Computer technology for developing areas: Difference between revisions

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{{See also|Global digital divide|Digital divide|Global Internet usage}}

Developing countries lag behind other nations in terms of ready access to the internet, though computer access has started to bridge that gap. Access to computers, or to broadband access, remains rare for half of the world's population. For example, as of 2010, on average of only one in 130 people in Africa had a computer<ref>[httphttps://www.voanews.com/englisha/news/africa/east/Buttybutty-Uu-Ss-Computerscomputers-for-Africaafrica-14april10-90805754/159841.html Computers for Africa Launches New Initiative to Help Schools (4/13/2010)]</ref> while in North America and Europe one in every two people had access to the Internet.<ref>[https://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/vol17no3/173tech.htm Africa takes on the digital divide]</ref> 90% of students in Africa had never touched a computer.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110108153058/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5iS38zZc6d-JIIBpAx705Zz-zt94Q?docId=N0401251293791904810A Computers recycled to help Africa (12/31/2010)]</ref> Industrialized countries have an average GNP ten times larger than those of developing countries. The per capita GNP of the United States compared to the per capita of India holds a ratio of fifty to zero. This may be due to differences in economic priorities and social needs. Salaries of clerical staff in developed countries are averaged ten times larger salaries than those in developing countries. Purposes and usage of technology varies drastically due to shifts of priority between industrialized and developing countries. Underutilization of existing computers continues to be a problem in developing countries. Simple designs such as computer memory still have not been implemented or maximized in comparison to industrialized countries today.

Local networks can provide significant access to software and information even without utilizing an internet connection, for example through use of the [[Wikipedia]] CD selection or the [[eGranary Digital Library]].

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Freeplay Foundation has attempted to address the issue of electricity by first developing battery powered lights for rural areas of Africa piloting a project also in Kenya in 2008."The World Bank estimates that more than 500 million people in sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to electricity supplies that could be used to light their homes" or power computers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wind-up lights for African homes|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk|accessdate=2017-12-04}}</ref> Freeplay has also provided a distribution system through women that will provide income in selling, repair and maintenance for customers and is prototyping in Kenya early in 2008. While purchasing the lights may pose a sustainability issue, such inventions could be hopefully tapped for future powering of computers in Africa.

An example of further difficulties surrounding introducing computers in Africa is found in the study of Mozambique one of the poorest nations of the world with 60 percent of its population below the poverty line.<ref>{{cite web|title=The impact of the Internet on developing countries|url=http[https://csewww.stanfordinventateq.educom/cs201top-stories/projectshow-00computer-01/thirdtechnology-helping-developing-countries-and-connecting-to-the-world/Mozambique-overview|accessdate=}}{{dead link|date=DecemberCan Online Training help in Developing Areas?] Retrieved 11th Aug 2017}}2024</ref> Despite their poverty, Mozambicans view their education and access to the Internet as only second to obtaining enough food to eat. This is shown in statistics that identify the increase in computers per hundred inhabitants from .08 to 1.6 in just two years between 1996 and 1998. However, in non urban areas where better off residents might make 40 to 60 US dollars a month, access to the Internet could eat up half of their income so community-owned settings have been instituted with some unknown success. Other pilot programs are also proliferating across the country with unknown results at this time. This lack of data regarding the overall implementation of computers in Mozambique highlights the sustainability issue of computers in Africa as does the following example in Cameroon.

Cameroon was the recipient of the School of Engineering and Applied Science communication technology through a student volunteer organization. Computers were obtained, shipped, refurbished and integrated with teaching computer skills to residents. A recipient was the Presbyterian Teachers Training College which interacts with primary and secondary schools. However, no maintenance or support procedures and facilities were available as part of this effort and information on the continued value of the project are unavailable.<ref name=Yoon>{{cite web|last=Yoon|first=H.|title=In Cameroon, computer skills put to use|url=http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com|accessdate=5 December 2008}}</ref> Similarly but on a larger scale, Computer Aid, a British charity, has shipped over 30,000 PCs to 87 developing companies and is currently shipping at a rate of 1,000 a month. While it refurbishes donated computers before shipping, it appears to have not follow up to the placement of computers. However, Rwanda seems to be eager to have these computers and is providing a government sponsored Information and Communication Technology policy with access to computers through schools, community and health projects.<ref name=coates>{{cite web|last=Coates|first=R.|title=Computer aid to triple PC delivery in Rwanda|url=http://management.silicon.com/itdirector|access-date=2013-05-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091018081335/http://management.silicon.com/itdirector/|archive-date=2009-10-18|url-status=dead}}</ref>

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* multi-national – InterConnection<ref>[http://www.interconnection.org website]</ref>

* multi-national – Non-Profit Computing, Inc.<ref>[http://www.click-aid.org/ website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110627081023/http://www.click-aid.org/ |date=2011-06-27 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.idealist.org/view/asset/wDCmSSFdM2Jd/ |title=Idealist listing |access-date=2011-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110215101141/http://www.idealist.org/view/asset/wDCmSSFdM2Jd/ |archive-date=2011-02-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref> (a [[United Nations]] advisor)

* multi-national – [[University of the People#World Computer Exchange|World Computer Exchange]]{{Broken anchor|date=2024-12-09|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=University of the People#World Computer Exchange|reason= The anchor (World Computer Exchange) [[Special:Diff/614556487|has been deleted]].}}<ref>[http://www.worldcomputerexchange.org/ World Computer Exchange home page]</ref>

* Ireland – [[Camara (charity)|Camara]]

* Japan – [[Kyoto Computer Gakuin#International Development of Computer Education Program (IDCE): KCG Group's current global outreach program|IDCE]]

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* [[Green computing]]

* [[Non-profit technology]]

* [[NTAP]] (nonprofit technology assistance provider)

* [[Personal computer]]

* [[Plockton High School#Computers for Africa|Plockton High School (Computers for Africa)]]

* [[Recycling]]

* [[Streetlites]] (African charity)

* [[Telecentre]]

* [[United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force]]