About the RUFORUM 2010 Biennal Conference
"The 2010 RUFORUM Biennial Conference was the second in the series. The main objective of the Biennial conferences is to provide a platform for agricultural research for development stakeholders in Africa and beyond to actively exchange findings and experiences, while at the same time learning lessons towards improving performance of the agricultural sector and ultimately people’s livelihoods. The biennial conference is RUFORUM’s most comprehensive meeting for the diversity of stakeholders in agriculture. It is especially dedicated to graduate students and their supervisors, grantees in RUFORUM member universities and alumni. It is a platform for peer review, quality control, mentorship, networking and shared learning. This record contains an extended abstract accepted under the theme of Information Systems"
Improving access to information for rural and agricultural development using ICTs in northern Uganda: Lessons and experiences
Abstract:
Access to information by rural farming communities is one of
the major constraints to agricultural development in Uganda
because of inadequate extension service delivery. The use of
information communications technologies (ICTs) can potentially
leverage this bottleneck. Although the application of ICTs in
rural development is not new, its application in a particular setting
makes it a unique experience. The Women of Uganda
Network.(WOUGNET) initiated a project in 2005 to improve
access to information through use of ICTs by rural women in
Apac District, Northern Uganda. In this paper experiences
learnt from the innovative application of ICTs in accessing
Agricultural information are shared. To date, women farmers
can access information on markets, improved farming methods
and development information through use of mobile phones and
radios. There are however still major challenges in the skills
level of the target group, the type of content and costs involved
in the use of the ICT tools.
L’accès à l’information par les communautés agricoles rurales
est l’un des principaux obstacles au développement agricole en
Ouganda à cause de la prestation de service de vulgarisation
insuffisante. L’utilisation des technologies de l’information et
des communications (TIC) peuvent potentiellement tirer parti
de ce goulot d’étranglement. Bien que l’application des TIC
dans le développement rural ne soit pas nouvelle, son application
dans un contexte particulier, la rend une expérience unique en
son genre. Le réseau des femmes Ougandaises (Women of
Uganda Network : WOUGNET) a lancé un projet en 2005 pour
améliorer l’accès à l’information grâce à l’utilisation des TIC
par les femmes rurales dans le district d’Apac, dans le Nord de
l’Ouganda. Dans ce document, les leçons tirées de l’application
innovatrice des TIC dans l’accès à l’information agricole sont
partagées. À ce jour, les femmes-agriculteurs peuvent accéder
à l’information sur les marchés, sur les méthodes agraires améliorées et à l’information sur le développement grâce à
l’utilisation des téléphones portables et des radios. Il ya cependant
encore des défis importants dans le niveau de compétences du
groupe cible, le type de contenu et coûts liés à l’utilisation des
outils TIC.
Language:
English
Lessons and experiences
Date of publication:
2010
Country:
Region Focus:
East Africa
University/affiliation:
Collection:
RUFORUM Conferences and Workshops
Agris Subject Categories:
Agrovoc terms:
Additional keywords:
Licence conditions:
Open Access
Access restriction:
Form:
Printed resource
Publisher:
ISSN:
E_ISSN:
Edition:
Extent:
1798-1805
Notes:
