{"id":2170,"date":"2013-04-17T12:30:39","date_gmt":"2013-04-17T12:30:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/php7.innershed.com:10000\/virtual-server\/link.cgi\/212.71.245.84\/http:\/\/www.connectafrica\/?p=2170"},"modified":"2013-05-23T13:46:41","modified_gmt":"2013-05-23T13:46:41","slug":"breakfast-with-the-chief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.connectafrica.net\/?p=2170","title":{"rendered":"Breakfast with the Chief"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Chief<\/a>

Chief Shakumbila addresses \u00a0his subjects<\/p><\/div>\n

It\u00a0didn’t\u00a0start off too well. The question of whether or not introducing modern technology into rural areas is a good thing was hanging in the balance. Over breakfast at Chief Shakumbila\u2019s Palace, the Connect Africa team gathered round a smoking fire with tea brewing to listen.<\/p>\n

\u201cTradition has died a little death with this technology,\u201d said Chief Shakumbila, as the smoke from the fire breezed past us. \u201cIf I had power to drive the world I would go back to those days where people were being taught how to behave. This is not the case today. Technology has especially destroyed our traditional living as Africans,\u201d he added. \u201cTechnology has changed everything, it\u00a0doesn’t\u00a0give respect.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"Breakfast<\/a>

Breakfast with a Senior Chief<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cDo you not think that\u2019s an educational process, maybe you can use technology to teach children and youngsters the respect that is required?\u201dasked special projects director Dion Jerling, perhaps a little defensively. After all, connecting up rural palaces like chief Shakumbila\u2019s is exactly what drives Connect Africa.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can coexist, but only if there is a clear explanation.\u201d Education, said the chief, is the key. He explained how in his chiefdom, a male and female team of traditional\u00a0councilors\u00a0are tasked with educating all young people in the kingdom about traditional ways of living and acceptable\u00a0behavior\u00a0 \u201cWe can use technology to preserve culture. We will coexist – there is no way we can stop it because we have to keep up with the world,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\"Connecting<\/a>

Connecting to bigger markets – a phone only becomes bad when you abuse it<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cBut the key thing is to obey respect,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cA phone only becomes bad when you abuse it. Those people who abuse it are criminals who use it to communicate when they want to steal. We just have to train our people to use communication so that it will not bring conflict or a problem with other people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Respect and connectivity<\/b><\/p>\n

So, communication technology is only useful if it is properly applied. \u201cWe are no longer sending letters – on that part the technology is working properly,\u201d continued the chief. \u201cI communicate with business friends on email and I am able to communicate with any headman about any problem. To me it\u2019s a very good thing because it has simplified delivering messages to the people.<\/p>\n

\"People<\/a>

People in rural areas can benefit from rural mobile phone coverage to find out vital information on commodity pricing<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI was talking to the Food Reserve Agency [the local authority responsible for buying and selling maize from farmers in Zambia] from my house. I ask about the date of buying maize from farmers and they tell me what I want to know so I tell the people to bring their maize. I am able to ring a headmaster anywhere and ask them if my child can have a place at the school rather than driving which is more expensive. Everything is being simplified, and as long as we don\u2019t abuse it and keep respect for each other then you will move together \u2013 where there is no love there is no future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moving together<\/b><\/p>\n

\"Many<\/a>

Many rural schools are understaffed<\/p><\/div>\n

Not far away at Nambala Basic School near Mumbwa, Nancy Phiri quietly talks about challenges to the education sector in the rural areas and some of the problems experienced at her rural school. A results analysis chart on the wall next to her desk is puzzling. It indicates a massive drop in pass marks in 2007, only to triple in 2009 and then drop to its lowest point in 2011. What could account for the drastic results?<\/p>\n

\u201cIn 2007 and 2008 most teachers were transferred and we were understaffed so the pass rate came down. In 2009 it went up because we were given other teachers, but in 2010 they did not stay and they were transferred again.\u201d And so, with just a few teachers, the 2011 pass mark was the lowest it has ever been: only 11 out of 79 students passed their exams.<\/p>\n

\"Many<\/a>

Many of Zambia’s remote rural areas are not connected and don’t have access to modern technology \u00a9 Georgina Smith \/ Magic of Zambia<\/p><\/div>\n

As Connect Africa found in a report conducted in Kafue<\/a>, accommodation in rural areas is rarely adequate to attract good teachers and keep them \u2013 water, electricity and basic comforts are often lacking. Many feel isolated with few communication facilities and mobile phone networks can be patchy at best. Keeping up with family, friends, news and even local education authorities can be tough, with salaries rarely good enough to compensate.<\/p>\n

Nancy is lucky enough to be able to use her phone at school, but more technology is welcome. \u201cComputers can help because learners will be able to learn even with a few teachers,\u201d she said. \u201cModern technology can also improve teaching as pupils and teachers can use the internet for research,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

\"Moving<\/a>

Moving together means empowering the next generation with information<\/p><\/div>\n

Although Connect Africa does not specifically focus on providing or teaching people how to use ICT\u2019s, the organisation has partners who do educate communities\u00a0 in how to use technology, improve their education and even access health and agricultural information.<\/p>\n

In the words of the chief, Connect Africa promotes \u201cMoving together,\u201d because access to connectivity and being able to use it positively for development are two different things.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u00a0didn’t\u00a0start off too well. The question of whether or not introducing modern technology into rural areas is a good thing was hanging in the balance. Over breakfast at Chief Shakumbila\u2019s Palace, the Connect Africa team gathered round a smoking fire … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.connectafrica.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2170"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.connectafrica.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.connectafrica.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.connectafrica.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.connectafrica.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2170"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.connectafrica.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2170\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2178,"href":"https:\/\/www.connectafrica.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2170\/revisions\/2178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.connectafrica.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.connectafrica.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.connectafrica.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}