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Technology in Zimbabwe: The digital divide limits opportunities for young women and men
Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, Rozaria Memorial Trust
August 08, 2009

View this article on the Rozaria Memorial Trust website

Hilda a dynamic young woman from Murewa was full of excitement as she set on the bus to Harare where she was to attend a public session on social networking hosted by US Embassy Public affairs department. As a programme assistant with Rozaria Memorial Trust, she is in daily contact with other youths, young women and men who are living with HIV, in-school young people, school dropouts and single mothers. The session on social networking especially such platforms as face book, twitter, flicker and others sounded all exotic and urgent. She has recently opened her own email through yahoo, was herself on face-book, and her organization is on twitter @rozariatrust.

The session was so empowering and opened a whole new world to the possibility of the young people talking to each other across oceans in real time. Just the possibility of posting photos and stories is great. Giving each other updates, tit-bits, and serious advice and stuff was just amazing. In her report to the office, she shared how this was very important knowledge for herself, and the Trust. These social networking tools are powerful for sharing our work, perspectives, and realities. For the young people its cool.

But, she also was acutely aware of the real situation for many young women and girls in her communities. Through the HIV, violence and education programmes, Hilda had interacted and visited with many young people. In rural Murewa, there is no electricity in the homes or in most schools. It is a luxury for very few and possibly at the townships. There are no generators for providing the much-needed source of energy. The community is so poor to afford even the cheapest solar panels.

In addition, in order to effectively benefit and leverage these social networking tools, you need a computer, or a phone or some such devise. All the schools RMT is collaborating with in Murewa have no single computer. These include Magaya, Chitate, Zhombwe, and Mazeyanike. Some people have mobile phones, but these people actually visit the villages and families over weekends or holidays. These are just some of the basic infrastructure related barriers that young people in Murewa would face if they considered effectively taking opportunity of the social networking tools and platforms.

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