Title: Rapid response system : An SMS service delivers quick answers to farmers’ climate questions
Author: Darlington Kahilu
Source: ICT Update
Publisher: CTA Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (ACP-EU)
Date (published): December 2011
Date (accessed): 14/12/2011
Type of information: article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"Farmers in Zambia with climate change questions can now receive quick answers via SMS from a new system developed by the country’s National Agricultural Information Services.

In recent years, the Zambia National Agricultural Information Services (NAIS) has been receiving an increasing number of questions from farmers concerned about unpredictable weather patterns. Farmers are pointing out that sometimes the rains come earlier than usual, and when they do come, they are so heavy that they ruin the work the farmer has done to prepare the land. Sometimes the opposite is the problem and there is too little rain to water the crops.

‘The standard advice we gave in past is no longer relevant,’ says Darlington Kahilu, an agricultural information officer with NAIS. ‘For example, we used to tell farmers to plant their maize seeds as soon as the first rains came. The rains would usually continue for a few weeks and germinate the seeds. But now there could be a dry spell lasting a month or more, killing the new seedlings. The farmers then have to spend precious time and money replanting.’

NAIS uses a mixture of print and electronic media to provide agricultural information. Radio is especially useful, and many farmers listen to programmes in groups, often with an extension worker, and then discuss the issues raised in the broadcast. If they still have questions, they can fill in an evaluation form and send it to the nearest NAIS district office. The district office passes the form to the provincial office, where it is finally sent to the main country office. There, a NAIS radio producer assesses the questions, and contacts relevant specialists in agricultural research institutes and government ministries. Based on their feedback, the producer prepares a response for broadcast in a subsequent radio programme.
…
Together with the International Institute for Communication and Development, and a local software developer, NAIS developed a system, called SMSize to which farmers can send a question via an SMS from a cell phone. The question arrives directly at a server computer at the central office, where the producer researches the answer and sends back the information to the phone of the querying farmer, in the same language as the original request."

Title: Pedagogical Integration of ICT: Successes and Challenges from 100+ African Schools - 3rd edition
Authors: Thierry Karsenti, Simon Collin and Toby Harper-Merrett
Pages: 349 pp.
ISBN: 978-2-923808-16-1
Publisher: IDRC
Date (published): 18/11/2011
Date (accessed): 19/11/2011
Type of information: research book
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"The PanAfrican Research Agenda aimed to better understand how the pedagogical integration of ICT can improve the quality of teaching and learning in Africa.
In the first project phase, national research teams gathered data on the educational use of ICT in 13 countries: Ghana, Gambia, Senegal, Central African Republic, Uganda, Mozambique, Mali, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Congo, Cameroon, and South Africa, and Zambia. Data were collected according to a mixed-method approach, using quantitative data (e.g., questionnaires) and qualitative data (e.g., interviews, observations) on how ICT were integrated into education. In all, 120 schools, 800 school administrators, 8 940 teachers, and 242 873 students participated in the project.

Phase 1 of the PanAf project primarily involved collecting 20,000 pieces of data following a rigorous indicator procedure that was determined based on the literature as well several meetings between the researchers from the participating countries. All the gathered data are available on the Observatory for the pedagogical integration of ICT at www.observatoiretic.org (briefly presented in section VI).

Analyses of the raw data are also provided at the Observatory, and are available not only to PanAf researchers, but to all researchers in Africa and around the world. The clear advantage of these data, beyond being freely accessible at all times, is that they allow a deeper understanding of Africa's ICT policies and a greater awareness of the impacts of ICT on learners and educators. Note that these data frequently highlight gender issues and uncover inequalities throughout education systems. Last but not least, phase 1 of the PanAf project has fostered the development of research skills in the project teams."

Title: Technology retains talent : Internet and radio develop farms and businesses in rural Zambia
Author: Gertjan van Stam
Source: ICT Update, Issue no. 62, October 2011
Publisher: Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) ACP–EU
Date (published): 12/10/2011
Date (accessed): 15/11/2011
Type of information: article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"With little access to formal extension services, a rural Zambian community set up an internet connection to develop local agriculture, education and energy facilities. The community is now using local radio to encourage other villages to do the same.

There have been very few studies into the effects access to broadband internet can have on agriculture in rural Africa. The reason for that is simple: broadband internet is still very rare in rural Africa. But in Zambia, a rural community, called Macha, does have broadband. There, internet and agriculture – and much more – combine as part of an integrated project to inspire the local community to reach its collective potential.
…
In the past, the community relied on oral reports from travellers for its news and information about the outside world because Macha had no newspapers and no outside radio broadcasts reach this remote location. They rarely had visits from extension officers, so the travellers were mostly family members, or traders arriving from urban centres to buy the excess crops. Cell phone coverage only arrived at the end of 2006. But, by then, Macha was already connected to the internet.

In 2003, in a cooperative effort, community members came together to build a wireless network that would connect Macha to the internet via a satellite connection. They started with a VSAT link that offered download speeds of up to 128 kbps. The service soon became so popular that the bandwidth could not cope with the volume of internet traffic. The problem eased in 2011 when Macha upgraded the connection to a microwave link via a newly available cell phone network, which offers speeds of 2 Mbps, making it truly broadband.

The internet link is further distributed throughout the community via a wireless local area network (WLAN). There are more than 100 wireless access points, offering connectivity to both offices and homes. Surveys and measurements show that Macha has an active internet community of around 200 individuals, 67% of whom are on line for more than three hours a day. Half the users access the internet from home, and 71% use it frequently to surf the web for educational purposes.

As well as having a channel to communicate with friends and family outside of the community, access to the technology produced a discernible difference in agricultural practices within the first year. One community member found information on the web about sunflower farming, and decided to give it a go. A few years later, sunflower farming has blossomed in the village and it is now the community’s second most important cash crop."

Title: Revitalizing Zambia’s Agricultural Marketing Information Centre (Amic)
Author: Gage, Daria
Pages: 6 pp.
Source: Policy Synthesis 44
Publisher: Michigan State University and USAID/Enabling Agricultural Trade (EAT)
Date (published): 04/08/2011
Date (accessed): 21/09/2011
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"1. Public sector agricultural market information systems (MIS) can provide useful information to farmers, uninformed traders, and policy makers. While private information networks offer a valuable service to select clients, only a well-functioning public MIS can redress information asymmetries among marketing actors that can inhibit competition.

2. The second core mission of a public MIS should be to organize and manage data in such a way that government decision-makers and civil society organizations can accurately diagnose and even anticipate emerging market problems and respond to them in a timely manner.

3. Zambia’s AMIC suffers from a range of weaknesses all along the supply chain for price information. Data collection and transmission is irregular and unreliable, data management is unstructured and lacks strategic oversight, and dissemination is entirely supply-driven.

4. The primary reasons for AMIC’s weak performance are competing priorities and a misguided incentive structure for staff at the national, provincial, and most importantly at the district level, where the viability of the collection process depends on reciprocity between price collectors and traders."

Title: Closing the digital divide for Zambia's farmers
Author: Georgina Smith
Source: New Agriculturist
Date (published): June 2011
Date (accessed): 24/07/2011
Type of information: article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"Rows of mobile telephones sit recharging in the Chinyunya community telecentre, an hour's drive east of Zambia's capital Lusaka. Powered by 67 1 x 0.5m solar panels and offering a photocopier, projector and three internet-connected computers as well as phone services, the centre is changing the way that farmers in the area receive agricultural information.
Whether it's investigating drought-resistant plants, choosing the best crop rotation, or learning how to retain water in the soil, the internet offers ideas and solutions which can be refined or adapted in discussion with extension officers. The telecentre acts as a point for sharing and accessing previously unavailable information on market prices, machinery and fertiliser availability, and is a networking hub for local agricultural training centres offering advice on organic farming and other practices."

Title: State of competition in Zambia’s telecommunications sector
Author: Thulasoni Kaira
Pages: 23-39 pp.
ISSN: 2077-7205
e-ISSN: 2077-7213
Source: African Journal of Information and Communication, Issue No 11 (2010/2011)
Publisher: Learning Information Networking and Knowledge (LINK) Centre, University of the Witwatersrand
Date (published): 15/04/2011
Date (accessed): 12/06/2011
Type of information: research paper
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
"Zambia, situated in the Southern African region, has a population of 13 million and GDP in 2009 was estimated at ZMK61.1 trillion or approximately USD12.8 billion. Economic composition of GDP by sector is 40.2% services, 38.2% industry and 21.6% agriculture. GDP growth averaged 4.8% in the decade between 1999 and 2009, with strong performance in the construction, mining and agricultural sectors. However, as a services-based economy, growth is constrained by, inter alia, slow emergence of a competitive telecommunications sector that can provide the platform for the national and international flow of information and communication required for further rapid advances in economic development. This article reviews the state of competition in Zambia’s telecommunications sector, with due attention to the fixed line and international gateway, the mobile telephony and Internet markets."

Title: ICTs and development in Zambia: challenges and opportunities
Author:David Souter
Pages: 8 pp.
Publisher:Panos, london
Date (published): November 2010
Date (accessed):03/12/2010
Type of information:blog post/policy briefing
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
„Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are increasingly important in achieving development goals and promoting citizen participation. Zambia is one of a number of countries in the Southern African region that have sought to include ICTs in their national development plans. This policy brief summarises a review of the successes and failures of this approach in Zambia, and considers the next steps that are needed to meet the information and communication needs of the coming generation.”
via http://lindaraftree.wordpress.com

Title: e-Brain Forum of Zambia : The National ICT4D Network in Zambia
Authors: Grace Zozi, Lee Muzala, Martine Koopman, Theresa Stanton
Pages: 8 pp.
Source: IICD Learning Brief
Publisher: International Institute for Communication and Development
Date (published): 19/05/2010
Date (accessed): 01/06/2010
Type of information:
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
The ICT for Development (ICT4D) national networks focus on the role of Information and Communication Technology in accelerating development in various sectors (education, health, rural livelihood and governance) in a country. This Thematic Learning Brief describes the lessons learned by the e-Brain Forum of Zambia, the IICD supported National ICT4D Network in Zambia It is intended for practitioners in the field who would like to learn from the experiences of this network as well as organisations that would like to implement a similar network.

Title: All for the ‘e’: Initiatives in a limited access environment
Authors: Brian Sikute, Victor Mensah
Pages: 9 pp.
Date (published): 11/03/2010
Date (accessed): 06/04/2010
Type of information: conference paper
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has staked a claim as an indispensable backbone for development in all sectors. While a vigorous promotion of ICT is underway in almost all fields, the challenges of access, to most people, cannot be disregarded, much more so in a Capacity Development and Training environment.
This paper aims to share the initiatives being developed and implemented in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training in an environment with limited ICT access. The paper discusses ideas for the creation of an all inclusive environment for ICT skills development based on the findings of a brief survey on the ICT infrastructure capacity of some institutions of higher learning in Lusaka, Zambia. The paper then presents the results of some initiatives being implemented by the Commonwealth Youth Programme Regional Centre for Africa in supporting the development and use of ICTs, especially for education.

ICT and Development - Research Voices from Africa. International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP), Technical Commission 9 – Relationship Between Computers and Society. Workshop at Makerere University, Uganda. 22-23 March 2010

Title: Report of the Zambia Telecentre Development Workshop
Pages: 14 pp.
Source: http://www.share4dev.info/
Publisher: Southern Africa Telecenter Network
Date (published): 23/02/2010
Date (accessed): 26/02/2010
Type of information: conference report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
Southern Africa Telecenter Network in conjunction with Zambia Association for Advancement of ICTs organized a national telecenter development workshop in mid December to explore ways to mitigate challenges facing telecenters. The event was supported with the auspices of Technical Center for Agricultural Cooperation (CTA).

This report gives some detail and outputs on the deliberations of the first Zambia Telecentre Development Workshop undertaken at Andrews Motel from 14th to 17th December 2009.

Since the liberalization of the telecommunication sector in 1994, Zambia has witnessed significant growth in the ICT sector. Despite this growth, access to ICT services such as internet and related technologies are more biased to urban population leaving out rural areas that comprise over 60% of the country’s population.

Like any other Sub Saharan country, Zambia is faced with many challenges that include lack of adequate ICT and energy infrastructure restricting opportunities for increased private sector investments in rural areas. To mitigate some of these challenges, rural communities rely on shared ICT infrastructure and services through the use of community based telecenters and/or internet kiosks.

However, existence of telecenters and their activities in Zambia have been in isolation and activities are not effectively coordinated. Telecenters are negatively affected by several challenges and affect their overall operations and sustainability. There is a need to increase management skills, networking and coordination among community based telecenters is therefore necessary to have overall impact on the lives of the local people and development in general.