Charting the course for a prosperous ‘Smart Samoa’
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face unique challenges consequent to their remote geographic locations. Lack of connectivity is one of the key issues that significantly hinder their progress.
Manono is one such island. Located in the archipelago of Samoa, its population is less than one thousand people. The island has been falling behind in terms of basic infrastructure such as healthcare, education, and digital connectivity.
Under the ITU’s Smart Villages and Smart Islands Initiative, the Government of Samoa, in collaboration with FAO, and supported by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Rural Development, Communications and the Arts of Australia and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan, is transforming this remote village into one that is digitally empowered with last-mile broadband connectivity, digital infrastructure, services, and skills.
The ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau is also conducting a series of digital literacy and skills development trainings aimed to equip residents with digital tools and knowledge, empowering local business owners to market their products internationally, and enabling village mayors to access timely information for informed decision-making.
Additionally, FAO is providing trainings on e-agriculture and fisheries to contribute to the sustainable development of Samoa.
Leveraging the power of ICTs, this initiative is enhancing connectivity in schools, hospitals, and other critical facilities; enabling access to crucial information on mobile apps and social media platform; and fostering e-commerce to help local businesses reach global markets.
In the wake of the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States held in Antigua and Barbuda, the role of digital in achieving socio-economic development for SIDS cannot be more pronounced.
Advocating for meaningful connectivity in these countries, Dr Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, said “We are fully committed and determined to accelerate the pace towards achieving affordable meaningful and universal connectivity in the implementation of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS.”
He added, “Digital has the capacity to transform people’s lives and address challenges confronting Small Island Developing States, among others climate change impacts, natural hazards and disasters, sea-rise etc.”
This is an ITU Development #DigitalImpactUnlocked story
About the initiative
ITU’s Smart Villages and Smart Islands (SVSI) Initiative is a digital transformation project designed to provide affordable connectivity and sustainable digital services to remote communities in developing countries. It aims to improve the well-being and livelihoods of people by empowering them with digitally-enabled solutions and skills that address their daily needs. The Smart Villages and Smart Islands initiative in the Asia Pacific is based on the ITU-ANSI Smart Villages model which was first piloted in Niger and is part of a broader ITU-led global initiative to create Smart Villages and Smart Islands. This program seeks to provide affordable and accessible digital solutions to improve the quality of life and economic opportunities of rural and island communities.
Visit the project page for more details.
