VillageShare

Presented by David Johnson, with co-authors present at ACM DEV 2012

While broadband Internet connectivity has reached a significant part of the world’s population, those living in rural areas of the developing world suffer from poor Internet connectivity over slow long distance links, if they even have connectivity at all. While this has a general negative impact on Internet utilization, our social survey of users in the community of Macha, Zambia shows that the severest impact is in the area of content generation and sharing. To this end, our work describes VillageShare, an integrated timedelayed proxy server and content-sharing Facebook application. Through these two components, VillageShare facilitates localization of traffic, protecting the bandwidth-limited Internet link from content shared between local users, and minimizes upload abortions by time-shifting large uploads to periods when the gateway link is under-utilized. In this work we analyze traffic traces from Macha to discern oppor- tunities for improvement of connection utilization, and then describe and evaluate the VillageShare architecture.

African Context for Mathematical Science

To the eyes of the Western scholar relevance and inclusion of mathematical modeling is unquestioned. Its presence is pervasive and ubiquitous However, this is not the case in rural Africa. Apart from using calculators, not much mathematics seems to go on in rural areas of Africa.

This address, postulating from a definition of scholarship of integration, of application, and of pedagogy, puts the case for the need of an African drive. It suggests further exploration of both theoretical and practical concepts in and around concepts of community and sustainability, incorporating context and culture, so it can start to play a role in reshaping the landscape of African societies.

Challenges are deducted from long term participatory research experience in sensitization, introduction and operations of information and communications technologies in rural Zambia in rural Macha, Zambia. Although quantitive aspects do play a role, a multitude of qualitative and interlinked factors feature prominently. Constrains in rural areas involve unique contextual and cultural ingredients. In an drive to sustainability, appropriate research must include sensitivity to such a mix of context and culture.

Contextual ingredients include aspects like orality, traditional leadership trust structures and regulatory practice, human resource and agency, and practicalities like housing, roads, distances, electricity, business, and cost levels. Culture encapsulates history, sense of solidarity, relatio economics, a focus on human relations, and a sense of security. Such issues are fundamental, substantial, and materially different then those in contemporary western context from which mathematics has emerged.

The address calls for further transdiciplinary research and evaluation which is sensitive to these rural challenges, and is required if all of Africa is to receive proper inclusion and relevance of mathematics in the wake of pervasive/ubiquitous connectedness.

Pervasive/Ubiquitously Connected

Key Note Address ICPCA 2011

To the eyes of the urban beholder, pervasive / ubiquitous computing seems to be achieved. However, not so in the eyes of the rural person. Apart from mobile phones, not much computing seems to go on in rural areas of Africa.

This key note, postulating from a definition of Internet, puts the case for the need of African drive and further exploration of both theoretical and practical concepts in and around the pervasive computing paradigm and pinpoints unique, rural angles which play a role in reshaping the landscape of African societies.

Challenges are deducted from long term experience in sensitization, introduction and operations of information and communications technologies in rural Zambia⁠. Although quantitive aspects play a role, a multitude of qualitative and interlinked factors feature prominently. Constrains in rural areas involve unique contextual, geographic, and cultural ingredients. In an drive to sustainability, appropriate interventions must include sensitivity to such a mix of context and culture.

Contextual ingredients include aspects like orality, traditional leadership structures and regulatory practice, human resource and agency, and practicalities like housing, roads, distances, electricity, business, and cost levels. Culture encapsulates history, sense of solidarity, relatio economics⁠, a focus on human relations, and a sense of security. Such issues are fundamental, substantial, and materially different then those in contemporary western context from which pervasive computing has emerged.

The keynote calls for further transdiciplinary research and evaluation which is sensitive to these rural challenges, and is required if all of Africa is to receive proper inclusion and participation in pervasive computing in the wake of pervasive/ubiquitous connectedness.

Internet Access in Rural Africa

Published via http://ieee-elearning.org/outreach/course/view.php?id=123 and YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqkE9lp67qs

This Webinar explains the lessons learned from an initiative to bring connectivity to rural Zambia, using a collaborative approach. In particular, it focuses on engineering Internet services that have been implemented in rural Macha, located in the Southern Province of Zambia. The village is connected to the Internet and integrated engineering within a holistic and respectful vision based upon developing the potential of the local community, whom plays the leading role towards sustainable progress.

Introduction to Ubuntu Culture

"I am because We are"

An Holistic Approach at Macha Works

Introduction to the Holistic Approach at Macha Works

ICT and Education

Presentation on ICT and Education for Zambian leadership in Education (UNZA), and others

Poster Presentation Macha Works!

van Stam, Gertjan, van Oortmerssen, Gerard

Macha Works! and shows lessons on how the Internet and the opportunities it provides fuels sustainable progress in rural Africa. It provides input for governing authorities and tabulates a process to engender entrepreneurial communities.

By igniting holistic development 'bottom up', supported by fitting ICT infrastructure and Internet connectivity, in a motivating, inspired and edifying manner, real, enshrined, and sustainable progress is feasible.

Providing infrastructure in rural Africa, and How Electricity is part of that!

Presentation to engineers and IEEE TV on the Macha Works Model, engineering, ICT and more in rural Zambia.

Presentations of Macha Works, at ICT Delta 2010

Mweetwa, Fred, van Stam, Gertjan, Salasini, Raphael, et all

Live from Macha, through the internet Macha Works presents at ICTDelta 2010 in Rotterdam Netherlands. The Macha Works model, Telecentre developments, and results of research and development activities with the University of Zambia presented and discussed during the first BarCamp in Africa between Macha, rural Zambia and urban Rotterdam, The Netherlands. At ICTDelta 2010, 1,600 ICT European experts, policy makers, and stakeholders met, while Mrs. Nelie Kroes, EU Commissioner, unveiled plans and priorities for the European ICT Agenda.

Computers at LinkNet Zambia

Talk about the use of computers in rural areas of Zambia, including discussion of the Macha Works Model, and a Google Earth presentation

Investments in ICT transforms Rural Economy

Macha Works presents on practical ways of identifying and examining the opportunities and potential in various segments of the ICT sector in Africa, the Caribbean, Middle-East and Asia. The Macha Works model is presented  as practical case on how ICTs drives sustainable progress in a rural economy.

Experience in ICT roll out in Rural Zambia, It is all about the Local Talent

The Macha Works model and the LinkNet network at Macha features, including a Google Earth representation of the many wireless nodes network at Macha.

MICS Part of Vision for Sustainable Rural Progress

van Stam, Gertjan, Mweetwa, Fred

MICS Part of Vision for Sustainable Rural Progress

IEEE, Zambian Chapter, celebrates 125 years IEEE with focus on Progress in African Rural Areas

IEEE, the world's largest technical professional society, 125 years anniversary is in May 2009. Zambia joins in with IEEE Sections across the globe and celebrates 125 years of innovation and ingenuity with a unique gathering of engineers at rural Macha. During the presentation, Dep. Minister of Communications and Transport, Hon. Mubika Mubika provides for a special statement to the engineers gathering at Macha, further components with traditional dances and singing.

Poster Presentation ePiano

Shoemaker, Krisin, van Stam, Gertjan

Results have been favorable, indicating that this new education environment for piano study is viable, with Synchronous Benefits, Synchronous Challenges, Asynchronous Benefits and Asynchronous Challenges.

A Vision for Sustainable Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Rural Areas

Mweetwa, Fred, Mweemba, Gregory, van Stam, Gertjan

A Vision for Sustainable Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Rural Areas

A Vision for Sustainable Progress in Rural Areas

A Vision for Sustainable Progress in Rural Areas

Poster Presentation Macha Works!

van Stam, Gertjan, van Oortmerssen, Gerard

Macha Works! And shows lessons on how the Internet and the opportunities it provides fuels sustainable progress in rural Africa. It provides input for governing authorities and tabulates a process to engender entrepreneurial communities.

By igniting holistic development 'bottom up', supported by fitting ICT infrastructure and Internet connectivity, in a motivating, inspired and edifying manner, real, enshrined, and sustainable progress is feasible.