IEEE urges engineers to help develop rural areas

IEEE urges engineers to help develop rural areas
Written by Nchima Nchito Jr in Macha
Monday, May 25, 2009 3:22:15 PM

ENGINEERS need to use their knowledge for the improvement of all humanity, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Zambian chapter chairman Reuben Munungwe has said.

During celebrations to mark 125 years of IEEE’s existence hosted by LinkNet in Macha, Munungwa said there was need to use ICT to benefit communities and push for development and end the use of technology for destructive purposes.

“As engineers, we should look at how and where we can volunteer to develop our country,” said Munungwa.

“As engineers and scientists in various fields, we should be striving at coming up with technology that will develop our rural areas.”

And LinkNet chief operations officer Fred Mweetwa said the coming of the internet had brought a breakthrough in development for Macha area.

“We have access to information that we would never have if it was not for the internet. As we speak now, we have managed to grow sunflower on a large scale which we are now using for several purposes. The knowledge for growing sunflower was all gotten on the internet,” he said.

“Our next project now is growing the Jatropha plant on five square kilometre of land which we will use to generate our own fuel. Right now we get our fuel from Choma and Lusaka but our aim is to be self sufficient.”

LinkNet Zambia is a cooperative organisation providing cost based building, operations and maintenance of tailored communications infrastructure and services for special interest groups in rural areas. Local communications infrastructure and services are built, operated and maintained by LinkNet members with the aim to grow and utilise local rural expertise to its fullest potential.