Involve. Develop. Volunteer. E-TIC.net Linking people to technology Agriculture, husbandry and fishing New technologies & citizen engagement: Practices and impacts from country cases WSIS Follow-up Viola Krebs, Executive Director of ICVolunteers ITU, 13 May 2010 www.E-TIC.net About ICV Objective of E-TIC.net Context Needs Tools About ICV International Non-Profit Organization working in communications: Information and Communication Technologies Culture and Languages Conference Support Linking Knowledge with needs Volunteer Network of volunteers from 180 countries: 11.000 people About ICV: Projects since creation Offices & Representations Projects implemented since creation E-TIC.net: Objective Citizen participation and inclusion of farmers, herders and fishermen for them to be able Mali and Senegal to better sell In particular Sahel their products Region Mali / Senegal: Situation Farmers Herders Fishermen essential pillar of African nations www.E-TIC.net: Senegal Literacy rate: 41-46% (total), male: 53.5%, female: 39.6% (2007) Zones in Senegal Guédé-Chantier : rice, onions, tomatoes, vegetables Mbam : peanuts, shrimps Meckhe : husbandry products, peanuts www.E-TIC.net: Mali Literacy rate: 46.4% (total), male: 53.5%, female: 39.6% (2003 est.) Zones pilotes au Mali Tombouctou : animals, fishing and rice Ségou : different types of cereals, rice, millet, husbandry products, fish Sikasso : ignames, mangos, patateos, fruits, husbandry products, cotton E-TIC.net: Partners Local: Primatures, Ministères de l’Agriculture, de la Jeunesse et des Sports, des Nouvelles Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication (NTIC), National Civic Service of Senegal (SCN), presse écrite, radios communautaires, télévisions nationales, organisations d’agriculteurs, Eco-Village Network of Senegal, CRESP/EREV/GENSEN, Communauté Oulad Nagim, Eco-Commune de Guédé-Chantier, Conjedev, Youth and ICT_Mali, Société Nationale d'Aménagement et d'Exploitation des Terres du Delta du Fleuve Sénégal (SAED), Association des Municipalités du Mali (AMM), Manobi International: Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) www.E-TIC.net: zones Mali / Senegal: Situation Many of them: Are illiterate Do not speak French (but Pulaar, Wolof, Serere, Bambara, Tamasheq, Songhay, Hassaniya, etc.) Live in areas where electricity is not available Have never touched a computer Mali / Senegal: Situation However, they: Know the issues related to agriculture, husbandry and fishing Can greatly benefit from the information available: To better sell their products To improve farming practices To build a sustainable society (limiting pesticides and too much fertilizer, etc.) Mali / Senegal: Situation Information available Computers Availability of the Internet Pays Abonnés (000s) Abonnés par 100 hab. Utilisateurs (000s) Utilisateurs par 100 hab. Mali 10.1 0.08 200 1.57 Sénégal 48.1 0.39 1'020.0 8.35 Afrique du Sud 3'566.0 7.51 4'187.0 8.43 Espagne 9'135.8 20.54 25'240.0 56.74 France 18'700.0 30.14 42'315.4 68.21 Etats-Unis 72'721.0 23.56 230'630.0 74 Suisse 2'780.0 36.86 5'806.8 77 Monde 528'035 8.32 1'587'419.8 23.44 Source: ITU Radio Mobile www.E-TIC.net: Mobile phones Estimated population of Senegal: 13,7 million inhabitants (2009) 5,4 million mobile phones (2008), meaning that 2.5 people have a mobile phone 42.2% of the population is aged under 15 years, the ratio for people older than 15 is almost double Estimated population for Mali: 13,4 million (2009) 3,4 million mobile phones (2008), meaning With 48.3% of the population younger than 15 years, the ratio of people over 15 having a mobile phone is amost double E-TIC.net: Means Collect data: Animating the Internet platform www.e-tic.net, management tool for the understanding of the needs of farmers, herders and fishermen, as well as researchers Dialogue and assess needs: through questionnaire and direct interviews determine expectations and understand the needs Provide Training: Provide training for connectors (volunteers, community radio journalists, women) at the of the day to train trainers, with multiplier effect E-TIC.net: Means Research & Document: Present problems of farmers, fishermen and herders so that they are better understood by policy makers and the general public Information dissemination: To provide information needed for community journalists so they can produce radio programs for farmers, herders and fishermen To work with SMS distribution services (Manobi) www.E-TIC.net: questionnaire N = 100 www.E-TIC.net: results of study Specific needs and issues identified: Availability of water / pollution Extreme weather Animal Diseases Plant parasites High prices of basic commodities Sales products Bank loans Marketing of products Locusts and other disasters www.E-TIC.net: Toolbox Websites Mobile phones SMS Talking functions Community Radio Telecentre Written Press Improve situation of farmers Given the infrastructure and context a joint package of: Information hubs Adapted and meaningful use of mobile technology Community Radios Improve situation of farmers Given the infrastructure and context a joint package of: Political will and improving government services Mobile technology solutions and pricing of them – to make them available to people Linking field with university work Capacity building www.E-TIC.net: Issues at hand Citizen engagement and participation, bottom up Have people help themselves Ownership Contents www.E-TIC.net: Senegal Farmers, herders and fishermen represent an important part of the population Many of them are illiterate Many of them do not speak French www.E-TIC.net: More Info