Reaching the Hard to Reach

2011 ◽  
pp. 42-52
Author(s):  
Bolelang C. Pheko
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
National Development ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Literacy Level ◽  
Telecommunications Services ◽  
Rural Telecommunications ◽  
The Government

Information Technology has become core in national development across the globe; hence, the government of Botswana decided to use ICTs to give rural people newer options of communicating, sourcing, and sharing information through the introduction of a project called Nteletsa 2. A village, Kaudwane, whose residents have relied on the word of mouth for so long, is now communicating through mobile phones as a result of this program. This project is done under the Rural Telecommunications Strategy with a goal of providing telecommunications services to rural areas in the most cost effective, efficient, logical, and transparent manner possible. The government works in partnership with Botswana Telecommunication Centre which provides mobile services with capability to deliver Internet, voice, and data. The project also uses Public Communications Centre (PUCC) now referred to as Dikitsong Center operated by communities in partnership with Mascom or Botswana Telecommunication Center. Services include provision of an Internet café, charging individual cellular phones at a fee, and selling airtime to both locals and visitors. The result is great: employment creation and easier communication amongst individuals and visitors. However, low literacy level of some villagers limits use. Also, there are high maintenance costs due to poor roads.

Libraries as Portal for Knowledge Driven Rural Community Development Cases from Botswana

2011 ◽  
pp. 34-41
Author(s):  
Rebecca Lekoko ◽  
Josephine Modise-Jankie ◽  
Christopher Busang
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Communication Program ◽  
Basic Services ◽  
Telecommunications Services ◽  
The Government ◽  
Set Up

Realizing that the rural communities lag behind with information that can help improve their lives, the government has set up the Rural Communication Program (RCP) with a goal “to provide telecommunications services to the rural areas in the most cost effective, efficient, logical and transparent manner possible” (Ministry of Communication Science and Technology, 2006, p. 14). Among specific objectives of the Rural Communications Program (RCP) is using appropriate technology to provide services, and in this case, the Internet or computers have been used to augment information found in local libraries. The Botswana Long Term Vision 2016 stipulates as a challenge the need to ensure that all people in Botswana especially those in the rural areas or those who need special assistance, receive the same benefits, and achieve their maximum potential, and RCP is the main foundation on which efforts for availing information that reaches the rural communities are based. Rural here refers to isolated and poorly served communities. These are communities where the government has identified that essential and basic services are required as part of its social obligation and mandate to integrate these areas into economic and social development of the nation. While these communities are of interest in this chapter, the chapter draws some cases from urban places because Internet connectivity in the rural areas of Botswana is still a problem.

Evaluation of access to electricity and the socioeconomic effects in rural and urban expanses of Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toluwalope Ogunro ◽  
Luqman Afolabi
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
National Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
The Government ◽  
Electricity Access

PurposeRecently, multidimensional aspects of poverty has been increasingly focused on which includes education, economy and health, while access to modern energy such as stable electricity is also one of the possible solution; thus, this article aims to divulge the relation between access to electricity and progression in socioeconomic status in urban and rural areas of Nigeria in an attempt to propose a sustainable framework for access to electricity.Design/methodology/approachDemographic and health survey data are collected using four categories of model of questionnaires. A standard questionnaire was designed to gather information on features of the household's dwelling element and attributes of visitors and usual residents between the 2018 period. Biomarker questionnaire was used to gather biomarker data on men, women and children. Logistic model estimation technique was employed to estimate the socioeconomic factors affecting access to electricity in Nigeria.FindingsThese studies discovered that there are diverse set of factors affecting access to electricity in Nigeria especially in the rural areas. However, respondent residing in rural areas are still largely deprived access to electricity; most importantly, households with no access to electricity are more likely to use self-generating sets as revealed. Additionally, empirical findings indicated that the higher the level of your education and wealth, the higher the likelihood of having access to electricity in Nigeria. These factors included political will to connect the rural areas to the national grid, development of other infrastructures in those deprived areas and others.Practical implicationsThe problem confronting access to electricity in Nigeria has three components. The first is the significance of those deprived access to electricity in the rural areas and the physical resources needed to connect them to the national grid. The second is the political willingness of the government to have equitable distribution of public goods evenly between rural and urban areas especially on electricity access which will go a long way in reducing poverty in Nigeria. The third is lack of robust national development plans and strategy to tackle the problems facing electricity access in Nigeria.Social implicationsAs the rate of socioeconomic status/development increases, access to electricity is anticipated to rise up in Nigeria.Originality/valueThe findings can be used by the policy makers to address problems facing access to electricity in Nigeria.

scholarly journals Rural Accessibility, Rural Development, and Natural Disasters in Bangladesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saleh Ahmed ◽  
Elizabeth Eklund
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Rural Development ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
National Development ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Social And Economic Development

Rural accessibility means more than just reliable roads and cost-effective transportation networks. Rural accessibility is critical for achieving social and economic development in low-income developing countries such as Bangladesh where both rural and urban development are constrained by significant infrastructural deficiencies. It is also an important factor that determines the effects of natural disasters on these resource-constrained societies, since both disaster responses and sustainable development are compromised by poor rural accessibility. Using two contrasting case studies from Bangladesh, this article reveals the significance of improved rural accessibility on rural development and the effects of natural disasters on rural areas. The findings of this article suggest that the improvement of rural accessibility should be a top national development priority, since it increases the opportunities for sustainable social and economic development and reduces the adverse effects of natural disasters on the rural areas in developing countries such as Bangladesh.

scholarly journals The Shift of Staple Food from Sago to Rice: A Study about Food Security and Indigenous Communities

Society ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-47
Author(s):  
Lengga Pradipta
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
National Development ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Food Culture ◽  
Population Pressure ◽  
Improvement Program ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
The Government ◽  
Vulnerable Households

Food security is still becoming a crucial issue in developing countries nowadays, either in urban or rural areas. There are many factors triggered this condition, such as the increase in population pressure and conflict, privatization and changing tenure arrangements, poverty, social differentiation and also environmental degradation. It’s undeniable that food security is a multidimensional problem, especially for people who lived in rural or isolated areas. In Mentawai Islands, a district located in the western part of Indonesia, the indigenous people depend on forest product (sago) as their main source of food. However, since 2012, the government has destroyed their food culture by establishing the ‘National Food Security Improvement Program’ and conducting the agricultural intensification as well as establishing 600 hectares of new rice fields in six sub - districts; South Pagai, North Pagai, Sikakap, South Sipora, North Sipora, and South Siberut. This study is conducted comprehensively using the Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis (FSVA) to understand and describe the exact profiles of food-insecurities and vulnerable households. Furthermore, it also identified the risks and vulnerabilities of food consumption in Mentawai communities. Findings depict that shifting or transforming the food culture from sago to rice is a serious issue because socio-cultural aspects influence it and surely the government has to make a parallel policy that can accommodate the people needs, not only prioritize the national development agenda.

ASSESSMENT OF TEACHERS’ LEVEL OF LITERACY AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS ICT APPLICATION IN VOCATIONAL AND BUSINESS EDUCATION

2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Oyebola Adetayo
Keyword(s):  
Business Education ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Frequency Count ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Related Subject ◽  
Ogun State ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Literacy Level ◽  
The Government ◽  
Analytical Tools

The study assessed teachers' level of literacy and attitude towards ICT Application in Vocational and Business Education. In carrying out this survey study a sample of four hundred (400) vocational and business education-related subject teachers were selected from all the four divisions in Ogun State of Nigeria. Three research questions were raised and answered. Frequency count and simple percentages were the analytical tools used for the analysis of data collected. The results showed that computer as an ICT facility is not adequately available in schools, majority of the teachers have low literacy level in the use of computer and that teachers are favourably disposed to the use of ICT facilities in teaching. The study among others, therefore, recommended that the Government should make computer and other ICT facilities readily and adequately available in schools.

Corporate Social Responsibility in Emerging Economies

2020 ◽  
pp. 263-273
Author(s):  
Ayesha Khatun ◽  
Sajad Nabi Dar
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Corporate Sector ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Medical Facilities ◽  
The World ◽  
The Government ◽  
Corporate Social

India, a developing and the second largest populated country in the world after China, is characterized by many burning issues like unemployment, low literacy, lack of modern medical facilities mainly in rural areas, lack of connectivity of the rural areas with the mainland cities, and the like. Although government has been working on all these issues and has been very much successful, it is not possible for the government alone to solve all the issues in such a vast populated country in a desired period of time. Amidst such situation, it is the corporate sector that can play a bigger role in the development of the society through its CSR initiatives. This chapter attempts to study corporate social responsibility, its role and issues in a developing country with special reference to India. The findings show that lack of understanding, inadequately trained personnel, lack of proper policy making, lack of participation of the local people, and so on affects the reach and effectiveness of CSR programs in India.

Positional concern, gender, and household expenditures: a case study in Yunnan province

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 572-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaojun Yang ◽  
Ping Qin ◽  
Jintao Xu
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Consumption Tax ◽  
Household Expenditures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Positional Concerns ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Government

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to attempt to investigate farmer’s positional concerns in rural China, and how the positional concerns correlate with household expenditures on visible goods. Design/methodology/approach The authors conduct a survey-based experiment to measure farmers’ positional concerns, and employ econometric models to examine the determinants of the degree of positional concern and how the positional concern affects household expenditures on visible goods. Findings The authors find that Chinese farmers have strong positional concerns for income, and high-income households are more concerned with relative position. Furthermore, there is a significant difference between males and females with respect to correlation between degree of positionality and household expenditures on visible goods. For females, there is a positive correlation between degree of positionality and household expenditures on clothes, restaurants, and mobile phones, respectively. For males, there is a positive correlation between degree of positionality and household expenditures on mobile phones. Social implications The government policy thus should pay attention to the positional goods, and the relevant consumption tax by increasing the prices of visible goods could be considered or suggested in the future even in the rural areas. Originality/value This paper provides complementary evidence on Chinese farmers’ positional concerns, and how the degree of positional concern relates to household expenditures on visible goods.

scholarly journals Female Education As A Determinant Of Economic Growth: The Case Study Of Pakistan

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (11) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goher Fatima
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Labor Force ◽  
Labor Force Participation ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
National Development ◽  
Female Education ◽  
Gdp Growth ◽  
The Government

The contribution of female education has been very important in the GDP growth of the country, but this very sector has been ignored by the Government. This paper focuses on the importance of female education and highlights its significance for national development. It also brings out some impediments, obstacles and barriers confronting female education, especially the low level of the investment on the sector in the rural areas of Pakistan. The study further identifies the effects of female contribution in labor force participation. The study explores the opportunities to encourage the role of female in the developmental activities.

Adoption and Use of ICTs by Livestock Keepers for Improved Access to Livestock Information

2021 ◽  
pp. 246-268
Author(s):  
Consolata Kemirembe Angello
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Telecommunications Services ◽  
The Government

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are very important tools for economic development and poverty reduction when used effectively by individuals in all economic sectors including agriculture. Urban livestock keepers need ICTs in their activities so that they can make informed decisions that can lead to improvement of the livestock industry. Despite its importance, ICT use is hindered by several factors including unawareness of the radio and television programmes and lack of computer skills. This chapter reveals the extent of use of ICTs by urban and peri-urban livestock keepers whereby different types of ICTs are used by urban livestock keepers to access livestock information, though some ICTs, for example, mobile phones are used more than other ICTs (radio and television). Internet is used by very few livestock keepers due computer illiteracy. Policy implications include improvement of the telecommunications services by the government through relevant bodies in order to facilitate more access to information through mobile phones, radio, television, and the internet.

scholarly journals Pengaruh Dana Desa terhadap Kemiskinan: Studi Tingkat Kabupaten/Kota di Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-119
Author(s):  
Tri Angga Sigit ◽  
Ahmad Kosasih
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
National Development ◽  
Fixed Effect Model ◽  
Poor People ◽  
Fiscal Balance ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Village ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Poor Population

National development in general aims to improve people's welfare as measured by poverty indicators. In reducing poverty, one focus of the government is to reduce poverty in rural areas that have a higher percentage than urban areas. One of the government spending aimed at reducing poverty in rural areas is the Village Fund. This study aims to determine the effect of the Village Fund on poverty at the Regency/City level in Indonesia. This study uses quantitative data that focuses on economic variables consisting of the Total Poor Population as the dependent variable and the Village Fund as the main independent variable. In addition, Village Fund Allocation, Gross Regional Domestic Product, and Capital Expenditures are used as other independent variables. As a material for analysis and compiling recommendations, qualitative data in this study were used in the form of in-depth interviews with the Directorate General of Fiscal Balance and the Fiscal Policy Office. The analytical method used is panel data regression with the Fixed Effect Model. The result shows that the Village Fund variable has a negative effect on the Total Poor Population. This shows that the Village Fund is able to effectively reduce the number of poor people. However, based on the results of in-depth interviews, there are at least three aspects of the Village Fund policy that need to be improved namely covering improvements to the formulation aspects, aspects of strengthening supervision, and aspects of increasing innovation in the use of Village Funds.

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