Connecting the Fortunate with the Unfortunate Through Intercultural Communications in Uganda
Have you ever bought a full cart of groceries for your family and end up throwing away much of it at the end of the week because it expired, went bad, or nobody liked it in the household? If you answered yes, did you wish that you could give away the extra food to someone who needed it? I thought so.
That is how I feel when I throw out my older iPhone or computer model and the lack of connection between the donor to the person in need is causing just as much waste. The digital divide in Uganda is having a serious impact on children’s ability to get an education. This right to a basic education has become out of reach when COVID-19 closed down schools worldwide and switched to online learning. Those who do not have access to internet or technology have been left out. That turns out to be about ten million children in fifty-nine of the world’s poorest countries. On the other hand, in developed nations, technology is much more accessible. In 2010 alone, people purchase 71.7 million new laptop and desktop computers in the U.S. The same year, U.S. consumers disposed of 423,000 tons of computers. Only 40% of those computers were actually recycled and the rest ended up in landfills.
Raising Awareness
The first part of this issue is awareness. Many people in developed countries are not aware of the struggles these children have to go through in order to get an education now that the pandemic has been ongoing for more than a year. The consequences for these children affect their livelihood.
Seventeen-year-old Okello, a former student in Uganda, stated, “COVID-19 has forced me to drop out of school. I’m pregnant now. And I’m really sad,” She added, “I really want to continue with my education. It will help me forget about the challenges in my past and continue with a normal life. My dream is to become a teacher one day, so I can tell future generations to stay in school and finish their education. It is so important.”
Fifteen-year-old Jonathan, another former student, also stated that he and his peers have had to turn to manual labor to support their families due to school closures. With the use of intercultural communications people all around the world will become aware of these stories. Online platforms are accessible by people all around the world. By creating Facebook groups dedicated to the spread of these stories and raising awareness on this issue, people who are knowledgeable in this subject can educate others. A similar function should be carried out by creating an Instagram and Twitter where hashtags can reach further people. These are easy platforms to share information.
Global Collaboration
The second part of the issue is not knowing how to take action. This will also be handled with the use of intercultural communications. By connecting with my initiative, people in developed nations who wish to donate their obsolete technology, will receive information of how to proceed in the donation. My initiative is dedicated to being the middleman and ensure the items arrive to the less fortunate. However, global collaboration is required for the process to take place. With the use of intercultural communications, one can educate, inform, motivate, and instruct others who can and want to contribute to the solving of this issue.
Participation of IT Companies
The third part of the issue is the need of participation by IT corporations. In order to make a more significant difference, IT companies need to get involved in this initiative. They have a continuous update of technology making them go through models yearly or even monthly. Once the newer technology is available to the public, the older is no longer sellable. By donating those pieces, not only would companies take on corporate social responsibility, but they would also make a real difference in the education of developing nations. With the use of intercultural communications, this initiative will be reaching out large IT corporations for their support and engage in conversations both privately and publicly.
