Walking through the crowded dirt paths in La Limonada, the ghetto in Guatemala City, you can’t help but notice the destitution and poverty among the families, especially among the children and youth. Most of the kids don’t go to school and run around the neighborhood, trying to keep themselves entertained. Inevitably, they frequently run into trouble – fights, drugs, unwanted pregnancies, etc. One of the ways Ashley, the leader of the group we were working with, works to combat this situation, is starting up a community computer center to allow the kids and youth to “check out” time and use. With this computer center, Ashley started seeing a decrease in violence, and as a result, the Guatemalan youth’s development became more healthily cultivated.
This is what I was kept being reminded with during our first lecture where Professor Roman and Professor Colle spoke about their international experiences and the role technology played for the developing communities. In modern day American society, it is hard to imagine a life without technology. Technology itself has expanded and grown exponentially within the last few decades. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have become vital in an average individual’s life, and ICT training for individuals in developing countries is growing as technology will help them to both save money and make money. Richard Heeks, in his article “Do Information and Communication Technologies Contribute to Development?” he asserts that ICTs enable the development of “additional livelihood assets” and provide “new livelihood strategies” which contribute to “improved livelihood outcomes.” Innovations including M-PESA, a money transfer service, enabled by the mobile phone, allow people who did not have access to conveniences including banking now access these services. It is amazing that the creation was invented only a couple years ago, but now in Kenya there are over 4 million accounts registered. Moreover, this technology is spreading to other countries including Afghanistan and Tanzania. The research on the effects of integrating technology in developing countries is undeniably positive; however, the process of implementing is more convoluted. These areas are underdeveloped because of their lack of resources and money. Thus, clearly, they do not have the opportunities or privileges to use the technology most Americans take for granted. How and who will provide the access to information and communication technology to the needy? While the research is necessary and educative, it is even more necessary to carry out the research results we find, in order to make it productive and beneficial. We had the opportunity to discuss ideas for programs and ways that could be effective in training ICT students in these developing countries. However, those users cannot be completely dependent upon the researchers in America to introduce and guide them through these programs. I believe we need to work with their respective governments and community representatives in order for the programs to be launched and sustained in that area.
So whether it be giving kids something to do in Guatemala City or allowing individuals to money transfer in Kenya, it will be exciting to see the evolution of the role of technology in these developing communities. It will be especially interesting to see how and if the United States will play a significant role in this development of technological communication.
I really love how you opened your blog with a description of Guatemala City. I remember having the exact same feelings as you when I visited Caracas, Venezuela. Caracas was named "the murder capital of the world" because of its excessive crime and violence. The city is essentially engaged in a war of "poor vs. poor." The divide between the rich and poor is so pronounced that there are literally fences around portions of the city. Could the tragic incidences of excessive crime largely be the result of a feeling of hopelessness and entrapment? It is not unreasonable to assume that young members of the community in places like Guatemala City and Caracas feel that they will never escape. I think that access to technology could truly bring hope. I agree so much with what you said about working with governments and integrating technology into these environments to promote education. The desperately poor in these areas could gain so much hope, motivation and knowledge from the internet. They could learn that there is a world beyond the fences, and beyond economic barriers--a world accessible through eduction. Specifically, I think that high school and college-age students could greatly benefit from the acquisition of a second language (particularly in countries facing severe poverty, but also in the U.S. for that matter!) which access to computer learning programs and long distance chat could effectively provide.
ReplyDeleteMiranda-
ReplyDeleteVery insightful. After working in rural parts of Mexico, I can envision the poverty-stricken community of Guatemala City. It is one thing to talk about impoverishment, and it is another to see it and experience it. It is amazing you had the opportunity to see, first-hand, the positive affects of technology integration for the purpose of development. I agree with your statement in regards to the differences between the concept of implementation versus actual process. It is one thing to say that underdeveloped countries need communication technologies to promote socioeconomic development, and it is another to rally the resources and people to make such devices accessible for community use. Even with the disparities and challenges, technological development can and will take place. Additionally, I am also an advocate for promoting cooperation between American researchers and the respective governments of nations in need; it will take intensive, collaborative effots from both sides to provide adequate education and resources that provide a sustainable, and manageable, program.