ABSTRACT
This case study examines an organization which is partnering to provide ICT solutions for secondary schools in Uganda. Based on interviews and observation, we identify nine key transitions in this organization’s development. Each transition is characterized by a challenge that was faced and a solution that was implemented or attempted. We draw broader “lessons learned” from the results to inform similar development organizations. This study intends to contribute to the dialogue concerning ICT, education, and development and aims to expose some ways to build bridges across the so-called digital divide. Keywords: Uganda; Computers for Africa; ICT; computer donation; educational development INTRODUCTION The ubiquitous term “digital divide” is used to describe a wide range of disparate outcomes demonstrating a gap in technology resources, information, and education. Perhaps nowhere is this divide more apparent, or more discussed, than in sub-Saharan Africa (e.g., Langmia 2006). Policy makers in Africa and elsewhere have put forth technology, technical competence, and computer and information literacy as solutions for many of these problems. Indeed, ICT solutions may help to solve problems related to education such as teacher shortages, low achievement, high drop-out rates, lack of opportunity, and lack of materials (Wims & Lawler 2007). In response to these opportunities, organizations from around the world have implemented projects across the spectrum of ICT delivery. Prevalent among these are organizations which are somewhat new to international development, that are relatively small, and that do not originate in Africa. Despite the best of intentions, many of these projects ultimately fail. There are many reasons for this: technology may not be the appropriate solution in the first place, projects may be poorlyimplemented, equipment may be improperly used, there may be a lack of follow-up, stakeholders may not receive adequate training to support the program, or it may simply be difficult to create and sustain a project within a shifting social and political context. New, small, and/or foreign organizations face specific challenges in the delivery of ICT solutions for education in an international development context. The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of one such organization operating in Uganda which is succeeding in these efforts, to examine the challenges that were and are faced by that organization, and to extrapolate lessons learned for similar organizations. This study intends to contribute to the dialogue concerning ICT, education, and development and aims to expose some ways to build bridges across the so-called digital divide. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT Uganda is home to about 28 million people in East Africa. The various urban areas and cities of Uganda are densely populated but Uganda is primarily an agricultural country and rich in natural resources. The seventeen year conflict in the north of Uganda has displaced between 1.3 and 2 million people. This has had devastating consequences for education, technology, and development in the northern regions, but has also taxed the entire country. For the East African region, only about .3% of the population owns a computer (Akst & Jensen 2001) and the percentage for all of sub-Saharan Africa is less than 1% (Chinn & Fairlie 2004; World telecommunication indicators database 2006). Ugandan education takes places in a country comprised of more than 20 ethnic groups where the common language of instruction is English. Though presented with a number of technical and developmental challenges to education in addition to those mentioned above, 69.9% of Ugandans over the age of 15 are literate. President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Museveni created a system of free Universal Primary Education (UPE) for children age four and up in 1997, in response to the global call for Education for All (EFA) (Murphy 2003).
