This is an archive of the Dadamac.net website, as it was in 2015, it is no longer being updated.

Blog posts about ictd

ICT4D - Nigeria, a ginger crop and the Internet

I've been reading "Development and ICT4D - Too many pilot projects and not enough regular service" Amongst the stories of failures and success were references to helping farmers. This reminded me of Veronica (who is a teacher and a farmer in rural Nigeria). I thought I would share the story of her experience of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies). Veronica's story - the very short version The short version of Veronica's story is this. She was growing ginger for the first time and wanted advice on harvesting and marketing it, so she went to the Internet. The outcome she was...

Design-reality gap: development projects and ICT

I'm constantly baffled and bewildered by the gap that exists between what I read on the Internet about ICT4D, and the reality that I meet on the ground. I long to help bridge the gap between academics and practitioners. I was therefore delighted to discover a student exploring the topic, and saddened, but not surprised at his difficulties. He wrote: I'm currently writing my thesis in the field of ICT4D, it's actually about design-reality gap issues of development projects related to implication of ICT. Since even my professors are not really into this topic, I would like to share some...

A new community of practice. Join us?

It's only a few days until the Dadamac Foundation AGM, so I'm doing my final draft of the secretary's report. I'm glad that we've been able to respond to local needs and I'm delighted by the support we've been able to deliver, but there's more to it than that. Building on our success I have a remarkable success story to write for this year's AGM, which is a credit to our tiny core team and wider network, but I don't want my report to simply be a record of our past success, I want to place it in a wider...

Woman and ICT

No two UK-Nigeria meetings are the same and this week was no exception. Although prior to each meeting I email an agenda this is only a guideline and acts as a memory jogger to ourselves to review certain aspects of the many Fantsuam Foundation projects . This week after item number one the agenda which is always “Meet and Greet”, John Dada used the hourly typed meeting to help formulate his thoughts and ideas. Although this is often a part of what our meetings are for this was the first time that we have devoted a whole meeting to such...

Fantsum reaching out

As usual, this week’s UK-Nigeria online meeting proved a real gem. Feedback from John suggests the community is becoming used to the new realities of slow business output in the wake of the post-election conflict. He reports that the Kafanchan Peace Market traders are gradually getting their businesses going again, with some of venturing into new businesses areas. Twelve of the 27 traders are Muslims and these women have negotiated with Fantsuam Foundation to defer their loans until after Ramadan. In recent blogs I have documented the loss of experienced staff from Fantsuam, mostly as a direct consequence of the...

PeoplesUni.org enrolling for 2010

The Peoples Open Access Education Initiative: Peoples-uni continues to go from strength to strength. It is now open for enrollments for the first semester 2010. It is offering 12 courses, including a new one, and one offered in two additional languages. Dadamac is proud to have been associated with People's Uni from its very earliest days . Professor Dick Heller (Coordinator of the Peoples-uni) has asked us to share the following information: This is to tell you that we are now open for enrolments for the first semester 2010. We have 12 course modules, including one new 'Public Health Nutrition'...

Fola's phone and baby boy

It's almost exactly ten years since I was first involved in communication between UK and Nigeria. In those days my friend, the late Peter Adetunji Oyawale, could only phone one person in his entire Oke-Ogun Community Development network. If we made a phone call it was to the landline of Chief Adetola, in the state capital Ibadan. What a contrast now. Today, from rural Ago-Are i got this text: "Mornin ma, my wiv gave birth 2 a bouncin baby boy yesterday afternoon, thanks Fola." Not only did Fola send his information to me, via SMS he also went online through...

The Googlenet has you

Hi Vijay I think that anyone in 21st century who is interested in studying development (as you are) must also be interested in the development of ICT (as you obviously are, given your input to Dadamac.net) You might like to read The Googlenet has you By Martin J Young published in the online Asia Times. I confess I am a Google user and would now be in serious trouble without it. I avoided it at first because I didn't like the "big brother" feel of using Google - but then.. well... Google mail was so useful... and then sharing docs...

Open Source Mobile Phone Solution for Surveys

Hi Pam, Here is something that might be of interest to Dadamac and FF. I am pasting a press release that I got from my friend, who is a doctor in the US. Here goes: Researchers from Makerere University and their collaborators from Norway, India, Ethiopia, South Africa, the United States and Pakistan unveiled openXdata at Kampala on November 12. OpenXdata is a community-developed, open-source, enterprise end-to-end software solution that revolutionizes surveys and studies by changing the way in which data collection, data management, and data analysis is carried out. Computer scientists and experts in public health, education and development...

Education and ICT

Hi Pam, Your chat with me this morning set me thinking about ICT. As I told you, I have been toying with the idea of studying further and adding to my knowledge and skills. But it almost seems impossible for me, since most of the online courses (I am not even thinking of proper, offline courses) seem unaffordable, in term of time and money. Some of the best online courses in UK and US cost a bomb for somebody like me in India. This is where I think ICT can play a crucial role in filling the gap for many...

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