1 Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya;

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1 Demonstrating Effectiveness of Propagating ICTs towards Millennium Development Goal of Eradicating Extreme Poverty and Hunger among Kenyan Smallholders in Kenya George G. Shibanda 1, Prof Silvery Oteng i 1, and Prof John O. Shiundu 1 1 Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya; g_gundu@yahoo.com, shibanda@hotmail.com, gshibanda@mmust.ac.ke Abstract Efficient farming methods and access to new ideas is needed to boost holders understanding and application in food cultivation. The FM Radio and internet in is now being appreciated as one powerful tool to access required information to educate and empower farmers. The challenge faced by smallholders is to utilize conditions that enable them make full use of Information Communication and Technology to address food security to alleviate poverty. Internet and radio increase sharing knowledge and information. It is breaking the barriers in knowledge exclusion and reduces the vicious circle of information have and have nots. Internet/Radio have opened up an array of development through agriculture, education and health through timely knowledge empowerment and information acquisition for self development and decision making. As such a community Fm radio and internet is expected to bring about the new concept tele-agriculture or e-agriculture. Introduction of internet and FM radio are good news to the smallholders who have suffered ICT connectivity. The majority of the households are all keen to use the Radio and Internet. The station housing radio and internet has become a focus point for assemblies. The functional FM Radio and internet will change the smallholder approach to accessing information. FM Radio and internet as platform for knowledge and information sources, show gains in poverty alleviation. It is noted that smallholders suffer from illiteracy, low economic growth and high population growth rates, social exclusion, negative attitudes, lack of telephone, electricity, internet and farm radio services. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of farmers accessing information using Fm Radio and Internet to improve their farm productivity as a factor in food security. Keywords: Internet, Radio, Smallholder, Agriculture, Shinyalu Kenya Introduction FM radio and internet for smallholders in Kenya is meant to help increase farm activity through provision of timely information. In twining the two, it was seen that they override and complement each other in providing developmental information. Communication using Radio and Internet are considered useful mass media for reaching a large number of people including smallholders in short time with less frustrations. The Radio and Internet combination is important in terms of access to information resource and networks for the benefits of smallholders in Agricultural productivity. Thus Radio and Internet communication to smallholders is now taken as mechanism for increasing smallholder knowledge and information and reduce frustrations for lack of both. 1143

2 The findings in this paper demonstrate the effectiveness of farmers accessing information using Fm Radio and Internet to improve their farm productivity as a factor in food security. Research questions This paper captures the use of computer mediated communication technologies in internet connectivity, and use of FM radio platforms as strategic in the pursuit of poverty alleviation and wealth creation among the smallholders. It is also visioned that as facilitators of knowledge networking and distributed processing of information, besides internet, FM radio is going to be used to foster increased sharing of knowledge. However this draws the following questions: What is the relevant of Fm Radio and internet in farmer information provision? How will the FM Radio and internet relate in information provision to smallholders? What are the possible generated user benefits? What are the limitations in the Fm Radio and Internet use? What are the target output expected? What are the impacts felt from the end user? Relevance It is argued that experimenting FM Radio and Internet being complimentary to each other would be effective in promoting and advancing smallholder general farm development and help to read extreme poverty among them through food security. In essence, this can open an array opportunity to empower the voiceless, promote dialogue, and serve as channel of accessing and sharing information geared towards improving smallholder practices and productivity. This approach can be considered as long-term benefit to increasing or modernizing smallholder farming and at the same time alleviating poverty through higher farm produce. Target Group and Objectives The study was carried out at Lirhanda, Shinyalu division about 6 km from Kakamega town. The target group comprised smallholder farmers and individuals, men, women, youth and schools (students and teachers). Climatically the annual rainfall in Shinyalu is about 2000mm, spread in the two main wet seasons, that is, long rains (March-May) and short rains (September-December). The area also gets middle rains between July and August while January and February are dry and hot months of the year. Shinyalu is dissected by three rivers, namely: Yala to the south, Isiukhu in the central and Nzoia to the North. The land is undulating and interspersed by hills and edges between adjacent river valleys. The general objective of this study was to design, implement and manage agricultural information and knowledge systems by use of community radio and FM Radio and internet to share and access agricultural information and assist farmers to acquire new farming techniques, and innovations obtained through research. The farmers were educated to accept and apply new innovations or farming technologies practiced elsewhere in the world. 1144

3 Objectives The main objective of the project is to engage the use of community Radio and Internet to share and access agricultural information and assist farmers to acquire new farming techniques and innovations within agricultural and allied fields. Accessing knowledge and information is a guarantee for sustainable food security transformation for human benefit. Radio is expected to twin up with the internet within the FM Radio and internet environment as the most dominant mass communication instrument or medium available to minimize illiteracy as a barrier of utilizing information. The use of community radio together with the internet are to increase smallholder knowledge and information and help growth and production on the farms. The overall objective will be achieved through the following specific objectives to: Establish community FM radio and internet as a design strategy to increase smallholder knowledge and information. Train smallholders to actively use radio, internet and community library for their information needs or requirements in order to improve productivity and enhance food security. Literature review Community radio can serve as a catalyst for accelerating development for the poor African communities, at present 60% population of Africa (Alumuku, 2006). It has brought to rural people the kind of benefits that only the urban and elite enjoy. In ICT constraints that prevent farmers from being agents of themselves is the answer. Active participation in development by smallholders is ensured through knowledge empowerment and information access facilitated in ICT environment. The Project at Lirhanda will adopt the Sri Lanka village Kothamale community radio and FM Radio and internet model (Whyte, 2000; Shibanda, 2002). The model address the process of receiving requests from listeners, professionals interpreting the information needs, creating smallholder information needs profiles, creating local content and databases, browsing the web in the studio, providing answers to request on and off air, providing personalized information resource and organizing appropriate presentations and presenters and end user in ICT / information skills and accelerate the use of community information and sharing. The project incorporates technologies which incorporates existing new technologies to enhance community participation in line with community information needs as explained at Sri Lanka village Kothamale community radio ICT access model (Shibanda, 2002). Kothamale community radio combines community radio and Internet access. Methodology Establishing community FM radio and Internet/FM Radio and internet network for agricultural information flow and absorption. Undertaking ICT training in use of FM Radio and internet for information. Carrying out demonstration of Internet use on global farming practices. Visiting, listening and taking note of farmers views on farming issues. 1145

4 Discussion and Results ACTIVITIES Activation of smallholder internet/ FM Radio and internet use Smallholder training. Smallholder database. Package and disseminate agricultural knowledge/ information. Promote use of Internet/ FM Radio and internet. Promote the exchange of experiences in the areas of sustainable agriculture Establish and maintain a community radio/ internet network. OUTPUT Access to agricultural knowledge and information. Literacy in Internet use and information seeking. Smallholder listserve/ database creation. Internet, community library and newsletter. Gain internet skills/ knowledge in the use of FM Radio and internet E-communication through listserve. Link with Farm Radio Network via internet access. EXPECTED IMPACT Increase access to smallholder knowledge and information. To provide access to Internet, Radio broadcast and community library More flow of agricultural information and sharing. ACTUAL IMPACT Increased use of the internet/ FM Radio and internet and Farm Radio Network for accessing information via internet. Access to Internet, Farm radio broadcast project and community library. Increased use of internet; , listserve, database and radio broadcast project via internet. 1146

5 EXPECTED OUTPUT Internet/ FM Radio and internet FM radio Demonstration farm/ Post harvest. Smallholder training Smallholders database. Package and disseminate agricultural information. Promote the exchange of experiences in the areas of sustainable development and conservation ACTUAL OUTPUT Wireless internet / FM Radio and internet established Farm Radio broadcast project via internet. Maize post-harvest management skills. Internet skills and on farm post-harvest demonstrations. Listserve, agricultural internet sites, farmer user profiles. Internet, Radio broadcast project, community library and newsletter. E-conferencing/ chatting with professionals via internet, Radio broadcast project and Newsletter From the assessment above, it can be established that Fm Radio and Internet combined are tools for promoting and advancing smallholder general development. It is evident their sustainable use is working towards ridding smallholder extreme developmental information illiteracy. It is considered that as the FM Radio takes root and the internet is further propagated, the prospects for wider coverage is ensured. It is worth noting that the smallholder use of radio and internet is pointing towards; Mechanism for increasing smallholder knowledge and information for timely decision making. Intelligent access to computer aided information transfer and life long learning. Smallholder information retrieval and transfer. Access to information resources and networks for the benefit of smallholder agricultural productivity. Bringing internet and radio as new mediated information technologies to smallholders living in remote areas Target output The introduction of Radio and Internet propagation as tools for knowledge and information acquisition among smallholders is now witnessed as new interactive systems for smallholder information management. While facilitating this interaction the following is evidently on the ground: Agricultural information database. Smallholder user profiles. facilitated communication and listserve. Interactive professional chatting via E-conferencing/ internet. Sharing experiences through Farm Radio Network. Use of UKULIMA Newsletter. Smallholder debates and discussions at the FM Radio and internet. 1147

6 Exhibitions and TV/Video shows at the FM Radio and internet. Post-harvest maize preservation and storage on-farm demonstrations. Smallholder on-farm networking. Capacity building through end user training. Beneficial effects Bringing Radio and Internet/ FM Radio and internet use within the reach of the smallholder population in the rural areas. Introducing E-communication among smallholders. Expediting smallholder access to essential knowledge and information. Frustrations for information search is minimized. Costs for accessing information externally are reduced Precious time is saved to allow productive concentration on the farm. Opening up to the vast arena of knowledge and information within the concept of globalization. Sharing on-farm experiences for productivity. Limitations There are concern that use of the Fm Radio and internet is being hindered by: Meeting the cost of electricity, internet connectivity and human resource on full time basis Slow literacy training programme. Frequent power failures High demand on the education of farmers The need for dedicated human resource in the information service sector Offering tailored information services. Inadequacy in both software and hardware tools Capitation for maintenance and sustainability of the radio and internet/ FM Radio and internet Gaining the confidence of a management board from among the smallholders themselves. Delayed frequency approval for FM Radio by Communication Commission of Kenya. Turning the project into a programme for sustainability. Conclusion Radio and Internet communication to smallholders is now taken as mechanism for increasing smallholder knowledge and information for agricultural productivity. This project holds the view that Radio is one of the most effective communication medium for promoting and advancing smallholder general development. Thus rid them of extreme poverty partly through high farm productivity and ensure food security. It is envisaged that as the radio takes root, the prospect grows for wider coverage, greater inclusion with a new interactive model of broadcasting 1148

7 predicated on smallholder participation. It is to open an array of opportunity to empower the voiceless, promote dialogue and serve as a channel for sharing essential knowledge and information gearing towards improved smallholder practices and productivity. As a result, the radio and internet propagation is helping to meet the Millennium Development Goal 1 (one) in eradicating extreme poverty and hunger. The Internet and Radio is counted as a powerful enabler of smallholder productivity within this goal because it improves communication and the exchange of knowledge and information while strengthening and creating new social networks and fostering the dissemination of information and knowledge in view of content and physical location. By bringing FM Radio and Internet to the rural community, whose response are overwhelming, the efforts are therefore a pointer to bridging digital divide among Kenyan communities. This is a clear case of empowering and giving voice to smallholders through FM Radio and Internet for accessing and sharing information for development. References Alumuku, T. P Community radio for development: The World and Africa. Nairobi, Paulines. Shibanda, G.G The partnership roles of information technology in expanding access to community information: A model for Lirhanda Quaker community media centre, Kenya. Paper presented at the International Association of Technological Universities conference University of Missauri, Kansas City, USA, June Whyte, A., Assessing Community FM Radio and internet s Guidelines for Researchers; International Development Research Centre (IDRC): pp