At the 17th World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT), recently held in Amsterdam, Elizabeth Mukasa was awarded the WCIT 2010 Give Challenge a Change Award. Mukasa originally from Kampala, Uganda was astonished by internet connectivity during her studies in the UK, and the lack of IT infrastructure in her home country. Prompted by this, in 2008 she spearheaded the development of an e-inclusion pragmatic model in Uganda to help people connect to the internet and improve accessibility to digital information technology. At the WCTI she received recognition for her development of a localised e-learning platform that was qualitative, integrated and yet still affordable to most people.
During WCIT 2010 delegates addressed global impact issues regarding economic and social development and exchanged policies and ideas on how ICT could enable change and innovation globally. Regarded as one of the world’s most influential conferences on IT, the WCIT is the flagship of the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA). The alliance comprises a consortium of IT branch organisations from across the world whose members represent over 90% of the global IT market. The congress is an official event organised under the auspices of the Spanish EU Presidency and is supported by the European Commission.
To date, over 250 participants both with and without formal education have successfully accessed the IT literacy inclusion model and its adoption has helped entrepreneurs establish numerous small businesses. With SMEs contributing 80% to the Ugandan economy, the e-learning platform is set to have significant impact throughout the country. Mukasa commented, “While I do appreciate this, the question remains how can Africa be helped to bridge the digital divide basically caused by the velocity of technology development?”
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
