Transforming villages through podcasting

Lazarus Sauti

The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), communication devices or applications such as the radio, television, landline and cellular phones, computer hardware and software, satellite systems as well as the various services and applications associated with them, is at the heart of human development as it enables people to access information, improve water and sanitation as well as keep in good health.

Despite the fact that 96 percent of Zimbabweans have cellphone services, according to a report by Afrobarometer, a pan-African and non-partisan research network, most rural dwellers are not enjoying such services due to different reasons such as network problems, lack of power, poor and expensive connectivity, inappropriate ICT policies and language barriers.

This was vindicated by the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2014 as it indicated that the overall access to mass media and ICT in rural Zimbabwe is still low due to factors such as high cost of available technologies, low bandwidth, inadequate infrastructure and low ICT skills.

Rural dwellers in most, if not all, southern African states are facing the same challenge.

Recently, farmers in Malawi, for example, blamed low ICT coverage in rural areas for poor agricultural production.

They said: “We no longer have agricultural extension workers and with low ICT coverage in most rural areas, we are forced to travel long distances to access and learn new farming technologies or to learn how to improve our agricultural enterprises.

Due to this limited access to ICTs in Zimbabwe, agricultural officers, village health workers and government environmental health technicians in most rural areas are also forced to travel long distances around communities spreading farming as well as health messages.

But because of distance and time, they cannot cover all the areas, shortchanging other villagers in the process, a fact supported by Esther Mangwiro (35), an agricultural officer in Kotwa.

“I am supposed to cover more than 10 wards here in Kotwa disseminating agricultural and environmental information, but it is not possible because of time, distance and insufficient financial resources.

“As a result, most villagers are missing out on information that can help improve agricultural productivity, practices as well as farmer livelihoods.

Charles Kondo (43), a volunteer health worker in the same area, concurs.

“Lack of accessible telecommunication infrastructure and challenges such as harmful cultural and social practices hinder appropriate dissemination of information here. To close the gap, we are forced to travel at least 15 kilometers and this, without doubt, is not possible, especially on a daily basis.

“Sadly, some villagers are missing vital health information and therefore exposed to malnutrition, measles, pneumonia, polio and diarrheal diseases,” he said.

Network and power challenges are not only affecting villagers in Kotwa, but other low lying rural areas in the country, but communities in Gwanda, Mwenezi, Plumtree and Bulilima are accessing quality agricultural and health information through podcasting – a knowledge handling and sharing tool, thanks to Practical Action.

The organisation is recording information and use audio MP3 players as well as speakers to disseminate recorded messages in vernacular languages targeting local communities where communications infrastructure is poor or non-existent.

Sihle Sibanda (37), a villager in Gwanda, the capital of Matabeleland South, says podcasting is a saviour in her area since it helped members to access quality water and sanitation as well as hygiene information.

“Podcasting is a truly effective means of learning and sharing stories and lessons.

“As such, it is our saviour as we now get consistently high quality agricultural, health and hygiene information,” she said, adding that “the technology, introduced in the district in 2012, is also changing attitudes and beliefs of community members regarding access to water and sanitation information and implementation of good practices of health and hygiene.”

Sharing the same sentiments, Qiniso Dube (54), a villager in Bulilima, says thanks to podcasting, communities in his area are now aware of the positive effects of hand washing after the use of toilets.

“I never knew the importance of washing my hands after using the toilets, but now I have been empowered. From the knowledge I gained from the recorded messages, I have constructed a tippy tap just outside my toilet and I am protecting myself as well as my family from diarrheal diseases”, he said.

Sibahle Masuku, an Environmental Health Technician in Plumtree, says the use of such ICT tools has not only empowered communities, but also eased the work of local health and environmental workers who are now effectively delivering information that is helping people to make informed choices.

“Thanks to Practical Action, we are now using ICT tools that are well-situated in allowing us to disseminate environment and health-related information to communities in Plumtree and other surrounding areas,” she said, adding that the use of ICTs to improve information flow and to connect people within the rural areas has proved that illiteracy of farming communities may no longer be an excuse to deny some form of extension system.

The use of cost effective technologies to disseminate information in rural areas is enhancing established traditional communication networks as well as enabling the country to fulfil Section 62 of the Constitution which provides for access to information,” said Martha Katsi-Munyoro, Practical Action’s knowledge management officer.

She added: “Locally trained knowledge workers, both at village and ward levels, are responsible for the dissemination of agricultural, health and hygiene information to schools as well as community health clubs.

“The content is developed and recorded by specialists from a number of key district stakeholders including the Ministry of Health and Child Care and other extension agents, but sometimes we use the voices of community members to promote the sense of belonging and enhance the project’s impact.”

Katsi-Munyoro also said Practical Answers, the knowledge service unit within Practical Action, is responsible for the training of all knowledge stakeholders and community-based knowledge workers on creating knowledge content in addition to dissemination techniques.

“To date a network of over 120 knowledge workers based in the target wards and villages have been capacitated to create and disseminate the knowledge content,” she said, urging other stakeholders to effectively embrace feature phones and other ICT devices to transform the lives of rural dwellers in other areas of the country.