I spent Saturday at one of the most inspiring conferences I've been to. It was called Africa Gathering, and it was the first event under that banner to focus on mobile and other technologies being used in Africa. (My small role was to lead a discussion on distance learning for African trainees, something we've been doing for 4 years.)
I couldn't attend all the presentations, but the few that I sat in on were a revelation. Ken Banks talked about a nifty piece of software he's developed called frontlineSMS, which allows people to send alerts and information, not via the internet, but by hooking up a laptop to a mobile phone network. Mobiles are ubiquitous, but the internet is not. So SMS is a great way to disseminate info. (Check out kiwanja.net for more.)
Simon Berry spoke about his project colalife, which is based on the premise that if Coca Cola can reach every corner of Africa then why not use the same delivery network to distribute medicine, mosquito nets or anythings else. Simon's use of social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and old media (the BBC's PM programme) is an object lesson.
What made these speakers (and many others) stand out was their extraordinary tenacity in the face of big business sluggishness, and a seemingly limitless amount of energy to help people find their own solutions to local problems.
And here's a video from an Austrian agency which gives a flavour of how mobile phones are changing the lives of ordinary Africans – Tanzanians in this case.
Long may the dialogue continue. See you at the next Africa Gathering in Brussels?
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