Kalomo district, some 400 kilometres South of Lusaka, is a hub of hospitality business in the area. The tourist capital Livingstone about 120 Kilometres away and other places of tourist interest makes it a place of tourist attraction.
But inadequate infrastructure, especially the bad road conditions, no electricity and lack of communication facilities discourage people from stopping by. This has also affected business in the area especially for women who depend on small businesses to supplement family incomes, especially in times when there is not enough food from farming.
To address these issues, Bwacha women ICT club based in the centre of Kalomo town, thought of marketing produce of the local area using the internet in order to make ends meet. They would give the women clubs affiliated to them, 5KGs each of different seeds such as maize, groundnuts, beans, sunflower, etc, to plant after which the seeds would be returned in 50KG bags after a good harvest, hence that would act as a loan system. The seeds would multiply and revolve so that other clubs could also benefit. At the end of the day, women are enabled to have enough food in their households and to sell, thereby enhancing food security. The club generates between 1.5 to 2 million kwacha.
Facilitated by Step Out firm it was able to help other women clubs that were affiliated to it, through dissemination of agriculture seeds. Step Out further decided to introduce ICTs to the group of about 11 women including an office assistant and sensitised them on how their operations would be enhanced with the use of communication facilities such as telephones, computers and the internet among other facilities and the need for a resource centre where the women could meet, share ideas and market their produce physically in one place and through the internet. The group then launched the resource centre in October 2004 and called it the Kalomo Bwacha Women ICT club. Today the club has about 32 women groups affiliated to it.
They use the email directly to market their produce as they do not yet have a website where they could place their adverts. Apart from email, the digital camera is also used to document information in picture format for sharing and publicity of their services and other activities.
The members of the general public also have access to the services by paying a small fee to have access to ICT tools. The fees that are charged act as a revolving fund to use for other needs and to pay a full time Office Assistant that has been employed.
However, Bwacha club also has its challenges. The computers at times develop faults and without proper technological know-how, the club always seeks the assistance of a computer expert from Lusaka. In order to help women overcome this drawback, the IICD through one of its training partners, Coldreed Communications sent three trainers to train the women and other members of the public on Basic ICTs and Marketing, where software skills and Computer maintenance were taught.
The establishment of this centre has even increased the level of entrepreneurship for inhabitants of Kalomo as not only the affiliate members are able to benefit from the services but also the general public who are marketing their services on the net and in the building, such as reed and grass mats and baskets as well as clothes, food stuffs, etc.
Looking at how this resource centre has improved peoples livelihoods, other people are also emulating the initiative and already another similar business centre is being constructed with the help of a Canadian NGO, bringing to three the number of ICT service centres in the area.
With such developments as the Kalomo Bwacha womens, it is clear; these women have lit a candle in the district towards a bright future. Where there once was lack of access and non availability of communication channels, people are now able to connect with other communities and market their produce and goods.
It therefore also places a need for the Zambian government to speed up the process to develop the national ICT policy, so that it could give direction on how the country proceeds in implementing ICT related business. There is a lot lacking in this area, such as proper systems and infrastructure to support the enhancement of ICTs in the country, especially in rural and peri-urban areas.
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