Collaborative Rural ICT development

Macha Works / LinkNet, in collaboration with the Communications Authority of Zambia, the University of Zambia, and others, aims to inspire local talent in Zambia's rural areas to support their rural communities towards sustainable progress, realising their collective and individual potential, being empowered and enabled by targeted implementation of Information and Communications Technology. As such LinkNet brings Internet into the rural areas of Zambia via a purpose-built institute based in a rural area.

Connecting rural communities in Africa is urgently needed as worldwide developments pivot towards a society where information is available anytime anywhere, with integration of multi-disciplinary solutions for global problems, involving rapid technical development. This requires innovation in rural development and learning. In rural Macha, the community implemented locally distributed Internetconnectivity, and introduced an action-oriented way of learning, focused on real-life community development in a rural context. This way of progress, bearing results in Macha, is now being multiplied in at least 10 other rural communities, among which are Chikankata, Chilonga, Chitokoloki, Kalene, Minga, Mukinge and others in 2009.To do this, Macha Works built up a broad coalition of partnerships in Zambia, Southern Africa, Europe, and America to support its endeavours to provide for state of the art and innovative rural ICT solutions. Developments are extensively published on the Internet via http://www.link.net.zm

Innovative approach for rural development

Rural African culture is relationship-based in contrast to dominant ratio-based culture of the West. Thus Macha Works focuses on sustainable rural development in a holistic and innovative perspective. The approach is built around the specific needs of the community and puts local, rural people in the driving seat. Such is guided by its Master plan, aligned with support requests from rural areas, and in constant communication and interaction with all stakeholders including the House of Chiefs, Government, and local institutes in health and education. Key ingredients for progress on the ground are:

1. Internet connectivity;
2. Local talents in driver seat;
3. Community driven solutions;

Internet connectivity is crucial ingredient for development in rural areas of Zambia. At first it provides hope for progress coming to the rural community. Such hope motivates talent to stay in - or come to - rural areas. Furthermore Internet provides basic communication tools; connects and retains talents in different isolated communities and allows them to share best practices; brings knowledge and online libraries to the place where it needs to be used; mobilises organisations to add support to their talents, and makes the project execution completely transparent for all stakeholders.

Local talents drive Macha Works' approach. They stand up for their community, as without local ownership conditions for sustainable development of the community are not met.

Rural villages are resource limited and lack professional resources and access to finance to drive development themselves. Macha Works' approach includes engendering building of solutions in health, education, entrepreneurial, agriculture and public services, after Internet connectivity is established.