Capacity building

Yesterday I had a small victory at work... I taught a local partner how to use a fax machine! Best of all I did it over the phone. As you can imagine it was a very funny conversation.

"Mam Sophie, I am trying to send you the information but I cannot use the machine"
"Ok. Is the machine broken"
"No Mam I cannot use"
" Oh ok. Is there someone in your office who can teach you?"
"Mam I don't think so "
" Ok well how about I try and teach you?"
"Yes please Mam"
"Ok so have you got the piece of paper? Put it in the machine...on the tray, upside down, yes and backwards. Can you see the send button? Yes push that and the paper should go through... did it work?"
"Yes Mam. It is going now. Mam thank you so much"

It was a win- win situation: I got the information and the local government officer learned a new skill!

The conversation yesterday got me thinking about the huge discrepancies that exist today in technology and access to information...something I have been pondering since reading Thomas Friedman's "The World is Flat"...the book argues that new communication technologies are creating faster and easier access to information opening up new opportunities for people across the globe. While it is true, what Friedman doesn't talk about is all the people being left behind. The local government officer in the Philippines being just one example...