A project of IWTC in partnership with Media One, Kampala and IDRC/Acacia Project, Nairobi.

1. Rural Women in Africa: Ideas for Earning MoneyThe development of a practicalCD-ROM for use at rural community telecentres in Uganda A project of IWTC in partnership with Media One, Kampala and IDRC/Acacia Project, Nairobi.

2. WHAT INFORMATION CAN I FIND ON THIS COMPUTER THAT MIGHT HELP ME AND MY SMALL BUSINESS? MAYBE…... …ideas on how to earn some money with things I already have?? …ideas on how to find out what products and services people really want? ... ideas that I can use to make my products easier to sell? …some information on other businesswomen in my country who are more successful? ... Some names of groups in my country that can help me build my business?

3. Project Goals • • To develop a package of learning materials using new information communication technologies (ICTs), focused on small business activities for rural women in Uganda. • • To increase women’s access to information utilizing ICTs, especially women with little or no formal literacy skills and who speak their local language only • • To motivate women to use telecentres when looking for information. • • To increase collaboration and networking opportunities amongst women and NGOs in Uganda.

4. Specific Objective The primary objective was: • To develop a package of learning materials for rural women farmers & entrepreneurs in Uganda, to include: • a CD-Rom with three approximately 10 minute sections • self-directed and group activities • a workbook/user’s guide

5. Who Uses The Programme? • Rural women farmers & entrepreneurs engaged in activities such as farming, food processing and trading in rural and semi-urban communities in Uganda. • Women with access to rural community telecentres. • Women interested in gaining information on how to expand their businesses. • Women interested in learning to use computers.

6. Other Possible Users & Beneficiaries include: • Individuals and groups working with rural women, such as: -extension workers -community activists -information officers/telecentre staff • Users’ families (e.g. husbands, children, siblings). • Others in the local community.

7. The Process By Which The Programme Was Developed Each page was placed on a website, first in English, then in Luganda LUGANDA ENGLISH Media One-Kampala Each section was translated, recorded in Luganda and transferred to CD-RW SECTIONS IWTC-New York Each section was developed first in English and uploaded to the website L E 1 WEB-PERSON (Uganda) & TRANSLATOR (Uganda) CD-RW for field-testing 1 & 2 2 CD-RW for field-testing 1, 2, 3 3 CD-ROM Each section was field-tested at Nakaseke telecentre The final CD-ROM was uploaded onto computers at telecentres in Uganda.

8. Summary of Contents: • INTRODUCTION • -The Computer Mouse • -The Computer Screen or Monitor • -The Navigational Tools • 1. STARTING WITH WHAT WE HAVE • -Discussion group • -New ideas for using what we have • 2. MAKING MONEY FROM A PRODUCT OR SERVICE • -Choosing a product or service • -Pricing your product or service • -Getting your product to the customer • -Promoting your product or service • 3. EXPANDING OUR OPPORTUNITIES

9. Characteristics of Materials • The programme ... • … uses an interactive learning process • … promotes problem-solving • … is based on real life in Uganda • … introduces new ideas • … identifies other resources within Uganda • … uses experience gained from other successful small-business learning materials

10. Parts of 1st and 2nd sections field-tested at Nakaseke telecentre, February 2001 Development of 1st Prototype CD-ROM“Rural Women in Africa: Ideas for Earning Money” MEDIA ONE in KAMPALA IWTC IWTC 1 1 & 2 MEDIA ONE Working with.. Draft of Section One developed and field-tested Feedback is used in development of 1st and 2nd sections CD-ROM 1 2 CD-ROM Feedback is used in development of 3rd and final section WORKBOOK WORKBOOK MEDIA ONE CD-ROM 1,2 & 3 WORKBOOK IWTC FINAL PACKAGE Final set loaded on to computers at Uganda telecentres in August 2001 All sections field-tested at Nakaseke telecentre, May 2001

11. Kampala Internet Cafés and Plans tobe in Contact With Rural Telecentres Several women’s groups in Kampala have set up Internet Cafes and plan to keep in close touch with the women using the rural telecentres. NAKASEKE TELECENTRE KampalaInternet Cafes NABWERU TELECENTRE BUWAMA TELECENTRE Information on market prices can be gathered daily and uploaded onto a central website... Women could access the daily market prices from the central web-site, with the help of Information Officers at each rural telecentre.

12. Potential Future Activities • This package could be the first in a series of ICT-based learning packages on various topics, such as: • -More Technologies for Food Processing • -More Modern Farming Techniques • -Women’s Legal Rights • -Women’s and HIV/AIDS • -Violence Against Women • -Women in the Peace Building Process

13. For further information on this project, please contact: Anne S. Walker, Vicki J. Semler, Isha Dyfan, Yasna Uberoi International Women’s Tribune Centre 777 United Nations Plaza New York, NY 10017, USA Tel: (1-212) 687-8633 Fax: (1-212) 661-2704 Email: <iwtc@iwtc.org>