Engineering Without Borders Applications of Information and Communication Technologies to reduce the Digital Divide � Non Governmental Organisation for Development 1. ICT for developing countries: the “Engineering Without Borders” � Mainly centred on Technology for Human experience Development � Based on volunteers Valentín Villarroel Ortega � Autonomous, non-party and non-religious Universidad Politécnica de Madrid Ingeniería Sin Fronteras organisation valentin@ehas.org Why ISF? What ISF does? � 6200 millions people on the world � Development projects � 1000 millions are poor � Advocacy, campaigns � No safe water for 1100 millions � Education for development � No stable electricity for 1800 millions � Studies and research on Technology for � Precarious housing for 1000 millions Human Development � 56% homes have no telephone Development programs Advocacy and Campaigns � Lines of work � Technology for Basic Needs � Social infrastructure and services � More and Better Official Development Aid � Water supply and sanitation � Agricultural development and small businesses � Fair Trade � Energy � Military I+D in the University � Information & Communication Technologies � Fourth world � External Debt � 30 projects in 16 countries (Latin America, Africa and Europe) 1
Education for Development Formal Education Introduction to cooperation for development � 9 Courses in 5 Universities � Human rights & the concept of development � Graduate Thesis on Cooperation for � Human and sustainable development Development Award � Global view of the developing world � Technology for Human Development � History of the international fight against poverty Annual Conference � Internacional structure of cooperation for development � Engineering in Development Workshops � Technology and Society � Conference on Education for Development � Technology for human development at the University � Technology development projects & programs Studies & research on Technology Who we are? for Human Development � 12 territorial associations � Telemedecine systems for rural healthcare � Members: 1,000 � I-D “Informática y Discapacidad”: � Volunteers: 400 Computer Science and Handicapt � Employees: 15 � Annual budget: 1,500,000 € Information and Communication Technology for Human Development Workshop on communication with farmers in Kilosa, Tanzania 2
ICT can help human ... but there are many development... barriers in poor countries � Scarce infrastructure � Providing information � Telecommunication networks � For health and education � Acces to stable electricity � For remote specialists and researchers � Liberalisation is not always helping � Enabling empowerment � Low quality of telecommunication � Giving voice to NGOs � High cost of ICT � Empowering governments of poor countries � Not updated systems � Addressing censorship � Not well training human resources � Raising productivity � for research, use, maintenance/repair and management � Creating commerce for small businesses The ICT divide Africa Asia LAC UE EE.UU. Japan TOTAL Population 10% 58% 9% 6% 5% 2% 100% Telephone lines 1% 24% 7% 23% 21% 7% 100% Mobile Telephone 20% 32% 25% 23% 100% Computers 1% 15% 4% 24% 36% 9% 100% PC / 100 hab. 0,8 1,7 3,4 24,9 51,0 28,7 6,5 Annual Increase 15% 22% 15% 11% 14% 21% 15,% Internet Hosts 0,2 2,8 1,2 8,5 53,2 2,6 71,8 Hosts / 100 hab. 0,02 0,08 0,23 2,27 19,5 2,06 1,2 Annual Increase 18% 61% 136% 32% 74% 56% 65% Seven proposals for a real The network high society Information Society for all 1. Connectivity � High incomes 2. Community � High education 3. Capacity � Men 4. Content � Young 5. Creativity � Urban 6. Collaboration � English spoken 7. Cash 3
� Peru: FITEL � 1% turnover of the telecomm industry � Public phones in 5,000 villages � Internet access in distric capitals � Senegal: private enterprises has to extend telephone network in 50% villages with more Some experiences around the world than 3,000 hab. The Village Phone The Village Phone � Mobile phone as a public phone � Concessionaire � 1 phone for 2,500 people � 2.8 millions users � Slower growth from 2000 Some examples of Telecenters telecenters � More demand on telephone than on Internet � Center for public access to � Community participation Information and Communication � Local leadership and management services � Technology is only a tool, but it has to work � Telephony, fax and Internet (maintenance is difficult in rural areas) � Photocopy, text processor and printing � Host organisation for the telecenter (broadcast radio or library) � Training on computer use � Barriers on education, age, gender � More research is needed to evaluate impact 4
Type of telecenters Telecenters: lessons learned Cost and Economic Type of Management Variety of Economic Variety of Sustainability Location Cost Services � More demand on telephone than on Internet telecentro Finaning Services Profit � Community participation Comercial Private Urban Very low Very low Very high � Local leadership and management Private Franquicia Urban Low Low Very high Public � Technology is only a tool, but it has to work Private Comunitario Urban Medium Medium Medium (maintenance is difficult in rural areas) Public Rural � Host organisation for the telecenter (broadcast Local Public Urban Medium High Medium Government radio or library) Multiporpouse Public Rural Very high Very high Very low � Barriers on education, age, gender � More research is needed to evaluate impact InfoDes � Objective � Rural development through information services for small producers and local governments � Information Centers � with library, projection room, Internet and radio broadcast InfoDes ( evaluation in 2001) � ICT does not broke local economic isolation � Access to juridical, economic and political information does not improved local management capacity � There is local demand on information � Not only economic information are needed, but Engineering Without Borders also political, social and cultural information and ICT for Human Development � Institutions are aware local adequate information is needed 5
BorgouNet Services � Internet acces for development organizations � Telecentre � Telephone � Radio (WiFi and VHF) BorgouNet � Users training Telematic services for � Maintenance services for users development organisations in north Benin � Health Information Systems Health Center Hispano-American Health Link Health Center Health Post � ”Health micro-net” ”Health micro-net” � � In district capitals In district capitals � � Usually telephone line Usually telephone line � � 4 hours of electricity 4 hours of electricity � � Headed by physicians Headed by physicians � � 5 to 10 workers 5 to 10 workers � � Little laboratory Little laboratory � 6
Communication Health Post conditions � Lowest in the hierarchy Lowest in the hierarchy � � Hedead Hedead by the health center by the health center � � Small towns Small towns � � No telephone lines No telephone lines � � No electricity No electricity � � Difficult access Difficult access � � Low trained personnel Low trained personnel � � 1 worker 1 worker � Communication conditions The ehas proposal � Scare infrastructures Scare infrastructures � � Long distances Long distances � � High cost in communications High cost in communications � � Appropriated telemedicine systems � Difficulties on sending information Difficulties on sending information � � Coordination problems Coordination problems � � Information services for rural healthcare workers � Limited professional experience Limited professional experience � � Appropriated communication technologies � High job rotation High job rotation � The ehas services � Voice communication The ehas services � e-mail � Distance training Developed by local heath partners and centered on � Electronic publications health workers needs: information exchange, � Distance consultation � Access to remote health information training, emergency management and reduce � Support for epidemiological surveillance professional isolation � Support for drug delivery 7
The ehas technology Uses of the system Uses of the system Developed by technical local partners and based on low cost technologies, wireless systems, and free software The equipment on the Health Posts email server How it works? Internet Radio network Local communications Laptop Printer National EHAS RPTC Health Post #2 Center I.S.P. INTERNET Desk Ethernet Health Center Medical libraries Research Centers INTERNET VHF RADIO LINK Health Post #1 Hospitals VHF radio and modem The equipment on the Health Posts The equipment on the Health Center Laptop, VFH radio, printer, and... Battery loader Email server Photovoltaic system Tower and antenna Battery bank 8
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