Interview with Hilde Eugelink from IICD

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Hilde shared her views on the web2.0 conference currently underway in Rome from the 24th to the 27th September 2007.

What is your name, What organisation do you work for and what have you learnt so far from this workshop?

My name is Hilde Eugelink and I work for the International Institute of Communication and Development(IICD) based in the Hague. We are here in Rome and IICD is one of the organisers of the Web2.0 for development conference in Rome. I am part of the organisation, we prepared the whole conference with the use of Web2.0 tools so if you ask me what did I learn about Web2.0 tools during this conference, I will have to say that I learnt much more before the conference because I actually used all these tools. One of the great things of being able to use Web2.0 tools like Skype, blogs, Vlogs Unyte, Wikis and the rest is that it is much more efficient but on the other hand, their use is still quite challenging because of the social and cultural barriers. Nevertheless, they are collaborative networking tools .

What advise do you have for people towards the use of Web2.0 tools for Development?

Using Web2.0 tools, should you do it or not? I think you should because being able to use these kinds of tools really help you to network and collaborate, however, these new tools need to be adapted. You really need to be careful in using these tools in very different situations. I will advise people to first play around the tools and not shifting aside existing communication tools and I think that is what I have for people on th use of th tools.

Interview with Karen Hackshaw, participant from CTA

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Karen shared her experience on what she has learnt from the opening session on the web 2.0 for development conference currently underway in Rome, Italy from the 24th to the 27th of September 2007

What is your name and which organisation are you coming from?

My name is Karen Hackshaw and I work with CTA

What have you learnt so far from this first session on Web2.0 Conference currently underway in Rome?

This session was quite interesting to me because yesturday, we had a good build-up of what we are doing today so today was very helpful because I think I have learnt more of the cultural, some of the more economical and more social issues that go into web2.0 and that combined with the technical session we had yesturday

What expectations do you have by the end of today's programme?

As I am seating down, I am just thinking about the ways I can actually change the banch of Ideas so I think after this, I would want to seat down and look at my various programmes and how I can actually make them more effective and fit into the dynamism of the web2.0 culture.Also think about a new and effctive way or fashion of getting through what we do.

Interview with Gabby Awumey, a farmer and a beneficiary of tradenet.biz facility

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Mr Awumey shared his experience and benefits as a farmer from the tradenet.biz facility at the opening of the Hohoe Agribusiness Information Point in Hohoe in the Volta Region of Ghana on the 7th of November 2006.

On the 7th of November, 2007 the Daily Graphic published a story referring to a large glut of Maize of roughly 500,00 maxi bags lying in stock at the Afram Plains without buyers and even if there were buyers, they would buy at very low prices leaving the farmer poorer. Situations like this are not limited to the Afram Plains or to the Hohoe District alone: it is a common phenomenon all over Africa and would continue as long as buyers and sellers do not have accurate and timely Information on what is available, where, at what prices and who to contact.

About 3 years ago, USAID made available $11m to IFDC and challenged them to improve Agricultural market informaation systems that will help increase trade in Agricultural products. As a follow-up to this, an electronic trading platform was developed and about $1m was used to equip producer and trader associations in Computers and Internet connectivity. The project spent thousands of Dollars to do series of targeted training for producer and trader associations, members as well as MOFA staff to learn new skills in the use of the Computer. Several thousands of people belonging to producer and trader associations in West Africa benefited from training opportunities in the use of the Computer and Internet.

Today, they are not only capable of using the Computer and browsing the Internet but are also able to send and receive emails from their business partners and are using their cellular phones to enquire about prices and find buyers. The Hohoe District Agri-Business Information Point(ABIP) is one of the 150 being set up in the west African sub-region to revolutionalise the way we use the Computer and our Cellular phones. The ABIP will be used for training, browsing and a centre where people can walk in and register their cellular phones to receive or send Information on trade opportunities, alerts, prices and contacts.