In July 2010, the number of mobile phone subscriptions surpassed the five billion mark (figure 3.1), further establishing mobile phones as the most popular form of global connectivity.1In their various designs and capabilities, mobile phones can be found in the pockets of the wealthy and poor alike. Even in rural areas, mobiles are growing in number and sophistication. Recent figures suggest that although only 81 million Indians (7 percent of the population) regularly use the Internet, price wars mean that 507 million own mobile phones. Calls cost as little as US$ 0.006 per minute, and Indian operators are said to sign up 20 million new subscribers per month (“The Next Billion Geeks,” The Economist 2010).

Figures for access to mobiles are higher than ownership figures. A survey in Uganda found that 86 percent of those asked claimed to have access to a mobile phone, although only one-quarter of farmers said they actually owned one (Ferris, Engoru, and Kaganzi 2008).

This module highlights the impact of mobile phones on agriculture and rural development by outlining current knowledge and describing innovative practices. The discussion complements information in Module 2 on technical aspects of increasing mobile phone use in rural areas and agriculture. It also serves as a preface to numerous other descriptions of mobile phone applications throughout this sourcebook.

The rise of the mobile phone has been one of the most stunning changes in the developing world over the past decade. The increasing ubiquity of mobiles in developing countries presents both opportunities and challenges, especially for critical sectors such as agriculture. Like other technologies before it, the mobile phone is likely to be the subject of inflated expectations and hopes. To caution against the hype, this module also explores barriers to using mobile phones to benefit agriculture and provides recommendations for practitioners seeking to use the mobile platform to improve farmers’ livelihoods.

http://www.ictinagriculture.org/ictinag/sourcebook/module-3-mobile-devi…

This will be a good research as to how this activities are seen in countries like ours in southeast asia.

<NB: edited by facilitator>

So true Kel, advertisement for agricultural colleges or the promotion as a course in recruitment of students is not strong.

I guess too Kel, it is not a prefered course. The younger generation finds farming too slow to the quick buck of call centers and going abroad for greener pastures.

Grameen Foundation helps the world's poorest – especially women – improve their lives and escape poverty by providing them with access to appropriate financial services, life-changing information and unique income-generating opportunities. Working directly with the poor, as well as the organizations that support them, we make a real difference in the lives of those who have been left behind.

For more information about our work, please see our answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

Grameen Foundation provides microfinance institutions (MFIs) in poor communities with access to the capital they need to make microloans and to offer other financial services to those working to develop or expand a small business. In many of the poorest regions in the world, micro-business creation is the only way for families to escape poverty and build a better future for their children.

We do this by helping local microfinance institutions and other poverty-focused organizations become more effective and efficient, enabling them to reach more poor people with appropriate financial services, such as microsavings and loans. In addition to helping these organizations find financing, we provide products and services that enable them to measure their results and better understand their customers.  Our mobile phone-based technology projects also fight "information poverty" and provide business opportunities for poor entrepreneurs.

Working with local and global allies, and the poor themselves, we also create mobile phone-based solutions that address the devastating effects of “information poverty.” We help the poor to better manage their health, crops, livestock and finances, and even to find new income-generating opportunities – enabling them to improve their lives and break the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families. For more information on our work, please feel free to explore our 2010-2011 Annual Report.

Grameen Foundation enhances the effectiveness of our funding and impact on communities by strengthening and supporting local organizations. We respect local ways of life by building poverty-ending programs in partnership with local organizations and leaders, as well as the poor themselves, rather than imposing external ideas on developing communities.

Our Progress Out of Poverty IndexTM is a country-specific tool that simply but accurately measures poverty levels, currently covering roughly 70% of countries where the world’s poor live, and 90% of active microfinance clients. It enables MFIs and other poverty-focused organizations to better determine their clients’ needs, the effectiveness and efficiency of their programs, and how quickly they are able to help people move from poverty to financial self-sufficiency.  Of course, we also measure our own efficiency -- Grameen Foundation’s high standards and efficiency have earned us Charity Navigator’s highest rating for three years in a row (which fewer than 9% of non-profits achieve), as well as certification by the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance..

http://www.grameenfoundation.org/what-we-do

HIV doesn’t stop Marie-Claire from running a successful mobile phone business

Marie-Claire Ayurwanda stands on the rock foundation of the house she is building in Setwara, Rwanda, looking at the progress. “I want to finish building this house for my children before I die,” she says.

Although she smiles when she talks about her present and future, her past has not been easy. In addition to her own son, she cares for her brother’s two children who she took in after her brother was killed in the 1994 genocide. Her first husband died in 2003. She remarried and had a daughter, but left her second husband because of his problem with alcohol. Soon after, she discovered she had HIV.

After her second husband died, Marie-Claire decided to start a business. She took a 20,000 franc ($40) loan from Village Phone microfinance partner URWEGO to open the Isimbi Restaurant. The profits from the restaurant help support the four children in her household and pay school fees. If a customer wants to make a phone call, she proudly takes them to a separate, private room where she has set up her Village Phone. Her Village Phone business was so profitable that she was able to pay off the loan for it in five months (rather than the standard six months). She is one of the top five Village Phone operators in Rwanda, generating about US$624 a year for herself and her children in a country where the average income is around US$230 year.

Marie-Claire is honest about her HIV status. “I am very strong because of the medicine,” she says. “And I was able to tell my friends, and now they are on the drugs too.” In her village, she is the president of IMPUHWE, an association of people living with HIV.

She is now interested in adding a second phone that she can run in another small village. She also wants to buy a pickup truck to help others in IMPUHWE thrive economically. “People in the association have their own gardens with Irish potatoes. With a pickup, I can take the potatoes to Kigali and sell them.”

http://www.grameenfoundation.org/our-impact/marie-claire

Mike maybe with the Dept Ed change of having K212, CHED should look into the curriculum, because then now there will be lesser general education subjects. Grades 11 and 12 will tackle most of the general education subject.

Mike maybe with the Dept Ed change of having K212, CHED should look into the curriculum, because there will be lesser general education subjects. Grades 11 and 12 will tackle most of the general education subject.

Good point Bry, it can be done.