Title: CHALLENGING THE CONSTRAINTS TO ICTS IN Bunda and Serengeti Districts by Ophelia Mascarenhas
1CHALLENGING THE CONSTRAINTS TO ICTS IN Bunda and
Serengeti Districts byOphelia Mascarenhas
- BASELINE STUDY OF BUNDA AND SERENGETI DISTRICTS
- Prepared for COSTECH
- January 2007
2Baseline 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
3 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
4Let Us Start With Images
5Some 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 SMEs 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
6Bungalows Herds-boys in Jeans
7Objectives 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 (SMEs). - To obtain an understanding of the level of
current use of communication systems including
ICTs in the two districts. ,
8Methodology
- 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
9Persons 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.
10Socio-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.
11Socio-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.
12Socio-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.
13The 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
14Indicators of Poverty or Wealth
15 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
16PLASTICS 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
17Information 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)
18Information and communication
- Off premises
- Businesses
- Institutions
- Individuals
- Sector use
- LGA
- Education
- Health
- SMEs
19Public 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
20Satellite Dishes Cross Country Buses in the
Rural Areas
- Village Shop Bar/ RestaurantICT the hidden
persuader - Links with neighbours in Arusha, Mwanza, Nairobi
21Count 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
22Where do Tanzanians invest?
- Good Private Schools are an indication of unequal
growth! - However, they are potential users of the
broadband
23Mara 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
24Implications 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 NGOs
25- 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
26Challenges
- The survey has raised peoples 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 SMEs. 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?
27The 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