CHALLENGING THE CONSTRAINTS TO ICTS IN Bunda and Serengeti Districts
byOphelia Mascarenhas
BASELINE STUDY OF BUNDA AND SERENGETI DISTRICTS
Prepared for COSTECH
January 2007
Baseline Study of Bunda and Serengeti Districts Background to the Study
ICT4RD objective Opportunity to achieve the objective Links with the KTH study
National ICT Framework Good developments in cellular telephones Less spectacular in Internet
The Opportunity Provided by the Rural Electrification Project in Bunda and Serengeti Districts
The famous optic fibre; empty at the moment and waiting for the promised broad band
Let Us Start With Images
Some Recent Studies
Many studies on ICTs and poverty and the use of ICTs – RIA, DFID
For Mara Region study involving the use of ICTs in 150 SME’s in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Zanzibar, and Mara found that in Mara, there was virtual “inexistence of any cell phone or internet services.” (2001)
Most assessments not based on pre-ICT intervention situations
Bungalows & Herds-boys in Jeans
Objectives of the Study
To provide a pre-project situation analysis of the socio-economic conditions of the 12 villages in the 2 districts, Bunda and Serengeti with special emphasis on (but not limited to) education, health and local administration and small and medium enterprises (SME’s).
To obtain an understanding of the level of current use of communication systems including ICTs in the two districts. ,
Methodology
Villages Bunda District: Manyamanyama, Ligamba
“A”; Kisangwa; Bukama; Kiroleli; Mugeta; Salama “A”; Kyandege 54 km.
Serengeti District: Fort Ikhoma; Natta; Nyichoka; Nyeberekera; Nyamsingisi
Plus 2 district headquarters
Persons Interviewed
District Council Staff: 8: ( 1 each – DPLO; DEO; DMO; District Trades Officer)
Heads of Private and Public Educational institutions: 8
Heads of Health institutions: 3 Other institutions (Head of Fort Ikhoma) 1 Villagers: 104 in 11 villages; Business people: 71 (47 in Bunda Town and
Mgumu Town; 24 in the villages) Total number of persons interviewed
individually or in groups: 195.
Socio-economic conditions
The Economic Conditions The FDI for Mara has declined between 1999 and
2001 Total revenue for Serengeti District in 2005 was
Tanzanian shillings 4.4 billion, of which 95 per cent came from the central government.
Produce cess on exports was only 1. 2 per cent while mining and tourism were not even mentioned.
Yet one of the most famous national game reserves in the world is in Serengeti District and the District is said to be rich in a variety of minerals.
Socio-economic conditions II As a result of these anomalies, the last
Household Budget Survey, 2000/01, ranked Bunda district as the poorest district in Tanzania, 119th out of 119 districts, a fact that was commented on by the President just recently. Serengeti is a close second at 116th out of 119 districts.
Socio-economic conditions
This ranking is both disturbing and surprising. The research team made several observations that somehow do not match the poverty ranking status. : (i) there was a vibrant small business activity;
(ii) Large herds of cattle were observed, particularly in Serengeti District;
(iii) The majority of the villages had more than 3 maize mills and some even as many as 6 maize mills – all operating on diesel.
The Largest Lake in Africa but Bunda has little water & there is even some History Less than half the
population of Bunda has protected water supplies
With the right investment and policies this historical site can be an asset for Serengeti District
Indicators of Poverty or Wealth
Business Women & Fantastic Sunsets
Females play a significant role in the informal economy in Serengeti district
The beauty of the landscapes of Mara are reflected in the sunsets
PLASTICS & Vibrant Local Markets There is a demand for
basic consumer goods
but even more interesting
Is the VIBRANT weekly traditional market in Mgumu Township …… there is a surplus
Information and Communications Increasing use of the mobile telephone No internet ISPs in either district and no
internet cafes Internet being used in the district at own
premises or in cybercafes outside the districts On Premises
District Council offices Some big businesses Institutions (e.g. DDH in Bunda district)
Information and communication Off premises
Businesses Institutions Individuals
Sector use LGA Education Health SME’s
Public Access to IT in the Urban Area and a Rural ICT
Public access to telephony in Bunda Town
BUT
Even rural HHs do invest in improved housing and ICT
Satellite Dishes & Cross Country Buses in the Rural Areas
Village Shop & Bar/ Restaurant……ICT the hidden persuader;
Links with neighbours in Arusha, Mwanza, Nairobi
Count the Dishes … Pampering the Staff or Globalization? A good comfortable life
for TANAPA Staff ….. Given the resources of
Mara… this type of comfort zone is possible for many, many more.
Impossible if people are excluded from rights to their resources and development
Where do Tanzanians invest?
Good Private Schools are an indication of unequal growth!
However, they are potential users of the broadband
Mara is the playground of Billionaires in US $; More and more land is for National Parks and Foreign Gold Mining Interests
Getting out of poverty, means investing in education and schools;
Joining hands with the private sectors; Taking Advantage of technological
development; Transparent enough to encourage people Development with evictions and oblivious to the
needs of people leads to illusive development
Implications of the Findings
There is a demand for cheaper and more effective ICTs.
Currently large sums of money are being used on mobiles and on travel to do business
The indications of the demand seem to indicate that internet services can be operated on a self-sustaining business basis
The initial clients are the district council, the better off business people and the private educational, health and financial institutions, financial institutions like Pride and NGO’s
The mobiles will continue to be popular so interventions will need to take into account the need for voice as well as other uses of the broadband
Challenges
The survey has raised people’s expectations; how will these expectations be met? Who will lead the process? Who will participate?
There is need to consider ICTs within the current national policy of enhancing SME’s. Can some of the 1 billion shillings be used to start at least one public access internet café in each district?
At least two persons in Serengeti District are currently involved in such business in Musoma. How can they be persuaded to open similar businesses in Bunda and Mgumu?
The Way Forward
For the baseline study the way forward to complete the analysis, fill in any gaps and finish and disseminate the report
For Bunda and Serengeti the first priority is to use the optic fibre for providing voice and non voice ICT services
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING
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