ARTICLES

BWINDI NATIONAL PARK GETS FIRST TELECENTRE SERVICE

Eng. Lawrence Zikusoka is the Founder and Director ICT for Development, Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH). He opened the first telecentre at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. He spoke to Esther Nakkazi, at the Telecentre in Bwindi recently and below is the excerpt:

THIS IS SOMETHING NEW IN UGANDA. WHY DID YOU THINK OF OPENING A TELECENTRE NEAR BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST?

There is a great need for communication in protected areas. The CTPH Telecentre was needed for our work in conservation. We need to send information using the Internet and we also wanted to build capacity in computer applications and use among the local communities around the protected areas.

WHAT KIND OF DATA DO YOU COLLECT AND WHAT IS IT USED FOR?

We collect conservation data on gorillas- compile data on clinical signs of gorillas, on the dung state and then use the Internet to transmit the data to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

This is time series data, which enables us to monitor the health of the gorillas. We can mitigate disease out breaks among the animals and the public by collecting, analysing, exchanging ideas for diseases from animals to people and people to animals.
We intend to compile this data and build a database to offer a long-term solution for diseases that reoccur both among animals and the communities.

HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE THIS SOLUTION OF LINKING CONSERVATION AND TECHNOLOGY?
This model is called the afromontane forest model where the Bwindi Gorilla clinic and the telecentre will be used for conservation of wildlife using Information Communications Technologies (ICTs) in the telecentre.

Another model that could be used is the Savannah park model where data for different animal species is collected and exchanged between conservationists using ICTs. We have created the first model in Uganda.


MORE PLANS: Mr Zikusoka.

WHAT DOES THE WHOLE PACKAGE CONTAIN?

The eco-friendly telecentre built on solar offers basic computer training, high-speed wireless Internet access and voice telephony via satellite communication and public health awareness campaigns to improve primary health care to people and animals in and around protected areas while enhancing the conservation of wildlife, natural resources and biodiversity.

DO YOU THINK THIS IS SUSTAINABLE?

It is and we shall replicate it in other protected areas. It allows for revenue generation through e-business, the local communities can send emails and market their art craft materials through the Internet.

And although the issue of sustainability runs high for telecentres established in rural areas of Africa, with Bwindi telecentre, it is not a problem. We run computer lessons for communities around here and the students pay Shs100,000 for the six weeks course training containing six packages of computer programmes. The courses are certified by Makerere University and they award the certificates. We have so far graduated 30 students from the community here.

Furthermore, tourists who come to use the telecentre pay Shs500 per minute, five times the amount that the local community pays in a way subsidising for the locals who pay only Shs100 per minute. The telecentre is also a multipurpose facility where Non Government Organisations and Community Based Organisations can come and do printing, typing and use the Internet.

ARE THE RATES AFFORDABLE EVEN IF YOU SAY THE LOCALS ARE SUBSIDISED?

We are trying to make it affordable and sustainable, the speed is quite fast with a broadband of 128 KB per second, which I believe is fast enough to keep the customer inflow steady and constant.

The local community has a bit of money since they benefit from tourists as some are involved in odd jobs at the Bwindi camp and others from Community Based Organisations that get a percentage portion from UWA from the tourist fees.

WHERE WILL YOU REPLICATE THIS MODEL?

In other national parks in Uganda and later in Africa. It is a successful, sustainable model strategy started by local people and it has the potential to spread out and benefit the local communities, tourists, and institutions.

Our vision is to prevent and control disease transmission where wildlife, people and their animals meet while cultivating a winning attitude to wildlife conservation and public health in local communities.

WHAT CHALLENGES ARE YOU FACING?

We have technology problems and power limitations. There is no electricity here. We use solar power, which requires constant supply of sunlight, and the climate near the impenetrable forest does not allow that.

For a telecentre like this to run, we need a lot of solar panels to run the infrastructure, which we do not have. We also rely on satellite communications. Another challenge is the community, the poorest people in Uganda live next to remote protected areas and they are mostly illiterate and poor.

Most of the software and information on the Internet is in English and people cannot speak the language. The software that should be developed should have more pictures than words to cater for minority communities like the Batwa who would benefit from this.

WHO ARE YOUR MAJOR PARTNERS AND SPONSORS FOR THE TELECENTRE PROJECT?

Our sponsors cut a cross different sections categorised into technology, Broadband Internet, Capacity Building, Local content and community engagement. In the technology field, we have Uganda Communications Commission, UNIDO, WYSE Technology, Shell, Ultratec, Coca Cola, Bushnet and DataFundi while we have Uganda Telecom for Broadband Internet.

The Makerere University Department of Women and Gender Studies supports the Capacity Building section. We have Multichoice, Gorilla Journal, Wougnet, I-Network, International Guerilla Conservation Programme, BRD, and the Mountain Guerilla V eterenary Project for Local Content while the Uganda Wildlife Authority and Caltex support Community Engagement.