Ikoranabuhanga

Muraho buri wese! Here, exclusively for you, is the last blog post from inside the Land of a Thousand Hills. Part of the draw of the Peace Corps for me was to get away from pervasive technology, especially cell phones that seem to have become an extension of many people’s hand. So, you can imagine my surprise when I arrived in Rwanda and found that cell phones are all over the place here too. The ubiquitous cell phone is the inspiration for this post about technology in Rwanda and its effect on society. I’ll look at what types of technology can be found here, how they’re used, and what they mean for Rwandans.

The world, of course, is becoming ever smaller, and technology can be found everywhere. Really, any technology that can be found in the U.S. or Europe can be found here in Rwanda. I have seen everything from the simple radio to the latest smart phones and tablet computers. (The only thing I haven’t seen much of outside the Peace Corps community is Kindles or other e-readers.) More advanced technology is limited to the cities and the wealthiest Rwandans, but things like radios and cell phones can be found everywhere, and even Internet access is fairly common.

Radios are (it is safe to say) the most common form of technology found in Rwanda. They can be found in most homes, even in rural villages, with the most popular brand being Sonitec. The radio is how most Rwandans get their news. On the national station, teachers find out about school closures (for holidays, for instance), parents learn about vaccination campaigns for their children, and everyone enjoys the wide range of music available on the many stations, especially the Rwandan pop. Radios, because of their pervasiveness, tend to be thought of as a right more often than a privilege, so they are often played at high volume, without much regard for others that might be in hearing distance. At the market, in the center of town, or at home, radios can often be heard, playing a mix of gospel music, Kinyarwanda news, and the latest American pop hits that quickly become the soundtrack to life here. Several times, I have woken up in the middle of the night at home to the radio blasting in my roommate’s room, and I struggle to get back to sleep as lyrics to songs I know (or more often don’t) rattle around in my brain. The radio has truly become an indispensable part of Rwanda, bringing joy to many and noise to all, and it is perhaps for this reason that the music industry is so big here, with an annual competition to determine the biggest superstar.

After radios, cell phones are the most common type of technology. You can buy a used phone for as little as 2000 RWF ($3.33) at the market, and a new one will only set you back about 10,000 RWF ($16.67) for the cheapest one. With those types of prices, they can be found in the pockets of a good number of Rwandans. I remember reading a National Geographic about Africa before coming and about how cell phones are becoming more prevalent in Africa and other developing countries. The reason for this is that it is far cheaper to build cell towers than it is to lay landlines for traditional telephones. This access to cell phones has certainly changed life for many. In Rwanda, farmers can call customers to settle on a price and a meeting place, bus tickets can be reserved hours before you want to leave, and any social event can be planned to the minutest detail.

Of course, with cell phones come problems of etiquette. We deal with them in the US, people answering their cell phones during a movie, or at a meeting, or while on a date, but the problem seems to be especially trenchant here since most Rwandans, with no landlines prior to cell phones, simply have not been brought up with any rules as to when to answer the phone. There is never a meeting that ends without someone taking a phone call, and I have seen teachers step out of class to take a phone call. There is a realization among some that more care needs to be taken when answering a phone, but it is a process, and it may take a while.

The one thing that cell phones have brought is Internet access. Many phones that are sold allow the user to access the Internet, and small USB modems can be purchased that run off the cell network. This access to Internet is especially noticeable with one site: Facebook. I remember the first time someone here asked me if I was on Facebook. I looked at him in astonishment, asking if he was on Facebook. Of course he was; everyone is! I’ve had fellow teachers, students, villagers, you name it, either ask me to set up a Facebook account for them or “friend” them on the social network. Facebook’s prevalence can be attributed to the fact that every radio station and advertisement mentions Facebook and MTN, the most popular cell phone network, offers free access to the site (though without pictures), meaning anyone with a phone has unlimited access, or at least until their battery dies. For a country that is as socially-oriented as Rwanda, Facebook is perfect.

So, with these three main types of technology that are available in Rwanda, what does it mean for the country? First, information is more widely available than ever. People can get news through the radio and Internet and find out what’s happening down the street or across the continent on their cell phone. Secondly, people are more connected than ever. Rwanda is a country where visiting and connecting socially is important, and there are more ways than ever to do that, which only enhances feelings of connectedness for people. Finally, there are more opportunities. Farmers can more easily sell their goods, friends can more easily meet up, and government officials can more easily plan country-wide events.

Technology, no matter where it is presents both challenges and opportunities. There’s loud music, but also helpful information, convenient communication and interruptions in meetings, access information about the greater world and distractions. Hopefully, Rwanda will find its way through the challenges and greater technology will be a boon and not a bane for the country.

Until next month, when I’m back in the States, murabeho! 

Happy birthday this month: Micah, Grandpa, Grandma, Niamh

Next month’s post: a reflection on 25 months in Rwanda