ICTs as tools for poverty reduction
Zaipuna, O|Yonah, R. Cons / 2005

Tanzania is one of the 191 United Nations Member states that have pledged to meet the eight (8) UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. The first goal of these UN-MDGs is on eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. In response to this pledge, Tanzania restated the UN-MDGs and came out with its own nine (9) TZ-MDGs, the first of which is correspondingly on eradication of extreme poverty. Targets for achieving this first TZ-MDG are articulated in the National Poverty Eradication Strategy (NPES). The set timeline for the goal is to halve extreme poverty (measured by income and expenditure) by 2010 and eradicate it by 2025, which corresponds to the articulation of the goals of the National Vision 2025. It is also acknowledged that the new opportunities that Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) is opening up can be harnessed to meet the goals of the Vision 2025 as well as the TZ-MDG on poverty reduction. In addition to creation of new opportunities for prosperity, ICTs within networked environment embody enormous knowledge for empowering people and can massively reduce business transaction costs, change the structures of markets and of public services and institutions, integrate global and local markets, un-trap human resources and immediately increase the potential of the human capital. The framework for appropriating ICTs for national development and poverty reduction is articulated in the National ICTs Policy. This paper attempts to enhance the understanding and knowledge of ICTs in relation to the National ICT Policy and explores the evolving frontiers of this pervading technology as it impacts on education, commerce, social, cultural and economic life of the poor Tanzanian people. The paper also attempts to show case examples of ICT national projects in Tanzania to demonstrate how the Government of Tanzania, entrepreneurs and some of the rural communities are appropriating ICTs to fit into their needs. Attempt is made to stimulate debate to reflect on perspectives, trends and potential of using ICTs to develop innovative approaches and methods for poverty reduction. Since these ICTs are not solutions to social problems by themselves, they must be carefully chosen and implemented for each appropriate purpose. For this reason, the engineers, as technologists and social experimenters, have an important role to play to help the Tanzania society in the appropriation of ICTs for development and poverty reduction.