ToroDev understands ICT as a tool to accelerate sustainable community development,  in its broadest context - going beyond modern computer software and equipment and networks that are often misunderstood, in rural settings, to have been designed for the elite urban populations - to also traditional and rural techniques of gathering and sharing information and knowledge resources for sustainable socio-economic and political developement. This could be through the efforts of rural information centres that use that use broadcasts - radio and televison, public address systems and group discussion initiatives. Undertaking research using the internet and communicating the research findings to a rural community population on a local radio station is a good example of the combination of traditional and modern ICT tools. Harnessing the opportunities provided by the expansion of mobile telephony and community radios in rural areas for promoting the right to access and use relevant information and other inherent human rights,  sharing knowldege on best production practices, market research and promoting accountability and good governance to the local people, are always emphasized by ToroDev.

ICT4D: ToroDev staff and other participants attending the Web 2.0 tools training Workshop at Makerere University, Kampala in July 2011

With Increased national, regional and international demand for access and use of relevant information and equal development opportunities that are gender-sensitive,  including labour mobility, improved service provision, market for both traditional and non-traditional agricultural commodities, etc - the role of ICTs can never be underestimated. An ICT - enabled open, free and democratic environment can create more opportunities for skilled labour force, small and medium scale farmers, business men and women, even in rural areas to access, for example,  better markets and be able to hold theirleaders accountable for better service provison. Whereas access to ICT services (e-inclusion),  better markets  and realizing gender equality remain important indicators for achieving the millennium Development Goals (MDGs), several factors like poor ICT infrastructure especially in rural communities are  still a scare. Marginalization of some population groups like the youth and women represents a threat of human rights degeneration. Unequal access land, credit facilities for capital resources, lack of innovation and entrepreneurship skills to be able to exploit the available resources by rural women and youth,  will remain hindraces to development in the poorer areas of the world, especially in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

In Uganda, deliberate legislation and commitment to operationalization of laws and policies targeting heavy investment in ICT infrastructure that promotes free access to information, especially in rural communities is still required. This will promote and ease the establishment of agricultural value chains and creating market linkages for the agribusiness sub-sector, which is a source of livelihood for 80% of all rural Ugandans.

In Picture: J.K.Baguma, Executive Director, ToroDev announced among top 5 Young Social Entrepreneurs in Uganda, December 2010.

How radios can turn around the fortunes of rural farmers

The New Vision: Uganda's Leading Dailly Newspaper http://www.newvision.co.ug/PA/8/459/729757 Publication date: Tuesday, 24th August, 2010

By Solomon Akugizibwe - Media & Communications Officer,

FM radios are the most accessed mode of communication in Uganda, thanks to the liberalisation of the broadcast sector which led to its rapid growth. Radios easily transcend barriers like illiteracy, distance to urban centres, lack of electricity and poverty.  In addition, rural FM radios easily adapt to local language and culture and rural folks can listen to them in their homes in a language they are comfortable with.  But, what type of information do these radios provide to the rural folk? Are they contributing to the improvement of household incomes of their target audiences?  Do these radio stations have trained journalists? Do they involve their target audiences in programme design? What percentage of their time do they use for development messages in comparison to foreign broadcasts and music?  Of course, there are challenges like meeting the commercial interests of the owners and the information needs of the target audiences.  Uganda is a predominantly agricultural country with over 80% of the population directly or indirectly employed in the sector —— majority in the rural areas.

Appropriate use of radio to sensitise rural farmers on market information, seeds, modern farming methods and access to loans can easily turn around their fortunes. A lot of agricultural sensitisation funds are invested in buying airtime and calling experts to teach people what to do. This is good, but is it sustainable?  Government agencies, donors and civil society involved in agricultural sensitisation should embrace the use of radio to sensitise rural farmers on good farming practices.  I have been in the villages of Kabarole in western Uganda and listened to their radio stations.  The topic is always who is going to win in the coming elections, which player Ferguson bought the other day, how Bobi Wine is pirating Kafeero’s music and so on. You hardly hear them talking about which agricultural products are available for sell in a given village, low interest farmer loans in a given financial institution or improved seeds in a certain shop in town.  Imagine what difference it would make if such radio programmes were connecting buyers and sellers of agricultural products, giving the contact phone of the seller and buyer, place, amount and products needed or available!  To reduce the gap, government agencies, donors and civil society organisations involved in agricultural sensitisation should also allocate part of their funds to training rural FM radio journalists in agricultural reporting because it is sustainable.  Sensitisation of the target audience to make more money by radio stations sustains their business because when people are rich they will always have money to buy radio airtime.

If nothing is done many people, especially in the rural areas, will continue to produce crops but sell them at low price to exploitative middle men hence gaining little from months of hard worand the vicious cycle of poverty con