Patience is a virtue

I’ve spent the whole day trying to secure internet access so that I can send off a funding application through a well known international funder. Firstly the internet connection didn’t work, it was then so slow that by the time it opened the homepage I had no energy or hair left to click onto the next link. By the time I filled out all the details on a ‘time-out application page’, the page had timed out so many times that by the time it had time to do it, my voucher ran out as I had used up all my KBs. I then cycled to another internet café not far from my current location and tried in earnest to get onto the world-wide web again so that I could start all over (again) with the web application. It’s the rainy season in Zambia, so the power keeps cutting off, which means the internet keeps cutting off, but today it’s dry and there’s no sign of rain. I look out of the window to see if any clouds are approaching which could be the reason for my not very powerful connection, but all I can see is a flock of birds slowly heading north. I look down at my PC and all I see is “Internet Explorer cannot display webpage”. I give up and go home to see if my modem is working at home…Damn! it’s not. I blame the mango trees in the garden. I think they are blocking the internet rays. I sit silently and wait for a window of 5 minutes when all is good and I finally have access to the web as if by magic! It’s slow, but at least it’s there.

It makes me question whether the world-wide web is a good thing. It’s good if the whole world has access to it but it’s not so good if a third of the world (mainly developing countries) constantly have problems with access. I’m fortunate enough to be able to afford to wait for the page to load and that includes affording time and money, but if you are a local Zambian from a small organisation that can’t even afford to pay the electricity and water bills then how on earth are you supposed to be able to afford slow internet access, which once online could open the door to a whole world of information and access to funding applications!

Zambia is known to have the most expensive internet access in Africa, yet it is one of the poorest nations in Africa and is currently in the process of development. I’m struggling to see how countries like Zambia can progress if the internet is only available to the very few who can afford it. I better log off now, as I can’t afford the patience and I have a warning flashing to say that my KBs are nearly up. Let me “sign-out” quickly before I lose my last shred of hair.