Center for Community Technologies

Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Information Technology

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan UniversityPort ElizabethSouth Africa

Contact details Director: Prof Darelle van Greunen

PhD Computer Science, MA, HDE, FDE Educational Computing MICSIT PMIIPTSAEmail: Darelle.vanGreunen@nmmu.ac.za

Mobile: +27 825642 356

EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW 3

1. Background 4

2. Purpose of Centre 4

3. Research topics 5

4. Specific projects 64.1 Health 6

4.2 Vulnerable women and youth 74.3 Disability 94.4 Rural Development 10

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Executive Overview

One of the major challenges facing most developing countries such as South Africa today is how to take full and smart advantage of quite spectacular and far-reaching advances in science and technology not only in promoting national economic development, but particularly addressing the needs of poor and marginalized sections of society. Whilst technology access in the pre-digital era has always been a major barrier to economic and social development in developing countries, this is no longer an absolute barrier for at least three reasons: firstly, the proliferation of distributive and open technologies, and limits to the power of proprietary frameworks; secondly, the increasingly lower delivery cost of new technologies; and thirdly, the emergence of multiple sources of technology innovation and development in civil society.

Despite this, it is not altogether clear that South Africa is sufficiently exploiting the multiplier effects of new technology opportunities across the traditional rural and urban, and black and white social barriers, especially insofar as real empowerment of the poor and marginalized are concerned. There is still, in some respects a growing, technological divide in our country, and the dividends of our technological age are rarely passed on equally to different social classes, ethnic groups and geographic communities in South Africa. The problem of a continued technological gap may be partly to do with the economics of ‘access’ by poor communities. But there also seems to be major problems with the absence or weakness of requisite conditions – social, institutional and political – necessary for its effective social appropriation.

This document provides a short overview of the Center of Community Technologies and highlights some of the research projects currently underway in the Center. This document aims to highlight the need for financial support of the innovative and original research projects undertaken in this Center. Financial support will provide support for the employment of specialized research staff engaged in the projects, associated costs directly related to the research and ultimately human capacity development in critical areas which in turn will lead to the support of not only the Millennium Development Goals but also Vision 2020 of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

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1. Background

One of the major challenges facing most developing countries such as South Africa today is how to take full and smart advantage of quite spectacular and far-reaching advances in science and technology not only in promoting national economic development, but particularly addressing the needs of poor and marginalized sections of society. Whilst technology access in the pre-digital era has always been a major barrier to economic and social development in developing countries, this is no longer an absolute barrier for at least three reasons: firstly, the proliferation of distributive and open technologies, and limits to the power of proprietary frameworks; secondly, the increasingly lower delivery cost of new technologies; and thirdly, the emergence of multiple sources of technology innovation and development in civil society.

Despite this, it is not altogether clear that South Africa is sufficiently exploiting the multiplier effects of new technology opportunities across the traditional rural and urban, and black and white social barriers, especially insofar as real empowerment of the poor and marginalized are concerned. There is still, in some respects a growing, technological divide in our country, and the dividends of our technological age are rarely passed on equally to different social classes, ethnic groups and geographic communities in South Africa. The problem of a continued technological gap may be partly to do with the economics of ‘access’ by poor communities. But there also seems to be major problems with the absence or weakness of requisite conditions – social, institutional and political – necessary for its effective social appropriation.

Clearly, access is necessary, but not sufficient for social take-up to occur. NMMU wishes to make a contribution to developing a better understanding of how policy-makers and business leaders can direct the distributive effects of new social technologies such that it optimizes social uptake by poor communities in improving the quality of their lives; to build and grow new businesses; improve the quality and outcomes of education, particularly in schools; to encourage new forms of trade and commerce; to improve enterprises in agriculture or small to medium-scale industries; to improve health care and social welfare support systems, particularly for vulnerable groups (eg. elderly, children) and to develop new social networks for communities to communicate about civic concerns.

2. Purpose of Centre

The main purpose of the Centre is to promote radical development of the human potential of particularly disadvantaged communities through the use of technologies.

In support of the purpose of the Center, the following aims were identified: To promote policy interventions aimed at lowering market costs of technologies

which hold significant prospects for social and economic empowerment of poor communities;

To develop ‘best practice’ strategies in collaboration with community actors that demonstrate effective ways of harnessing technological innovations in support of social and economic empowerment of the poor;

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To promote the use of ‘open source’ technologies for addressing public health, educational and social development needs of poor communities;

To develop strategic partnerships with interest groups in communities working on progressive experiments requiring the use of responsive technologies to form part of broader social strategies aimed at promoting equality, reducing poverty, fostering job creation and entrepreneurship as well as democratic participation in society.

To explore creative ways of using these technologies as an integrated part of social strategies within communities aimed at tackling development and transformation challenges;

To build better understanding of how innovations in science and technology could enhance the living and working conditions of poor and vulnerable groups in society.

The core activities of the Center include but are not limited to:

Technology Research and Development; Training and mentorship; Networking between technology partners and community groups; Policy analysis and policy advice.

The Centre is designated as a research and engagement entity although it will seek to embrace the principles of integrated scholarship by ensuring that scholarly and research-informed interventions are embedded in its interventions in the different communities.

As a research entity, the Centre will seek to establish reciprocal and mutually beneficial relationships with external and internal stakeholders that will allow for knowledge sharing and a coordinated institutional strategy for community research and engagement.

3. Research topics

As the Center aims to respond to the immediate needs of the Eastern Cape and ultimately those of the larger South Africa, several research topics and associated projects were identified. These are depicted in Figure 1.

The research projects are all trans-disciplinary with the aim of using technologies to create communities that work.

It is envisaged that the identified topics could result in the following: Expand the capacity of grassroots leaders to affect change. Improve community healthcare service delivery. Develop a new generation of leaders. Create an awareness of the role of women in vulnerable communities. Increase jobs and economic opportunities for low-income residents. Strengthen the economic base of the neglected communities of the Eastern Cape. Foster new ideas, approaches and partnership for community and economic

change.

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Figure 1: Primary research topics to inform projects

4. Specific projects

4.1 Health

Project 1: Improve access to school healthcareThe intervention project is through direct and indirect healthcare interventions that are implemented at various service delivery points such as clinics, schools and communities. The school is one of the healthcare delivery points for health promotion services and is focused on an individual in the context of the family and community. The service encourages the school to seek to develop and implement school policies that promote and sustain health, improve the physical and social environment within which children learn and develop and improve children’s capacity to become and stay healthy. Clinics are also healthcare delivery points for healthcare screening services and are focused on individuals in the context of the community at large. To support schools and clinics, school nurses were appointed by the Department of Health.

It is the aim of this project to demonstrate the use of technology to improve School Healthcare. The primary objective of this project is to make use of mobile devices with specific mobile applications to improve access to school healthcare and health education based on the needs of the schools in rural Eastern Cape.

Project 2: Building capacity on TB/MDR-TB among community health workers

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Healthe-Health

m-Health

Education Access to resources

Vulnerable women

Access to support structures

Awareness & education

DisabilityPolicy for HEI in South Africa

Assistive Technologies

Vulnerable youth

Awareness & education

Social youth development

Green energy Solar and wind energy

Rural development

e-Agriculture

Human Settlements

Food security

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Unlike the rest of the world, the TB cases in South Africa have increased annually from 341165 in 2006 to 405982 in 2009 (WHO, 2010). A contributing factor is that more than 50% of the TB patients are co-infected with HIV. TB control is further hampered by the drug resistant tuberculosis strains within the overall drug susceptible epidemic. In the same period since 2006, MDR-TB patients in South Africa have increased from 5774 to 7386 in 2010 (NDoH, 2008). The nature of MDR-TB poses problems for the health system of South Africa. The treatment of MDR-TB is four times longer than sensitive TB. Therefore, recovery is much slower and defaulting consequently, much higher. Medication for MDR-TB is less effective as the first line drugs are ineffective and patients need to cope with severe side-effects which contribute to defaulting (ECDC, 2010).

Various problems exist in the management of TB/MDR-TB patients that affects the health of the workforce, patient support and future awareness. Some of the major issues in treating MDR-TB patients are that treatment is expensive and time-consuming. Insufficient health professionals are available and suitably skilled to treat TB/MDR-TB patients, especially in low-resourced settings. Community Health Workers (CHWs) have the potential to supplement and strengthen health professionals by supporting TB/MDR-TB patients in the community and importantly, to contribute to early TB detection and case finding. However, they often lack incentives such as appropriate knowledge and skills to do this effectively and confidently. In the same vein, a lack of awareness on MDR-TB exists in communities that can greatly aid TB prevention and avoided progression of TB to MDR-TB.

A gap exists in the public health approach to overcome these difficulties. Furthermore, the convergence of audio and mobile technologies to effectively contribute to health educational interventions in various geographical areas was not previously assessed. This research seeks to develop an innovative eHealth approach that is both cost-effective and theory-based to build capacity among CHWs, thus strengthening the health workforce and creating community awareness on TB/MDR-TB to bridge these health challenges efficiently and effectively.

The study is aimed at being trans-disciplinary in combining expertise in mobile and audio technologies; health education and communication using an e-learning approach; public health research experience and knowledge on TB/MDR-TB to contribute to an effective eHealth approach. Technology transforms relatively faster than health sciences; therefore, this project will provide a platform to use technology in conjunction with health sciences.

Project 3: Occupational health amongst mine workers

The aim of this research project is to investigate the benefits of using technology to manage, monitor and create awareness regarding occupational health. The focus of this initiative is on mine workers in specific based on the high disease burden faced by existing and ex-mine workers. The aim of the research is to use technology to assess current and historical surveillance of the pneumoconioses in former miners, in particular silicosis, silico-tuberculosis, and tuberculosis, and to assess the functioning of the Occupational Diseases in Mines and Works Act (ODMWA) surveillance and compensation system which is a responsibility of the Department of Health. The research also aims to assess the impact of the burden of lung disease and disability on the public health system and on the labour-sending communities from which the miners come and to which they return. The main objective was thus to investigate health systems surveillance of the pneumoconioses in

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former underground gold miners, and to assess diagnostic and compensation systems under the legal framework of the Occupational Diseases in Mines and Works Act 78 of 1973as Amended (ODMWA).

4.2 Vulnerable women and youth

Many families in the low-income communities are unemployed and therefore lack sufficient income to live a basic decent life leading to problems such as not being able to send their children to school, inability to access proper and quality health care for family members, inadequate and poor nutrition, and lack of accesses to clean water among other social problems. The women lack education and training opportunities; most of the women are insufficiently educated and are targets of domestic violence or are guilty of substance abuse. Without limited access to training and empowerment in their proximity, their opportunities of improving their living conditions and self-esteem, as well as their opportunities to generate an adequate income are greatly reduced.

The communities this project is targeting have limited ICT know-how due to lack of necessary infrastructure (hardware, software and internet). Many of them view ICT as foreign and do not engage in it. Thus they miss many opportunities that ICT has brought about. The majority however has access to cell phones with high usage levels. This project intends to introduce a wider use of mobile devices to the target population. It will involve needy children and their parents. This will provide an opportunity for the beneficiaries to engage with ICT and reap the benefits. It is intended to develop a culture of information seeking through the utilization of ICT and other technologies.

Poor nutrition is another major problem in these communities. This is brought about by insufficient knowledge and income. The mothers do not have knowledge of good nutrition including the need for a balanced diet. Hence they feed their children on what ever they can afford. This leads to malnutrition, and due to lack of food security and sufficient income the portions are hardly enough to sustain the daily calorie requirements for the families. The design of this project has inbuilt capacity and skills building. It will introduce healthy living to the beneficiaries. This will ensure food security and enhanced nutrition for the beneficiaries. Beneficiaries will learn these skills through active involvement and at the end of this the community will have developed a culture of healthy living through family vegetable gardens and nutrition. Poor hygiene is also a problem, leading to diseases. With the help of technology, good hygiene habits will be addressed and an awareness program be created and broadcasted.

Educational underachievement occurs in every school in South Africa. It is caused by various factors and although it has negative consequences for the individual, the school, the community and the country as a whole, teachers and parents tend to simplify the problem by ascribing it to the “laziness and stupidity” of the learners. This problem is emphasized in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth. An area challenged by severe social problems including poor health, substance abuse, domestic violence, gang fighting and teenage pregnancies.

This project aims to change and improve the life situation and living conditions according to the millennium development goals for needy children and exposed mothers in the Northern Areas in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

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This project proposes to implement a Mobile Community Health Learning Space in support of health education for vulnerable women and children in the selected communities. Building on existing initiatives in strengthening the access to health information for women, this project aims to address problems such as but not limited to:

Stigma and Discrimination - addressing people’s attitudes towards HIV/AIDS, STIs and TB as well as the attitudes towards People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA).

Misconceptions and misinformation about HIV/AIDS; Stigmatization and discrimination of HIV/AIDS infected (and affected) persons,

notably women and children; HIV Counselling; Women and Girls Empowerment – dual protection, GBV, Intergenerational sex, Rape. Alcohol and Drug Abuse – prevention, screening and counselling Domestic violence; Substance abuse; Teenage pregnancies.

The Mobile Community Health Learning Space will provide a platform to support the health education of the vulnerable children, their mothers and teachers in a manner which not only allows for privacy but also access to existing technology. The overall objective of the proposed action is “Mothers and Children empowered to achieve Life Long Health Education using ICT4D Mobile Applications”.

4.3 Disability

Project 1: ICT in higher education for people with disabilitiesThe educational needs of people with disabilities are extremely diverse. As with all other members of society, people with disabilities must acquire the knowledge and skills required for the community in which they live. However, they face additional demands (often referred to as special educational needs) caused by functional limitations that impact in different ways upon their ability as “learners” to access standard educational methods of instruction. These limitations often prevent educational progress and achievement. In this context, the application of ICT is very important as it plays an essential role in supporting high quality education for persons with disabilities. The advantages of ICT usage in the teaching and learning process are based on the possibilities it offers for alternative means of communication, providing access to educational resources in a more convenient way and to enhancing learning motivation. By overcoming obstacles of time and space, supplementing vital human functioning and supporting the development of crucial skills, these technologies contribute to the increased effectiveness of educational processes by enabling people with disabilities to actively participate in meaningful learning experiences.

The goal of this project therefore is to present concrete examples of the use of ICT in different educational settings in order to show the real possibilities of ICT as a tool for supporting learning and ultimately inclusion for people with disabilities.

This project has the following focus: Different types of disabilities in order to show that ICT can be applied effectively as

assistive technology to the different disabilities.

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Different sectors of education covering school, vocational, higher and even adult education.

Types of ICT equipment and their application in educational settings, from simple multimedia tools (such as CDs or DVDs) to the development of new research based software or applications.

The formulation of policy to influence the use of ICT in higher education for people with disabilities.

4.4 Rural Development

Project 1: e-Agriculture: A wireless ICT monitoring application for hydroponic agricultureAgriculture plays a pivotal role in socio economic development through food production and job creation thereby playing a significant role in poverty eradication. However, many factors plague the development and sustainability of agriculture in South Africa. The South African population has grown up to over 51 million in 2011 (South African Statistics, 2013, 2013) and it is predicted that the food demand for the middle class will quadruple by 2030 ("D2.3 State of the Art in mobile agriculture and production," 2014). It was estimated in 2010 that only 12% of South African emerged land is suitable for agriculture and only 3% is truly arable (Goldblatt, 2010). South Africa is considered an arid region and receives less than the global average of rain annually (Goldblatt, 2010). The traditional soil based agriculture requires almost up to 60% of water withdrawal in South Africa to satisfy the irrigation need (Aquastat, 2005). The agricultural environment in South Africa is effervescent and mainly characterized by the absence of adequate infrastructures, lack of financing and access to markets, unpredictable climatic conditions, land degradation, water reserves depletion and the lack of information and awareness of innovative farming solutions among others. Various farming techniques were considered in an attempt to curb these challenges. Examples of such interventions include the introduction of organic farming, greenhouse farming and lately hydroponic farming.

Hydroponic agriculture is an extremely delicate activity and requires extensive monitoring of the farm to ensure optimum growth of the crops (Din et al., 2009). Currently in South Africa most of the hydroponic farm monitoring is done manually. Monitoring a hydroponic agricultural environment manually is prone to a number of challenges. Examples of such challenges include the monitoring process being cumbersome, time consuming and prone to inaccuracies in data capturing. It is also important to note that the farmer will not always have the analytic skills or expertise to draw the right conclusions coming from the data. This will subsequently result in the rapid death of the crops, low production yields and failure to realize the return on investment in hydroponic agriculture. In short, many hydroponic farmers in South Africa use inadequate monitoring techniques and decisions made for the management of the field is supported by out dated data. This problem has an impact on the hydroponic farmer, commercial and trading partners, the regional population whose food security and safety is ensured by the hydroponic farms and furthermore to the GDP of the country. Following this premise, this study aims to propose a wireless ICT application for the monitoring and providing intelligent recommendations for managing the hydroponic agricultural environment within the South African context.

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