Cellphones Leapfrog Poor Infrastructure in Mali

Hugh Pickens writes "CBC News has up an article by Peace Corps volunteer Heidi Vogt, a woman who served in the small village of Gono in Mali five years ago and remembers letters dictated and hand-carried by donkey cart or bicycle to the next town. Vogt recently returned to see the changes that cellphone communications have made in a village that still doesn't have electricity or decent drinking water. 'Gono's elders say the phones can keep them in touch with their village diaspora,' writes Vogt. 'Villagers depend on far-off relatives to send money in time of crisis — if someone is sick, if a house has caught fire, if there's been too little or too much rain and the harvest is poor. There's a new sense of connection to a larger world. In a village where most people can't read or write, they can now communicate directly with far-off relatives.'"

Re:Good start.

[spleen_blender]

Perhaps we can start by stopping our selling of weapons to them. It is revolting to the point where I almost want to cry that the American weapons manufacturers get rich off of essentially helping people kill each other easier. If the same materials and energy went into providing them with infrastructure instead of weapons then I couldn't imagine the world we'd be in now.

This however is another paradoxical example of where it is impossible to tell if it is demand driving supply or supply driving demand, just as with news media and entertainment. I always prefer to go on the assumption that the supply is driving the demand, because if I'm wrong, at least I'm erring on the side of reason and intelligence.

Re:Good start.

[The Anarchist Avenge]

I know it doesn't seem like it, but most of us feel the same way over here. Apparently though, the ones with mod points are the ones that disagree with me. (Current score: -1 flamebait)

what do they need cellphones for?

[Anonymous Coward]

"what do they need cellphones/computers/internet for, give them food instead"
It is obvious that in the major insurgancies in the region are going to keep blowing up the infrastructure as their power and territory waxes and wanes vs govt troop deployments so perhaps in this case, it may be appropriate to say this. Although previous slashdotters (read techno-centric people) would argue otherwise, the main factions of the Mba'Lo region do not want any of this, they simply want control and they are willing to starve people out of the region. When you are dying for a piece of bread, yeah it's great that you can call Taroosha, the nearest regional capital, but they cannot get it to you in any case.

Re:Preemption

[LehiNephi]

GP may not, but I can. I spent about half of last year in Chad for work. The situation there is similar to that described in the article--lots of people have cell phones, but nobody has electricity, running water, or sanitation systems. Nobody forced these people to get cell phones first. These people decided to spend their own hard-earned money in this manner. At some point in the future, I'm sure they'll get running water and electricity, but for now, this is what they've decided to do with their money.

It's capitalism at its finest--let the people decide for themselves what is most deserving of their money.

Re:Wrong Solutions?

[Anonymous Coward]

Decades of assistance to the third world, and all manner of socialist leaders ready to aid and reform have done little except generate more poverty. Perhaps, instead of giving to the third world, we should start taking; in the form of purchasing agricultural goods, in ecotourism, and other friendly means to transfer money to these areas while simultaneously encouraging (and rewarding!!) hardwork?

I agree with your sentiment, but I'm surprised to see it on /.. Usually sourcing goods or services from the third world sparks complaints about outsourcing & offshoring. Think of all the good that has happened in India and other countries due to purchasing services from them, yet people here would rather bitch that it reduces their job opportunities. It seems competition is considered a good thing when you're the little guy throwing rocks at the tower but not when you're at the top looking down...

Re:Wrong Solutions?

[servognome]

Globalization is the *most* efficient tool of wealth redistribution from the rich to the poor, worldwide.

The problem is perception. Those who call themselves middle class in the US or Europe don't realize they are amongst the rich when looked at in global terms.

Re:Preemption

[Neuticle]

I have personally seen this in action. A few villages over from where I was living in Africa there was a fertile patch of land that was a tomato producing machine, and I mean buckets-and-bushels -piled-high-year-round kind of production. One guy with no other job (like most) figured out that he could make money transporting tomatoes if he bought cheap at the source and sold them in town at the going rate. The bulk rate fluctuated at either end, and it was only worth his time when the prices were right, but that is where the cell phone came in (motorized transport costs would have eaten any profit and it was a grueling bike-ride/push).

Even though he didn't do it more than a few times, I was impressed with the idea.

And I still have no idea how they grew so many bloody tomatoes in that place. It was insane