Njideka Ugwuegbu Harry: Training Modern-Day Griots in Rural Nigeria
Njideka Ugwuegbu Harry knows a simple, timeless truth. No matter how much success Nigerians have when leaving rural homes for cities or even for other countries, they’ll still long to stay connected to family and friends back home. Her SpokesYouth project will make it easier to establish these connections –along the way empowering youth in rural Nigeria to gain valuable technology skills.
Njideka herself was already skilled in giving back before she became a Digital Vision fellow. In 2000, she got support from Microsoft and the World Bank to establish the Owerri Digital Village – the first community technology center of its kind in West Africa. She also launched a nonprofit organization, Youth for Technology Foundation (YTF), to operate the Owerri center and to coordinate other Nigeria-based activities.
“YTF has since created community technology centers modeled after the Owerri center in other parts of Nigeria, including the former capital, Lagos State,” Njideka said.
Four years later, now an alumna of the Reuters program, Njideka is poised to launch her latest YTF project, SpokesYouth. The program will spill children out from the community technology centers into nearby villages, armed with audio-enabled PDAs and perhaps with digital cameras.
Despite these modern tools, the children will be assuming an ancient role in Nigerian culture. “These children will be griots,” said Njideka, referring to traditional West African storytellers whose role was to preserve the myriad genealogies and oral traditions of their tribes.
At his first stop, a SpokesYouth child might transcribe a short letter, make a brief audio recording or snap a few photos to send to family members in Lagos, London or Los Angeles. At his next stop, his role might be reversed as he delivers multimedia missives from afar to villagers who might not have e-mail addresses.
Like some of the other fellows, Njideka concluded that a hybrid communication model would make the most sense to get around various physical and cultural hurdles.
“Many people in the rural areas just don’t understand the benefits of ICT [information and communication technologies],” Njideka said. “Rather than expect them to go to the technology, we’re bringing it to them.”
The SpokesYouth idea was perfected during Njideka’s time at Stanford. She credits the other fellows and her faculty advisor, electrical engineering professor Bruce Lusignan, with helping her to make steady progress toward the prototype’s launch. Stu Gannes, director of the Digital Vision Program, provided useful coaching, as well.
“I’d go into Stu’s office with one idea and leave with 50 better ideas,” Njideka said.
Njideka made the most of the entire Stanford community while in the Reuters program, tapping the volunteer clearinghouse operated by the Stanford Alumni Association website. Today alumni volunteers make up half of her eight-member core team.
“My volunteers go the extra mile, every time, to demonstrate their passion,” she said.
—Geoff Koch