Emerging Voices in ICT and agriculture - CTA Publishing

GOING HIGH TECH WITH SARDINE CANS
Gabriel Dacko Goudjo,
Cameroon, Central Africa
My dream is to continue
my studies in a top-class university,
to deepen my knowledge
in Telecommunications
which will enable me contribute
more effective solutions to
the agricultural sector in my
country.
Now aged 22, I grew up on my parents’ farm in
the west of Cameroon in a predominantly agricultural
region. After graduating from high
school in 2007, I moved to the capital, Yaoundé,
where I passed the competitive entrance exam
to the School of Telecommunications Engineering.
The importance, and the instability, of telecommunications
in my country are both key
reasons for my choice of this sector for my
future career. In 2010, after obtaining my degree
in civil engineering, I learned of the ARDYIS project
organized by CTA via the discussion group
of Engineers Without Borders – Cameroon. I
entered the essay contest and won the prize for
central Africa. Through my research for the project,
I was able to identify the challenges, solutions
and opportunities within the agricultural
sector. From this moment on, I decided to focus
my telecommunications studies and my career
on agriculture. I am currently working as a volunteer
at Engineers Without Borders – Cameroon,
where I am in charge of the programme:
“Bridging the digital divide to improve efficiency
in agricultural systems”.
My blog: http://afriqueenor.over-blog.com/
Essay summary
Reorganization of Cameroon’s telecommunications
sector has already led to several interesting
developments – a number of them favouring
the country’s rural communities. An e-government
project has been launched to improve
the efficiency of public administration, extending
virtual services to areas where there are no
offices. A network of multipurpose community
telecentres (MCTs), in more than 150 locations,
has done much to improve communications in
isolated areas. With more and more graduates
considering agriculture for their future, and the
growing trend to form farming co-operatives,
there is scope for ICTs to bring wide-ranging benefits
to this important sector. A four-pronged
strategy could do much to address the most serious
challenges facing farmers, which include low
productivity, insufficient credit, poor organization
and weak market access.
First would be a weekly radio broadcast, to be
called “Agri-Info” and hosted by an extension
expert in local languages. It would discuss prices
on national and local markets, outlets, process-
| 24 Emerging Voices in ICT and agriculture | PART 2