Towards Digital Equality: How FAO is Transforming Rural Communities in Zimbabwe
The urban-rural digital divide is a challenge in Zimbabwe: high telecom prices and low incomes make digital services unaffordable for many citizens living in rural areas. To address this problem, the Government of Zimbabwe, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), intends to establish digital centres in Bikita and Mhondoro-Ngezi districts under the the Fostering Digital Villages Through Innovative Advisory and Profitable Market Services in Africa (FDiVi) project.
‘The project aims to transform agricultural and food systems in rural areas through digital technologies,’ said Dowsen Sango, coordinator of FAO's Digital Villages initiative in Zimbabwe.
The plan is to create digital hubs that will be accessible to 5,000 villagers in a one-stop-shop format. ‘These hubs will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire agricultural and food system and will become platforms for networking, learning and co-creation,’ said Dowsen Sango.
Digital hubs will overcome the digital divide by providing free internet access and teaching digital skills and literacy to the public.
Users of the hubs will have access to a variety of facilities including holding digital fairs, selling digital gadgets, getting information on ICT-enabled educational institutions in agriculture. The initiative is expected to improve productivity, increase access to markets and promote inclusive rural transformation.
Through the joint initiative, the Government of Zimbabwe and FAO aim to empower farmers, especially women and youth, in line with FAO's strategic plan to promote digital agriculture and support the development of the country's agro-industry.