| Abstract |
In rural areas in the Sahel (e.g. Burkina Faso and Mali),
communication is voice-based, since many people cannot read or write.
Mobile phone and community radio are the main channels for information
and communication. To provide a voice-platform for local knowledge
sharing, mobile voice services are currently being developed and
deployed locally, as part of the EU-funded VOICES project. These
services are developed in close dialogue with people from rural
communities, local radio stations, and local ICT entrepreneurs, as to
make them useful in the local context. The voice-services can be
accessed by simple first-generation mobile phones, through inexpensive
local phone-lines.
In the WAI talk I will discuss the current state of the VOICES project
and discuss the methodological and technical issues that arise from
developing an information system in remote developement areas. I will
present an overview of the current design of the RadioMarche system
-our first voice-based system- and plans for the future. |