The first International Girls in ICT Day was marked on Thursday, April 26th, 2012, and at least five African countries joined in the festivities. Established through a formal resolution by the International Telecommunication Union in 2010, the annual event aims to create a global environment that empowers girls and young women pursuing careers in the [...]
Mobile technologies, which play an increasingly important role in Africa’s education systems, are set to stimulate debate at this year’s eLearning Africa conference in Cotonou, Benin, from May 23rd to 25th. Through a range of interactive expert-led sessions, participants at eLearning Africa 2012, the Continent’s leading conference on ICT for development, education and training, will [...]
Guy Apan Johnson is acting Secretary General of Literacy, Traditional Craftsmanship and Tourism at the Ministry of Culture in Benin. He spoke to the eLearning Africa News Service about the country’s bid to boost its tourism sector – with eLearning leading the way. The government of Benin has launched a strategic drive to grow its [...]
Fancy a flat screen TV for a mere 4000 Kenyan Shillings? (about €36) This is the going rate for a ‘green’ TV produced at East Africa’s first eWaste recycling plant in Nairobi. According to the International Telecommunication Union, only 13% of eWaste is recycled worldwide. Developing countries which are often used as dumping grounds for [...]
In this special report, independent writer Stephen Haggard stimulates debate by taking a critical look at China’s actions in African schools and mobile telecoms. Haggard argues that, up to now, China’s presence in Africa has had disappointing impacts on learning. However, there are signs that China’s government and companies are planning to branch out from [...]
The shock of being forced to drink human blood and watch his teenage sister be raped and butchered to death during Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war caused a young Sahr Yillia to lose his eyesight. Such was the extent of the trauma. Yet now, despite his blindness, he heads the Child Rescue Mission, a Sierra [...]
“Innovation works well for large companies, but it’s not so easy for a sole trader to gain recognition,” says Eric Mutta, a software designer whose latest app won him recognition in the Apps4Africa Climate Challenge. But it’s through youthful innovation that Africa will find long-term solutions to long-standing problems.
An effective regulatory framework is essential for countries trying to make the most of technology, says Ken Lohento, ICT4D Programme Coordinator at the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation. A specialist in the design and implementation of ICT projects to support agriculture and rural development, Lohento offers some lessons from his native Benin.
Le mouvement des télécentres n’est pas un phénomène nouveau. Service efficace pour améliorer les moyens de subsistance des communautés rurales, ce concept s’est développé dans le monde entier. En Afrique, l’appellation « télécentre » désigne communément un espace public grâce auquel des utilisateurs peuvent avoir accès à des ordinateurs, à l’Internet, à du matériel téléphonique [...]
The Society for Promotion of Education and Development (SPED) is a Nigeria-based NGO that brings Information and Communication Technology tools to underprivileged school children. The director, Okafor Toochukwu Patrick, has attended eLearning Africa since its inception and has watched how people across the Continent are adopting ICT tools in ever more creative and cooperative ways. [...]