Lets together help people on the ground by clicking on this
web-site www.e-inclusionsite.org
For every click sponsors release 0.05 Euros towards projects in the developing countries.Surely this must be a noble cause.United we stand,divided we fall.

I am currently in Botswana,Gaborone, attending the "ICTs in African Schools" Workshop.It is going on well.So far so good.There is one thing I would like to share with you guys out there.In view of the wind of ICT policy formulation sweeping across in many countries, especially African countries, Zambia inclusive, it is the chance we should include or submit that which we believe must be in the policies and will be solutions to most of the problems we are faced with as youth and help in bridging the digital divide. One other thing of particular interest is that of gender.In order to strike the balance in ICT use for development insofar as gender is concerned there should be deliberate efforts taken to mainstream it into the national policies and not to take it as just any other business.

On Tuesday, 15th April, 2003, we held a technical update seminar sponsored by iicd in Lusaka, Zambia. The objectives included familiarization with the theme of ICT in Education, discussing difficulties faced by actors involved in realizing information and communication processes, examining ICT solutions to identified difficulties and simulation of thinking and discussion on appropriate ICT solutions.

We differentiated ICT use in the development programmes like in the non-formal education programmes and looked at ICT projects which employ ICT to support economic development, income generating ventures, agriculture, health and promoting overall quality of life. The kind of ICT employed in projects to achieve integrated development in order to address the many concerns of a community from health, education, employment, livelihood, agriculture and housing.

It was agreed in principle that learning through out life is facilitated by ICTs and it is one of the keys to the development of life in the twenty-first century.

Rapid technological change and growth in knowledge and information will require constant learning in this ever evolving global society.

However,the internet poses a problem of affordability in low-income communities. One solution has been the establishment of Community Learning Centres and Multi-Purpose Community Telecentres. These centres, many of which are run by the communities themselves, aim to enhance basic education, train teachers, develop local businesses, strengthen municipal administration and civil society organisations, and provide health care information for populations in small villages. These centres provide connectivity and computers, while emphasising the learning functions of the communication technologies that are made available.

Technologies such as telephones and e-mails still remain under-developed in Zambia and other developing countries and the few that are available are mainly for administrative purposes.

The World Bank has come in hand by planning to help in putting satellites in remote areas and to connect people to internet.

Mixtures of technologies will always produce better results than any single technology. Getting the optimum mixture though requires great skill and knowledge. Ultimately it depends more on the quality of course design and the quality of instruction than on technology itself.

I thought I should let you guys know about it.Later.