While in the field, I began testing out a system for asychronous communications between youth centers. This will form the basis for my thesis project in the summer.

I am focusing on designing for asynchronous, delay-tolerant networks that leverage existing infrastructure. I look at how a tailored system installed in youth ICT centers can enhance network effects between centers and creativity and social learning amongst youth. It will be piloted with Aber Youth Center in Oyam, a rural district of northern Uganda, before being installed in centers around the region.



Most of northern Uganda is emerging swiftly after two decades of war, and civic infrastructure, such as roads, water, electricity and mobile internet has been installed in urban areas such as Gulu and Lira but has only sporadically reached rural areas. Within this context, however, data transfer and the internet occur regularly via two major routes.

The first follows a path familiar to internet users in industrialized nations: mobile 3G access is accessible with varying degrees of accessibility via large phone towers that dot the landscape. The second relies on more direct, device-to-device transfers, as media are passed via cables and Bluetooth onto memory cards and flash disks, and those devices are in turn carried by foot, bicycle or automobile around the district.

Early designs for youth ICT centers in rural areas have assumed either zero connectivity, thus loading up centers with static, preloaded content; or constant connectivity, with dynamic accessibility dependent on a regular internet connection. However, the reality in Oyam lies somewhere in between.



My system assumes sporadic access and can tolerate regular delays in the network. At the same time, this system can and should follow the existing device-to-device file transfer network common amongst youth in the area.

In addition to the technical specifics of asynchronicity, I'm expecting the system to offer:



The ability to share the music and media youth are consuming. This can be a simple way to build social bridges between centers based on this common media interest.

The ability to take a photo with the built-in camera that can be shared online. The photo would automatically be resized to travel over the limited network connectivity.

A simple gifting system based on local gifting practices. I intend to experiment with the ability to "gift" livestock to other youth centers, as a way of showing thanks. This is a highly experimental feature that I'm eager to try in the field.



The project has evolved rapidly from what I first expected would be a phone-to-computer communication system, allowing youth in the back of the room to communicate with the computer using text messaging. Although this system worked technically, I found that youth were not interested in using their phones because of two reasons. Firstly, the expense of sending a text message was prohibitive relative to their personal budget. They preferred to spend that money for the usual uses, like communicating with friends and family or conducting business. Secondly, they were simply not interested in engaging with the phone to use the computer; they just wanted to use the computer.

Working with youth from three different youth centers, my project partner Elizabeth Gin and I tested phases of our ground up approach to ICT introduction and uptake. The first phase of our approach involves designing a paper-based booklet of web services. By co-creating the booklet with the youth, we develop a better understanding of their interests and how ICTs could serve them in their specific context. Outcomes from the first phase of our approach are guiding how we design and prototype a fully-fledged ICT experience that is portable, tailored for each youth group, creative and open, and entrepreneurial.



Through using a booklet of web services to first better understand the youths’ interest in the Internet, we learned that the youth group in Mawale valued opportunities to “advertise [their] skills and connect with others doing similar work” through networks such as LinkedIn and Blogs. They also had a deep interest in international news, specifically the wars in the Middle East.

The Eden youth group in Wobulenzi wanted to learn how to use Google Sketchup, as they currently draw architectural plans by hand. The youth also have their own music, dance, and drum team, and they were eager to use Audacity to record and mix their performances.

The Aber youth center in Oyam has a tailoring program, and youth could use open source drawing software to mock-up their designs. Also, many of the youth are farmers and wanted to research plant pests and diseases on Wikipedia and the Uganda Content Portal by Unicef.



Based on the diverse initial feedback from the booklet of web services, we are prototyping an ICT experience which emphasizes the following:

* Portable. A mobile system can travel to communities rather than limit access to those who have the time and resources to visit an ICT center in a fixed location.

* Tailored. Youth centers are not one-size-fits-all. Just as youth centers tailor services for their clients, so should ICT centers tailor their technology-related content and capabilities.

* Creative and Open. While structured training is important to develop basic skills, creative and open use is key to the youths’ satisfaction, engagement, and sustained interest in technology as they integrate it into their daily lives.

* Entrepreneurial. Working with youth directly to design the portable ICT system based on their interests and the attributes of their context cultivates a sense of ownership from the start, and empowers the youth as entrepreneurs and responsible caretakers of the technology.

How does a young person in northern Uganda access the latest Nigerian comedy or Hong Kong kung fu film? To understand this path, you have to follow backwards from one youth's phone.

Youth frequently share with each other using Bluetooth, and they don't have data cables or computers to serve as intermediaries for file transfer. Bluetooth sharing requires a substantial time commitment--about a minute. This means youth frequently share with friends and close acquaintances, rather than casual contacts.



Youth obtain the files from local distributors in nearby towns. This often requires a 1-2 hour bike ride to the town to meet with the distributor, who sells them the files for about 300-500 UGX each and transfers them to the youth's phone using either a mini SD card reader or a phone cable.

That distributor acquires his file (and all the distributors I've met so far have been male) from Gulu or Lira, the major urban centers of northern Uganda with about 150,000 people each. In those cities, there are a wide variety of video halls and net cafes that offer files for access. The distributor can load his laptop and memory cards with new files.

Folks in Gulu and Lira get their files from Kampala, and in Kampala the files arrive from different shippers. This part of the process remains murky, but needless to say there are a wide variety of distributors and shippers of media in the major cities, and understanding this process would require additional research.

Translation follows its own path. In northern Uganda, a variety of films are translated from English to Luo, a Ugandan language spoken by about 10 million people. Luo has its origins in the north and is related to Kenyan Luo, from which Barack Obama can trace his heritage. In Uganda, there are two major dialects of language--Acholi and Langi.

Right now, the dubbing happens in Acholi, but competitors are arriving who are dubbing films in Langi. Films are selected on basic criteria. Since there are so many films available, they only choose the ones that are voted on the most by people in the area. People send requests via text messages regularly so it’s not hard to guess what is popular. Then the movies are put through a basic test for family friendliness: are they too violent or sexy? Could children watch them? Do they promote Christian values? If the films meet all these criteria, they are more likely to be selected.

Translation happens under three individuals. One is a producer. One is an actor and well-known musician, whose name I can’t disclose. One is an editor. But they all serve as actors for the dubbing, and they act out each scene carefully over three to four days. They play men, women and children, and they use a synthesizer to create higher pitched voices.

Each scene can be recorded multiple times to get the right flow. After dubbing is complete, it’s burned to DVDs and ripped to flash drives and memory cards. These are marked with a “Luo” sticker and are sold at about 2500 shillings (1 USD) for a DVD and 500 shillings for a digital copy (assuming you already have a device that can hold that copy).

During my time in Uganda, I spent approximately two and a half weeks total in northern Uganda at my field site, Aber Youth Center. In addition to my summary of findings for the mobile computing center, the asynchronous chat and mapping desire paths, I took a closer look at different models for engaging youth with technology. What follows is a brief summary.



Training of Trainers
The Training of Trainers (TOT) model is a commonly-applied one in youth centers in Uganda. Working with research associate Daniel Nanghaka, I was curious how it could apply with a focused group of 20 youth and 5 trainers. Thus, each trainer could train 4 youth around a single laptop or computer.

I found that the TOT model has a lot of potential for a more ground-up system, co-designed with the youth. In addition to training their peers, youth leaders took feedback from them and communicated that feedback to me. As well, they felt more confident in their work and began taking a more active leadership role, including training the local chair in computer usage.

Further work to validate the training and assess its effectiveness will be necessary, but the results are promising.



Uniforms and Appearance
It's difficult to underestimate the role of uniforms and appearances in creating a sense of ownership and responsibility amongst youth leaders. Youth wore uniforms to communicate their skills, and this had a particular effect on young women, who were able to leverage their skills for more influence in the community.

Uniforms can and should be developed locally, by the youth center itself. Firstly, assuming they have a tailoring program, this gives them business and encourages youth who are making the products when they see them in use immediately. Secondly, uniforms must be tailored for the situation. In Aber, for instance, they advocated for dark uniforms that would not easily get dusty in the environment.



Overcoming Language Barriers
As Daniel speaks the local language of Aber, he was able to facilitate more engaged trainings with the youth. However, I noticed that youth still struggled with the operating system, as they have limited literacy with the English language. Until local language solutions can be developed, it is ideal to have a bilingual trainer. Youth have enough facility with English that they can understand prompts such as "Name", "Message" and "Subject" (such as for email) with a slight nudge from a local language speaker.

Overall, however, more time is needed to foster computer literacy. In addition to language barriers, basic skills such as typing, navigating UIs and understanding simple processes like closing a window require time and practice. I experimented with a paper model to help youth practice without a computer, but real time at the computer is the best solution.



Laptops and Space
In the fall, we proposed spatial arrangements to help facilitate group usage of the computers. Bringing in three laptops, I was able to test this out in the limited space of Aber. I found that more youth could gather around, and they often took detailed notes of what they saw. They were clearly eager to learn.

However, computers remain designed for one person to use, and only three people--the main user and two people standing next to that person--can actually see the screen clearly. The rest were relegated to looking over someone's shoulder or just listening without being able to see the screen.

One way to overcome this challenge is using a projector, but even a projector presents limitations due to striking a balance with light. The north is a semi-arid environment, and bright light throughout the day makes it difficult to see the projection.

As of 2007, the UN estimated there were 1 million people in Uganda accessing the internet at least once a month. injust four years, that number has grown to more than 4.5 million, or 13% of the population. Although this growth is highly concentrated in urban areas, existing social teas between urban and rural populations allow individuals in rural areas to hear about the internet and what it might afford them.

What we want to investigate is a method or process to overcome some of the economic and infrastructural obstacles of computer and internet access in rural Uganda. Specifically, during our next field research visit in February and March, we want to prototype a system for assessment, training and development of technology spaces. This system would allow people the choice to explore their curiosity and understand the benefits--and drawbacks--of new technologies, so they can have a more informed understanding of how computers and the internet can affect their lives.



We began with an idea for a mobile technology center called BodaNet, which would travel to rural areas to deliver internet access. Envisioned as a mobile platform on the back of a boda boda, or motorcycle taxi, it would eliminate the physical barriers to accessing technology while providing an additional source of income for boda boda drivers.

Realizing that this idea did not encompass broader issues of engagement such as education on technology, business costs, and cultural barriers, we expanded our idea. Envisioning technological engagement as an arc of services, we proposed a model by which a young early adopter of technology could deliver paper-based services to rural areas. This paper service would allow them to assess community interest and develop a viable business model. If people, for instance, begin ordering print outs of international news, the entrepreneur could gauge how much they would be willing to pay for the service.



Moving up the arc, the entrepreneur would then slowly increase his or her investment, with smartphones, projectors and eventually computers with internet. By front-ending questions of economic sustainability and community interest, this process could help ensure that UNICEF's ICT Centers have viable community investment from the get-go, with more people from many backgrounds, especially women, more likely to engage.



We developed this arc in collaboration with individuals at the Log'el Project. Taking their input over Skype, we further refined the bag that would be used to transport materials. We also added to the arc the option for translation, as not all Ugandans are literate in English, and we realized the importance of receiving buy-in from the Local Council.



After our Monday symposium, I developed two speculations. In one speculation, I imagined that a young entrepreneur might find himself as a community liaison between the village leaders and incoming technology businesses. This could be a path toward gainful employment as a technology broker, helping the community negotiate fair prices and services.



On the other side, I imagined a world where a community might refuse to accept computers and the internet, due to their impact on the environment, access to pornography and other potential negatives. Resisting the advances of technology is quite difficult in any context, and after a few visualizations, I realized that the best solution might be a conscientious decision not to use technology, even while the services appear all around you.