Friday, May 07, 2004
The youth's long and winding ICT road
By Haru Mutasa
Zimbabwean Ednah Dondo slouches back into the chair and puts her feet up. It has been a long day and an even longer week at the sixth International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Telecom Africa conference in Cairo Egypt.
When she was not attending 'high-profile' debates, giving her two cents worth at plenary sessions, or just networking with government and ICT officials she was in closed door discussions, with her colleagues, laying down the foundations for their Africa Youth Action Plan – a document that will outline what steps the African youth plan is to take to promote ICT development among Africa's young people.
A teaching student in Chinoyi a small town in Zimbabwe, Edna is keen to get back to her students and apply what she has learnt at Africa Telkom 2004. "I am supposed to be in classes right now," she says a little worried, "but it is best I got to come here, not just for me but the students I am going to teach."
Her colleague, Mark Russell from Kimberly South Africa collapses next to her and waits for instructions from his chaperone. "We will be going in soon (the seminar room) to wrap up all this stuff," he said, "yesterday we were split up into groups and had to draft up an action plan based on what we have learnt this week. The works of art will be put together and merged to form one. I can't wait – it should be exciting."
One would expect the youth forum to get drowned out by the 'bigger' groups at the conference but that was not the case. The younger generation actively promoted their ideas and official delegates frequently sang the praises of the thoughtful inputs made by the youth.
"It gives such pleasure seeing these young people here," said an elated Lyndall Shope-Mafole, Chairperson of the South African Presidential National Commission on Information Society and Development, "If any of what we are doing is going to take off it will be up to the youth. That is why we are here – to facilitate that process."
Earlier on in the week she had spent an entire morning with the 100 students from tertiary institutions from all over the continent and gave them a very special gift – making them realise their importance in the matrix of things, seeing just how special and unique they all are and encouraging them to become future Information Communication Technology leaders on the continent.
"If you want to achieve anything in life you have to work for it," she told them, "The road is never easy but you have to keep at it. Never give up – you are already special people by winning the competition that sent you here. Remember that."
The students won an all expenses paid trip to Cairo to learn more about ICT issues and how they can be used to develop Africa. Through regional coordinators who contacted their educational institutions, they were asked to write an essay on ICTs. Competition was stiff and the ones who made the grade were all top students in their countries and leaders in their youth circles.
This Youth Forum is the second creation of its kind – the first came into being three years ago at the last Africa Telecom Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. This year's students will build on the action plan laid out then and adapt it to today.
The task is not easy and they are still panel beating out the 2004 Action Plan which will be presented at the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunisia next year.
Read the 2001 Youth Forum Action Plan of 2001 http://www.itu.int/AFRICA2001/forum/youth/declaration.html
The Action Plan is not the only bit of hard work they are faced with. "Out of the boys here there are only three of us who speak English. You can not believe how difficult that makes things here. Just to ask someone how one is doing is a mission!" Mark says rolling his eyes, "but I have learnt a little bit of French – watch."
He approaches a girl from Mali sitting not too far from him, "Bonjour," he says in his charming way, "Tu es jolie."
She bursts out laughing and says politely, "Merci!"
Proud of his 'mastering' of the French language he struts back to his seat and says to me, "See, I am learning."
If he puts as much energy into the Action Plan and most importantly the development of ICTs in Africa as he does in learning French – then the continent has lot to look forward to from this young man and his colleagues who are determined to make a valuable contribution to Africa's development.
By Haru Mutasa
Zimbabwean Ednah Dondo slouches back into the chair and puts her feet up. It has been a long day and an even longer week at the sixth International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Telecom Africa conference in Cairo Egypt.
When she was not attending 'high-profile' debates, giving her two cents worth at plenary sessions, or just networking with government and ICT officials she was in closed door discussions, with her colleagues, laying down the foundations for their Africa Youth Action Plan – a document that will outline what steps the African youth plan is to take to promote ICT development among Africa's young people.
A teaching student in Chinoyi a small town in Zimbabwe, Edna is keen to get back to her students and apply what she has learnt at Africa Telkom 2004. "I am supposed to be in classes right now," she says a little worried, "but it is best I got to come here, not just for me but the students I am going to teach."
Her colleague, Mark Russell from Kimberly South Africa collapses next to her and waits for instructions from his chaperone. "We will be going in soon (the seminar room) to wrap up all this stuff," he said, "yesterday we were split up into groups and had to draft up an action plan based on what we have learnt this week. The works of art will be put together and merged to form one. I can't wait – it should be exciting."
One would expect the youth forum to get drowned out by the 'bigger' groups at the conference but that was not the case. The younger generation actively promoted their ideas and official delegates frequently sang the praises of the thoughtful inputs made by the youth.
"It gives such pleasure seeing these young people here," said an elated Lyndall Shope-Mafole, Chairperson of the South African Presidential National Commission on Information Society and Development, "If any of what we are doing is going to take off it will be up to the youth. That is why we are here – to facilitate that process."
Earlier on in the week she had spent an entire morning with the 100 students from tertiary institutions from all over the continent and gave them a very special gift – making them realise their importance in the matrix of things, seeing just how special and unique they all are and encouraging them to become future Information Communication Technology leaders on the continent.
"If you want to achieve anything in life you have to work for it," she told them, "The road is never easy but you have to keep at it. Never give up – you are already special people by winning the competition that sent you here. Remember that."
The students won an all expenses paid trip to Cairo to learn more about ICT issues and how they can be used to develop Africa. Through regional coordinators who contacted their educational institutions, they were asked to write an essay on ICTs. Competition was stiff and the ones who made the grade were all top students in their countries and leaders in their youth circles.
This Youth Forum is the second creation of its kind – the first came into being three years ago at the last Africa Telecom Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. This year's students will build on the action plan laid out then and adapt it to today.
The task is not easy and they are still panel beating out the 2004 Action Plan which will be presented at the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunisia next year.
Read the 2001 Youth Forum Action Plan of 2001 http://www.itu.int/AFRICA2001/forum/youth/declaration.html
The Action Plan is not the only bit of hard work they are faced with. "Out of the boys here there are only three of us who speak English. You can not believe how difficult that makes things here. Just to ask someone how one is doing is a mission!" Mark says rolling his eyes, "but I have learnt a little bit of French – watch."
He approaches a girl from Mali sitting not too far from him, "Bonjour," he says in his charming way, "Tu es jolie."
She bursts out laughing and says politely, "Merci!"
Proud of his 'mastering' of the French language he struts back to his seat and says to me, "See, I am learning."
If he puts as much energy into the Action Plan and most importantly the development of ICTs in Africa as he does in learning French – then the continent has lot to look forward to from this young man and his colleagues who are determined to make a valuable contribution to Africa's development.
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