TIGblogs TIG | TIGblogs GROUP TIGBLOGS LOGIN SIGNUP
Shahid Uddin Akbar - My Blog
Shahid Uddin Akbar - My Blog


Making ICT Work for Poor
Related to country: Bangladesh

Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

The pilot syndrom and donor driven ICT4D projects have not yet over in the development arena. In many developing countries, development practitioners and agencies are still patronizing the trend which needed to be stopped or at least minimized significantly. In fact, due to this trend, ultimately, poor communities are not being benefitted by using ICT as much as the practitioners. This is acute in telecenter based initiatives.

In Bangladesh, what we have experienced that if you wish to serve the community people, mainly the poor, and you can do it profitably. So, serving the poor through profit is already tested & proved, for example, village phone program of Bangladesh.

Main challenges we have seen in framing the services and developing the business model for ICT4D projects. In most case these are supply driven, not focused on the need of the poorer community.

In many cases, it is obvious that support is required from development agencies, but the question is where, for what and why? If these questions are resolved and development agencies, even the giant corporates like Intel, Microsoft should focus on strenthening the govt. sector and private sector first and then if require go with the NGO's or any social service providers.

Now, ICT4D has become a fashion, the most 'sexy' development agenda. It generate money, free global tours and holistic face for some people BUT the poor remains poor.

So let's raise our voice to overcome this and promote effective use resources for the betterment of poor.

May 29, 2008 | 7:46 AM Comments  0 comments

Tags:




Shahid Uddin Akbar's Profile


Latest Posts
Making ICT Work for Poor

Monthly Archive
May 2008

Change Language


Filter By Type
Travel


1053 views
Important Disclaimer