ICT / Fight Digital Divide
Facilitation and realization of projects concerning the social and economic development, which use information and communication technology (ICT).
“We are going through a historic transformation in the way we live, learn, work, communicate and do business. We must do so not passively, but as makers of our own destiny. Technology has produced the information age. Now it is up to all of us to build an Information Society.”
- Kofi Annan, World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva, 10 December 2003
Open access to knowledge, the opportunity to learn for life and new, helpful forms of communication are just some of the many arguments for the use of ICT – especially in less developed countries. Access to information has not been a luxury in industrial countries for while now. It must not remain a luxury for developing countries either, if we want to have equal opportunities and if we want to give people the chance to actively improve their lives.
Internetverbreitung in Cabo Verde
The costs for internet and telecommunications in Cape Verde are exorbitant. CVTelecom, a subsidiary of PortugalTelecom, buys bandwidth and telephone lines at their Portuguese holding company for fancy prices. Hence the resulting prices, which are barely affordable even for high-earning Capeverdeans. Thus it is not surprising that just about 7.380 households were provided with ADSL in the year 2008 (source: ANAC).
In Cape Verde, where practically everything has to be imported due to the country’s geographical position, newspapers are virtually nonexistent and books are scarce goods. Those who want to encourage education and lifelong learning, have to promote in Cape Verde’s information and communication technology. This applies to political lobby work and improvement of the infrastructure, as well as education and training associated with ICT.
With a focus on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and on a further economic, political, and social development of Cape Verde, Delta Cultura Cabo Verde (DCCV) advocates the use of information and communication technology with various offers and projects:
- Internet café with Printshop
Students and scholars from Tarrafal and its surroundings use our free internet café with printshop for research, prepare teaching material and do their homework. We supervise and help with the assignments. - Computer donations
Many individuals and companies from Europe have already donated their rejected computers and peripherals. Generally, they send their donation independently by mail. We delete all hard drives residue-free on-site, clean and fix the computers and equip them with the required software. We push the use of Open Source Software but unfortunately do not get around using Windows and Microsoft Office, since they are almost exclusively used in Cape Verde. - Computer repair / system maintenance
We fix computers and laptops in Tarrafal. This includes hardware as well as operation systems and software. By means of low internet penetration and massive use of mobile media such as e.g. USB sticks simultaneously, malware (viruses, Trojan etc.) is spreading rapidly. We delete vermin, install protection, and set up completely new zipped systems. Furthermore, we inform about the hazards and thus raise the computer owners’ security awareness. Among our “customers” are individuals, the local court, or Tarrafal’s police alike. - Lobby work and symposia
We regularly talk to local decision makers in economic and political domains in order to promote awareness for the necessity of use, education, and training regarding ICT. This includes – among other things – drafting concepts and pamphlets as well as attending symposia (e.g. by ITU). - Computer courses (basic, advanced)
Since 2004 we offer three-month computer evening courses for two groups at about 10 participants each. The basic course imparts basic computer knowledge as well as working with Office products; the advanced course mainly internet knowledge. - Professional basic computer science training
Since 2007, we have been asking various institutions to finance a professional training as media expert. In December 2009 we started the first professional ICT job training, supported by the Capeverdean Government.
