Internet and ICT for Coffee Growers in Colombia

Since the beginning of this project, our main objective has been to provide access to Technology, through connectivity and ICT training to coffee growers, their families, teachers and their students. Along with our allied, ALO&Partners, we have found personal stories of overcoming. Thanks to access to Internet, the feeling that they have the same opportunities that people from the urban area has grown. Today, people are more optimist and looking forward a bright future. We are proud to be part of this solution. As we well know, technology is a mean, not the end. For that reason, all our efforts are focus to empower people through the use and adoption of ICT. We do not place the worth in the device; we show the benefits of the device teaching people how they can do their daily task with the use of technology. As it was mentioned in our previous report, other actors have been involving to this project, for example, the University of Antioquia, in an alliance that made us able to conduct a pilot of telemedicine which benefited 17 coffee growers that been attended by specialized doctors (located in Medellin) through screens and videocalls.

The following sentences are our daily reward: "We have been receiving training and looking (in the internet) things we never seen in life” "(…)There is a change in the students, they are more motivated, (have) better attitude, they are thirsty of knowledge, for innovate, investigate and get new knowledge (…)", "I think that Internet has change my friend's life and of course mine". This project is far to be completed, for that reason we are constantly measuring our impact in order to identify facts to be improved and potentially include new beneficiaries, like young people and mothers (head of household).

During the past weeks, we have interviewed a wide number of coffee growers in order to know how they are adapting and using their ICT skills on their daily activities. We found that they now are able to prepare a budget, search general information about coffee sector, communication through smartphones apps and learn about the best practices in the field in order to improve their farms.

In short time, we will be implementing new ICT training workshops, aimed to improve the crops processes in order to reach better quality and production.

Thank you for being part of this project and helping us to provide development, life quality and opportunities to more coffee growers families.