Wednesday, May 30, 2007

The Many Uses of the Mobile Phone

Sokari has an interesting post on her blog about an ongoing workshop organised by Fahamu that brought together African organisations currently involved in social justice and advocacy projects, which are using mobile phone technology.

Day 1 featured presentations on the Frontline sms Software used recently to monitor the Nigerian elections; the use of mobile phones in a rural agricultural project in Uganda along with radio broadcasts; community based organisations of women in Kenya using mobile phone technology in three specific areas: women and property, women leadership and government, resource livelihood.

It's incredible to know how the mobile phone that many of us take for granted can be such a powerful tool. I first started to realise its full potential after I moved back home. Where access to the Internet could be scarce and expensive, communication by GSM was always an easier (and cheaper) option. I could text friends even when I could not get to a computer connected to the Internet, or in the very likely event that there was 'no NEPA.'

Check out Sokari's blog to read more.

Addition: White African wrote-up on the meeting on his blog.

4 comments:

Chxta said...

I thought Sokari had 'retired'...

Admin UD said...

Prolly he came back at chxta. Cell Phone emergence in Nigeria can be likened to a miracle of sort and its good its there to compensate for the many inadequacies of PHCN or NEPA, warreva

Unknown said...

I just got a data plan on my mobile. I pretty much do not need my computer anymore since I do so much with my mobile phone. The neatest thing is that I can even watch naughty movies:) It is pretty neat, it's called Mobile TV. All I do is point my phone to sexoncell.com and they have adult mobile movies in different formats like 3gp movies, symbian, pda or whatever. If you have any other cool sites, please let me know! This one, though, even has a free daily mobile movie.

laspapi said...

Home(Lagos)-based bloggers interested in appearing on the National Network programme, New Dawn with Funmi Iyanda, who's a blogger herself, to discuss the blogging phenomenon in Nigeria, on Thursday, June 7, should get in touch with laspapi through his blog or by e-mailing laspapi@yahoo.com

ps. hi Ore, thought you might be interested in this.