By Karen Abrams
As I engage in discussions with Guyanese influencers about how we achieve a more technologically advanced society, I am often confronted with responses that detail the myriad of reasons why Guyana “will not” move forward on STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Math] in a consistent, efficient, and rapid manner. More often than not, the responses include lack of reliable and inexpensive internet infrastructure, fiber optic network challenges, illiteracy, and lack of governments (local & national) and community gatekeeper understanding and commitment. Governments often talk about technology infrastructure, few prioritize the funding of the development of the sector at the levels required for rapid improvement.
Technology Will Expand The Marketplace
In reality, there is no perfect time to embrace STEM education, technology infrastructure, and technology applications to solve society’s problems. The whole point of the current global technology ‘startup’ movement is to empower regular people to identify and solve problems and to fill service gaps while adhering to profitable technology models. On the business opportunity front, Facebook today reports more than 300,000 local Guyanese residing in Guyana have facebook accounts, while thousands of Guyanese youth have Instagram, Tik Toc and Whatsapp accounts–accounting for more than a third of the adult population. The number of Guyanese online increases substantially when the Diaspora is included. A huge market of Guyanese are already connected, communicating and strategizing online, but more applications are needed to allow small businesses in Guyana to take advantage of this huge accessible ‘Guyana expanded’ marketplace, and that requires vision and investment by all stakeholders (a discussion on online payment processing & digital currency will follow).
Using Technology to Improve Services To Citizens
While governments in countries like Estonia and Kenya have been particularly effective at creating policy and enacting plans to vastly embrace and develop STEM societies, in Guyana, internet access is still relatively expensive and inaccessible to the average Guyanese and available only through ICT hubs for vulnerable citizens. A 2017 LAPOP survey reports less than 50% of citizens report internet access in the home while less than 50% report a computer in the home. There is opportunity for improvement in providing internet access to citizens across Guyana. Reliable internet access will allow vulnerable families across Guyana equal access to education and business opportunities and improve the delivery of government services to disadvantaged families across the nation.
When affordable, reliable, internet access is made widely available, then students, creative citizens, and public and private sector startup organizations will be able to build solutions like apps for farmers so they can access ‘up to the minute’ information on market prices for their crop, giving them better control and more power over the distribution, sale and even spoilage. Farmers will also be able to access immediate medical advice for attending to the needs of sick livestock, or global feedback on solutions to diseases affecting their crops. These solutions already exist today for farmers all around the world.
Already, successive Guyana governments have announced technology infrastructure solutions for identifying problems and providing solutions in crime management. However, technology solutions should also address areas like domestic violence, access to medical care and quality education in far-flung areas, improving services to community members in every sector of service delivery in Guyana. These solutions should be driven by the private sector, NGOs and citizens. Government will be most effective in helping to build the infrastructure and enact policies that encourage equal access and promote transparency and equity. This infrastructure will be critical for the rapid diffusion of technology in Guyana over the next decade.
While Guyana awaits the rebound of sugar, increases in rice, bauxite, and gold production and the development of our potentially lucrative oil industry, there has not been significant increase in the allocation of resources to scale the production and manufacturing of value added products with the goal of developing and expanding new markets for our natural and agricultural resources. The nation’s leaders must also give serious thought to diversifying our economy. Advancing to a successful diversified economy will require the next generation of youth to be prepared with a well rounded quality education, improvement in Math & Science performance and a shift to project based learning where students are encouraged to work together, resolve conflicts, think critically and improve communication skills. The nation’s young people will also need the confidence to pursue problem solving and entrepreneurship, whether inside or outside of existing organizations. Guyana has an intractable unemployment problem which will only improve if the nation’s youth are properly prepared to venture out into lucrative and growing industries.
To be sure, Guyana will always need farmers and manufacturers and a thriving service industry but all of those industries will need to expand in scope and benefit from solid technological infrastructure offering solutions that make these industries more efficient and thus profitable. Let us not wait on the government to save us however, many of us already have access to tools to save ourselves.
