CHALLENGING THE CONSTRAINTS TO ICTS IN Bunda and Serengeti Districts

byOphelia Mascarenhas

BASELINE STUDY OF BUNDA AND SERENGETI DISTRICTS

Prepared for COSTECH

January 2007

Baseline Study of Bunda and Serengeti Districts Background to the Study

ICT4RD objective Opportunity to achieve the objective Links with the KTH study

National ICT Framework Good developments in cellular telephones Less spectacular in Internet

The Opportunity Provided by the Rural Electrification Project in Bunda and Serengeti Districts

The famous optic fibre; empty at the moment and waiting for the promised broad band

Let Us Start With Images

Some Recent Studies

Many studies on ICTs and poverty and the use of ICTs – RIA, DFID

For Mara Region study involving the use of ICTs in 150 SME’s in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Zanzibar, and Mara found that in Mara, there was virtual “inexistence of any cell phone or internet services.” (2001)

Most assessments not based on pre-ICT intervention situations

Bungalows & Herds-boys in Jeans

Objectives of the Study

To provide a pre-project situation analysis of the socio-economic conditions of the 12 villages in the 2 districts, Bunda and Serengeti with special emphasis on (but not limited to) education, health and local administration and small and medium enterprises (SME’s).

To obtain an understanding of the level of current use of communication systems including ICTs in the two districts. ,

Methodology

Villages Bunda District: Manyamanyama, Ligamba

“A”; Kisangwa; Bukama; Kiroleli; Mugeta; Salama “A”; Kyandege 54 km.

Serengeti District: Fort Ikhoma; Natta; Nyichoka; Nyeberekera; Nyamsingisi

Plus 2 district headquarters

Persons Interviewed

District Council Staff: 8: ( 1 each – DPLO; DEO; DMO; District Trades Officer)

Heads of Private and Public Educational institutions: 8

Heads of Health institutions: 3 Other institutions (Head of Fort Ikhoma) 1 Villagers: 104 in 11 villages; Business people: 71 (47 in Bunda Town and

Mgumu Town; 24 in the villages) Total number of persons interviewed

individually or in groups: 195.

Socio-economic conditions

The Economic Conditions The FDI for Mara has declined between 1999 and

2001 Total revenue for Serengeti District in 2005 was

Tanzanian shillings 4.4 billion, of which 95 per cent came from the central government.

Produce cess on exports was only 1. 2 per cent while mining and tourism were not even mentioned.

Yet one of the most famous national game reserves in the world is in Serengeti District and the District is said to be rich in a variety of minerals.

Socio-economic conditions II As a result of these anomalies, the last

Household Budget Survey, 2000/01, ranked Bunda district as the poorest district in Tanzania, 119th out of 119 districts, a fact that was commented on by the President just recently. Serengeti is a close second at 116th out of 119 districts.

Socio-economic conditions

This ranking is both disturbing and surprising. The research team made several observations that somehow do not match the poverty ranking status. : (i) there was a vibrant small business activity;

(ii) Large herds of cattle were observed, particularly in Serengeti District;

(iii) The majority of the villages had more than 3 maize mills and some even as many as 6 maize mills – all operating on diesel.

The Largest Lake in Africa but Bunda has little water & there is even some History Less than half the

population of Bunda has protected water supplies

With the right investment and policies this historical site can be an asset for Serengeti District

Indicators of Poverty or Wealth

Business Women & Fantastic Sunsets

Females play a significant role in the informal economy in Serengeti district

The beauty of the landscapes of Mara are reflected in the sunsets

PLASTICS & Vibrant Local Markets There is a demand for

basic consumer goods

but even more interesting

Is the VIBRANT weekly traditional market in Mgumu Township …… there is a surplus

Information and Communications Increasing use of the mobile telephone No internet ISPs in either district and no

internet cafes Internet being used in the district at own

premises or in cybercafes outside the districts On Premises

District Council offices Some big businesses Institutions (e.g. DDH in Bunda district)

Information and communication Off premises

Businesses Institutions Individuals

Sector use LGA Education Health SME’s

Public Access to IT in the Urban Area and a Rural ICT

Public access to telephony in Bunda Town

BUT

Even rural HHs do invest in improved housing and ICT

Satellite Dishes & Cross Country Buses in the Rural Areas

Village Shop & Bar/ Restaurant……ICT the hidden persuader;

Links with neighbours in Arusha, Mwanza, Nairobi

Count the Dishes … Pampering the Staff or Globalization? A good comfortable life

for TANAPA Staff ….. Given the resources of

Mara… this type of comfort zone is possible for many, many more.

Impossible if people are excluded from rights to their resources and development

Where do Tanzanians invest?

Good Private Schools are an indication of unequal growth!

However, they are potential users of the broadband

Mara is the playground of Billionaires in US $; More and more land is for National Parks and Foreign Gold Mining Interests

Getting out of poverty, means investing in education and schools;

Joining hands with the private sectors; Taking Advantage of technological

development; Transparent enough to encourage people Development with evictions and oblivious to the

needs of people leads to illusive development

Implications of the Findings

There is a demand for cheaper and more effective ICTs.

Currently large sums of money are being used on mobiles and on travel to do business

The indications of the demand seem to indicate that internet services can be operated on a self-sustaining business basis

The initial clients are the district council, the better off business people and the private educational, health and financial institutions, financial institutions like Pride and NGO’s

The mobiles will continue to be popular so interventions will need to take into account the need for voice as well as other uses of the broadband

Challenges

The survey has raised people’s expectations; how will these expectations be met? Who will lead the process? Who will participate?

There is need to consider ICTs within the current national policy of enhancing SME’s. Can some of the 1 billion shillings be used to start at least one public access internet café in each district?

At least two persons in Serengeti District are currently involved in such business in Musoma. How can they be persuaded to open similar businesses in Bunda and Mgumu?

The Way Forward

For the baseline study the way forward to complete the analysis, fill in any gaps and finish and disseminate the report

For Bunda and Serengeti the first priority is to use the optic fibre for providing voice and non voice ICT services

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING