ICT has changed and is changing the world. It is one of the main drivers behind globalisation, the creation of economic opportunities and empowerment of individuals. ICT has changed the lives of millions for the better and is an important tool in fighting poverty. Yet, many lack the possibility to profit from the opportunities arising. Realisation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be accelerated by using ICT in a smart and sustainable way. It is against this background that Dutch development organisations and specialized ICT organisations Akvo, Cordaid, Edukans, ICCO and IICD have decided to collaborate by setting-up the Connect4Change Consortium. The consortium works closely together with preferred partner Text to Change.
For the years 2011 – 2016 the five consortium members Akvo, Cordaid, Edukans, ICCO and IICD have jointly submitted a programme proposal for MFS II funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This programme supports activities being carried out together with preferred partner Text to Change in sectors education, health and livelihoods in countries Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Mali, Malawi, Peru, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
The Connect4Change Consortium has a vision of a world where people, in particular young people and women and girls, are able to access relevant information and create their own future. Information and communication technologies are a powerful instrument that can speed up the process of development and empowerment of individuals. It helps people to unlock themselves and make use of their own potential.
Our mission is to strengthen people and civil society organisations in the sustainable use of and lobby for ICT to achieve their development goals, in particular in economic development, health and education. Individuals and organisations that represent the poor are key actors in using the possibilities of ICT.
The added value of using ICTs for development
Economic development
Small farmers and entrepreneurs in developing countries clearly indicate the need to be pro-active actors in the economic value chain. Apart from access to material support, this requires in particular access to information and communication, allowing actors to make informed decisions about investing in inputs, production methods and markets: At the microeconomic level, ICT provides farmers, workers and entrepreneurs opportunities to reduce transaction costs, increase market coverage and improve competitiveness even across borders. Integration of state-of-the-art ICT in the strategy of producer organisations enhances transaction speed and security, and the efficiency and quality of their economic activities.
Better education
International agreements such as the Education for All (EfA) goals and MDGs have contributed to higher enrolment rates of children and youth in primary and – to a lesser extent -secondary and vocational education. Despite these positive trends, access to education – particularly for girls – remains a problem. In addition, quality of education is often low. The Dakar Framework for Action (April 2000) identified the use of ICT as one of the main strategies for achieving the Education for All goals and improving both access to as well as quality of education. ICT makes monitoring of progress in education easier and is a source of motivation for both learners, teachers and school management. ICT empowers key stakeholders (including parents) to influence and monitor the performance of schools and lobby for better education quality and performance.
Better health care
Access to quality health care is still limited and not equal to all. This is particularly the case for women and girls in remote areas. Qualified and motivated human resources and efficient management systems are essential for quality health service provision. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that achieving the MDGs for health requires that at health facilities qualified health care providers are available, are well trained and perform adequately (WHO,2006).
