SANGONeT ICT4RD Conference 2011 - “Rural Realities, Real Solutions”

Rural development has always been superceded by urban development. There is no real solution that need to be put in place execpt for a change in attitude. The related officials hide behind financial constaints and lack of donor funding but this has always been the story. From that little contributed what has been done? They keep developing things in urban areas that do not even need such attention. If they were the ones living in the rural areas wouldnt they love their area to be developed, but because they live in the urban areas it does not even cross their minds ..not until they seek support of some sort. This is really sad. They push a few steps to impress the locals in their desperation and when they get the support they sneak out and forget about them. We need to have the right mental attitude towards our fellow human beings. Why are these constaints and lack of funding only affecting the rural areas while in the urban areas we are destroying and rebuilding our lives not because there is a need to destroy but because we want it to suit us and satisfy our desires, yet a fellow country men does not even have a proper roof above his head and his family. We are constantly making changes where there is just no need to, while someone does not even have that which you are destoying let alone changing. We buy the latest cars which cost millions of dollars, which could at least buy 10 buses for the rural school child who is walking mile and miles to work. We buy mansions fit for a king yet we don`t even know how some of the rooms in that house look like bacause they are just too many, let alone we could build 100 decent huts for the rural man and his family. These people are not asking for much, they just long for decent living conditions and a decent life, not a posh one. What does one man need 10 houses and 5 plots for. Honestly you say you worked for it, i dont deny but sometimes is it really necessary. Most of the times it is the donors fund and the government money. Nothing is being done from all these contributions. 1% goes to the rural community and the rest we splash and shine. Dont you just think if we had positive mindsets and attitudes these rural areas would have been developed a long time ago, we ould be speaking of the finishing touches by now...while urban areas are growing and expanding the rural is shrinking slowly by surely and everyone is watching. We dont need all the money we can get from the donors or the government in order to get develop these places, from the little we get we can do wonders, it doesnt need to be a mansion but a decent place for a human being to call a home, but it is from this little that we divert and develop our own agendas and start calling out to the donors and the govenment once more to say its not enough. How can these people donate, we think they are blind, they can see what is happening and at the end of the day they draw back and shame our nakedness. A little can go along way with proper planning and humility. Donations annd funds act the same way as a salary if you misuse your bulky salary you can have nothing at the end of the day, but someone earning three times less can do better things from. Its not how much it is , its what you can do with it. Technology is good very good, cellphones,e.t.c, but help will it be to a man who is in poverty with his family, who has electricity in his house and yet when it rains the house turns into a flood plain. We cant rush to fix the roof before we can do something about the foundation. Before we even go technology let us look at the ground roots, are they strong enough for the impact or they will crumble befor they even rise. The rural man is suffering, no food, no money, no proper accommodation, no clothes..these do not need technology..sort them out first and them the rest can follow. Technology is good, like isaid before and its costly too, while we are crying of lack of funding right now, who is going to then, let us cut our cloths therefore according to its length, give the rural people a life that is worth living, a decent home, decent education and appreciate them as part of the nation. let us not consider them during census and forget them once more. We may stll bring the so called technology to them but are they learned enough to use it, with the shortage of teachers in rural areas who will teach them about this technology when the can`t even read their ABC, let us start from the ground and rise slowly but surely and we will sure get there. Let us not rush to swallow thechunks before we have chewed and grinded them properly or else we will choke. Real solutions are these: Change in attitude Compassion Humility Acceptance of fellow countrymen Above everything - LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!!!!!!! DISSAPOINTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!