ing and online banking, a new phenomenon appears to be emerging in Africa using much simpler technology. A Google search of "mobile phones in Africa" retrieves articles about the use of mobile technology to ensure honest elections, in the fight against HIV/AIDs, and even to improve the grain market. While computers and laptops have failed to reach the masses of Africans, cell phone penetration has grown unprecedentedly, with a rate of 30.4% of the population being mobile subscribers - 280.7 million people! In an interview done in September, economist Jeffrey Sachs calls the cell phone the single most transformative technology for development, citing its reach into isolated rural markets as its most striking feature (exemplified by the image above of the Maasai "warriors" in Kenya). Yet, while reading the multitude of articles on the beneficial uses of mobile phones, I couldn't help but wonder whether our unabated praise for the potential of the phone may be idealistic. I recalled living in a small village in Kenya called Kaloleni, where my host sister had a cell phone but our home had no electricity for her to recharge the battery. Every few days, she would take time off from working at the church to walk to another village and pay a family with electricity some of her hard-earned money, all to charge her phone. While this does not subtract from the potential benefits of the mobile phone, it does present some questions that may be being ignored in development field. To expand upon my own internal pondering, this week I roamed the blogosphere for African perspectives on the spread of the cell phone and then opened up communication by responding to their posts. My first comment is on a post on a blog called What an African Woman Thinks, whose author is a Kenyan woman. It highlights the rise of the "mobile phone revolution" and questions how the industry will evolve and mature. The second post I responded to is written by a white Kenyan whose blog, The White African, is quite popular in the world of technology in Africa. His article discusses Ushahidi, a program developed during the period of post-election violence in Kenya that allows citizens to send SMS messages and report localized crisis information. Last week the tool reached the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the violent crisis is rapidly spinning out of control. I have included both of my comments below, but they can also be read in context by following the links."The Mobile Phone Revolution"
I would like to thank you for commenting on a topic that is so timely and interesting. While studying abroad in Kenya last fall, I found the phenomenon of cell phone use and its accompanying culture fascinating. Indeed, the prevalence and affordability of phones across the country surprised me. In the past few weeks I have read articles on the indigenous, and often ingenious, uses of mobile technology sprouting up across the continent. Yet I wonder if, in your perspective, there are perhaps any downfalls to the potentially exciting "mobile revolution." In your article, you say that in the study of university students, all of them used "25% of their allocated spending funds on prepaid mobile airtime." If this is being repeated across the country, is it possible that Kenyans are spending crucial money on cellphones and airtime in order to keep up with this global culture rather than more urgent necessities? Especially as an African woman, do you find that the use of cell phones is really reaching the masses, or is it more concentrated than the numbers may have us believe? The idea of having to buy prepaid minutes is somewhat foreign in the United States, and took some getting use to while living in Kenya. I am glad you focused on this aspect of cell phone use, because I wonder if those in the development circles realize how much of an added cost this is creating and how that may limit the use of mobile phones for development projects around the continent. Without intending to subtract from the exciting potential of mobile technology in Africa, are these concerns valid enough to step back and take another look at?
"Ushahidi in the Congo (DRC)"
Congratulations on the expansion of Ushahidi, though how unfortunate that it is needed in another crisis in the region. As a college student in the United States, I find the innovative uses of the cell phone all across Africa fascinating. When I first travelled to Kenya to study abroad, I had no idea how accessible and popular mobile phones would be, but quickly learned from the national "mobile culture" that has sprouted up amongst my Kenyan peers. Honestly, the prevalence of cell phones was a bit shocking, to the point that I met people who lived in complete poverty, sometimes without access to clean water or electricity, spending a large proportion of their income on mobile phones and prepaid minutes. Do you think that this is a phenomenon that we should worry about, or is it simply a shaky bridge that will inevitably lead to economic growth and development?
Another question I had is about the raw numbers of cell phone users in the areas that you work in. While mobile penetration has indeed surprised us all, there are still millions of Africans who do not own a phone. In areas of crisis, violence and poverty, do those who really are in need have access to phones to use Ushahidi? Further, even if they do have phones, do they have access to prepaid minutes in order to use the SMS feature? In conclusion, what I am asking if we should really believe the hype about mobile technology reaching the masses and single-handedly revolutionizing development on the continent?
Finally, I would like to thank you for all of the work you do, especially by focusing on all of the indigenous innovations popping up in Africa. Your blog goes a long way in dispelling many of the stereotypes of Africa that are so prevalent in mainstream Western media and that really make me cringe.
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