions, with wide range of proposed interventions from technology applications to societal change. Building relationships to innovate in the Third World can also bring this improvement.

LinkNet's most precious asset: its people! Here are some of the men, one lady is on duty at CHAZ, the other on leave. It is a wonderful group, able to do the job: connecting their neighbours!

This blog discusses the need to have a dedicated satellite to provide bandwidth and connectivity for Africa. This is a 'voice from rural Africa'. Although the ideas have been subject of discussion for more then a year, the vision is opinionated and not necessary well balanced or well researched. It is emerging from many years of experience in rural Africa.

Outset
At Macha, we currently pay about USD 1.500 per month for internet connectivity to serve the rural community. The bandwidth we get for that amount is very small compared to what users connect to in the West. There one typically pays many times less for many times more bandwidth. At Macha, the excruciating amount spend on bandwidth is taken away from provisioning of basic health care, or the development of the rural community. However, we pay up gladly as the need for connectivity in rural Africa is possibly higher then in other places. It often represents the only means of communications. Of course, payment for bandwidth in a rural area as Macha serves as an income to western investments and salaries. To have internet connectivity, money flows from (rural) Africa to the West.

While living in a rural area, and traveling to many others, it appears that daily realities are often 'the best solution' to issues at hand. The sheer limitations to availability of resources forces the rural area into the shape it exhibits, which situation is to be researched and well understood as to have a good starting point for development.

Exposure to, and knowledge of, realities and developments of other communities, countries, and contents can be a intrinsic source of development. Thus the call for rural-to-rural exchange, rural based development and co-operation, and capacity building through seminars at the rural site itself. Change can only be effectively proposed when appropriate care has been given to develop proper and lasting relationships. Also relevance of change has been proven in a rural environment. It is only on base of tested relationships that rural areas allow change to permeate, to change the currently existing 'way of doing things'. Long term relationships with the outside world are often lacking in rural areas.

It was a great opportunity to meet with our friends at Meraka Institute at CSIR in Pretoria, South Africa, and also with Marijn Rijken of TNO from the Netherlands, for a workshop on Wireless Local Area Networking in rural areas, Friday 29 June - Monday 2 July 2007.

This collaborative work is a direct result of the visit of TNO's Director Gerard van Oorsmerssen and LinkNet's Gertjan van Stam and Adrian Pais to Meraka Institute in Pretoria on 23 Feb 2007 and the resulting triangle TNO, Meraka, and LinkNet. This collaboration is further supported by the Global Research Alliance.

At this moment in time, LinkNet associates Preckson Hakanema and Oscar Kaate (Implementations Task Group) and Gregory Mweemba and Austin Sinzala (Operations Task Group) are in Mukinge, Zambia North West Province, for the implementation and start of operations of the Mukinge site. They flew there last week Thursday from Macha. LinkNet associate Ascenic Muleya (Operations Task Group) is at CHAZ as part of LinkNet's commitment to CHAZ. He went there by public transport last week Tuesday. LinkNet associate Lydia Hampande (Administrations Task Group) is in Livingstone at Zambia Revenue Authority to file LinkNet papers and perform the monthly income tax payment. LinkNet volunteer Adrian Pais just now skyped me that he at a stop over in Zurich, on his way from London to Neurenberg.

Last week I had the privilage to visit the Netherlands for a short visit. It was wonderful to meet family and friends again, and I consider our partners in the LinkNet work as friends!

I was not 'the West' for one and a half year, thus it was stunning to see the progress in ICT. Especially the process of availability of bandwidth was amazing. For instance, my brother, whom specialises in baking bread, was having an ISDN (128kb/s) line one and a half year ago. Last week I saw he was 'always on' with his computer. When asked, he confirmed he has 'broadband' to his PC. I asked him what that meant, 1 Mb/s perhaps? 'No, much more, I actually do not know, 20 Mb/s or something like that?". And how much does he pay? I do not know, but certainly not more the EUR 50 otherwise he would not have it at home.. And then many of my friends and family were walking around with mobile phones with GPRS or UMTS capabilities. Browsing e-mails, looking on the web, sending videos, the sky is the limit.

These weeks LinkNet has reached international news twice. Today on ITWEB, the ICT portal of South Africa, and a few weeks ago on e-Learning Africa, a portal for E-learning in Africa.

LinkNet's Master Plan contains a lot of details regarding the proposed role out in rural Zambia. An Addendum to the Master Plan describes a way forward at District level. Currently we are actively searching for funding for the proposed role outs, only then we can start the role out. Detailed financial planning is available for the Master Plan and for its Addendum.