This post is inspired by an article sent to me by our ever resourceful Tony. This New York Times article focused on Google's latest experiment in an East African town called Entasopia. The technology giant has financed a small satellite dish powered by a solar panel, to connect a handful of computers in the town's community center to the internet. This recent development is a huge step for rural developments and will open a lot of doors for citizens of that region. Individuals have the opportunity to access various educational sources that they would not have had access to in the past(there are educated individuals that reside in the rural areas for various reasons ranging from high cost of city living to caring for their aged parents), they can take advantage of Kenya's online university. Missionaries that visit small towns like Entasopia can use the internet to gather training materials for the locals.
The community center can use this opportunity to train community members on becoming computer literate and learning how to use the internet as a tool for personal growth and enrichment.
People might argue that small towns like Entasopia need basic amenities and basic education before they can consider large scale upgrades like internet connection. I agree 20%, the other 80% of me says such developments are good because of the opportunities mentioned above and it can be a source of empowerment for the small town citizens. What Google did will either open the government's eyes to do better or draw attention from other organizations that will invest in Entasopia's development.
I give Google a big thumps up for this one. Although I worry about the cost of maintaining such a satellite and lack of computer infrastructure(aside from computers in the community center) available to the people, I am sure that Google will take advantage of he widespread use of mobile cellphones as another means to connect Entasopia to the internet.
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Good points, Diane! Tiny rural towns may benefit greatly from internet connections for education and for business opportunities. I would not be surprised to see some sort of entrepreneurial enterprise coming out of Entasopia!
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I think it's great that Google is doing this. I wonder how they chose the town they would experiment on? My bottom line is that anything that educates people will have a positive influence. I wonder if Google will do the same in other places?
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else, I applaud Google for their contribution to this community. In regards to Diane's 20/80 split, I also feel that basic amenities and education should be established first, but this could be a means of working backwards. Those individuals who become successful through Kenya's University maybe able to come back and contribute to the needs of their community.
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