ICT Foundation
Senior 1 · ICT
ICT Foundation
Lesson 4 of 4
20 min
Let's begin
A mother in a rural district needs blood urgently after giving birth. By road, blood could take hours to reach her health centre. Since 2016, Rwanda has used drones that fly blood and medicines to hospitals and health centres in minutes. The order is placed by phone or text message, and a computer plans the flight. This is ICT saving lives. In this lesson you will see how ICT is used in different areas of life, how Rwanda uses it today, and what its advantages and disadvantages are.
| Sector | How ICT is used |
|---|---|
| Education | Computer labs and laptops in schools; projectors and interactive whiteboards; e-learning websites and videos; research on the internet; digital school records and report cards; checking national examination results online. |
| Health | Electronic patient records; telemedicine (a health worker advises a patient by phone or video call); SMS reminders for vaccinations; computer-controlled machines such as X-ray scanners; drone delivery of blood and medicines. |
| Business | Mobile money payments; bank cards and ATMs; advertising and selling online; spreadsheets for accounts and stock; electronic receipts; filing taxes online. |
| Communication | Phone calls, SMS, email, social media, video calls, radio and television. |
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Fast communication over long distances, at low cost. | Devices and internet data cost money, so poorer and rural families can be left behind (the digital divide). |
| Easy access to information and learning materials. | False information and rumours spread quickly. |
| Saves time and travel, for example applying for services online. | Cybercrime: fraud, scam messages and stolen passwords or PINs. |
| Accurate records and fast calculations. | Loss of privacy when personal data is shared or leaked. |
| Creates new jobs, such as software developers and technicians. | Some jobs are replaced by machines. |
| Better health care and safer transport of medicines. | Health problems: eye strain, back pain and too little exercise; addiction to games and social media. |
| Entertainment: music, films and games. | Electronic waste (e-waste) from old devices can pollute if it is not recycled. |
Mugisha's mother needs a certificate from the government. Should she apply online through Irembo or travel to the office?
Tip
In an exam, when asked for advantages and disadvantages, give specific points with an example, such as "mobile money saves the trip to the bank", not just "it is good".
Give one use of ICT in each of education, health and business.
Solution: Education: e-learning videos or a computer lab. Health: electronic patient records or drone delivery of blood. Business: mobile money payments or spreadsheets for accounts.
Why are drones useful for delivering blood in Rwanda?
Solution: Rwanda is hilly and some roads are slow, so a drone can reach a rural health centre much faster than a vehicle. Blood arrives while it is still needed and less is wasted.
Keza receives an SMS: "You have won 500,000 Frw! Send your mobile money PIN to claim it." Which disadvantage of ICT is this, and what should she do?
Solution: Cybercrime (a scam). She should not reply, never share her PIN, and delete or report the message.
State one reason why some people in Rwanda still do not use the internet.
Solution: Any one of: the cost of smartphones and data; limited digital skills; much online content is not in Kinyarwanda. Most people live in rural areas, where these problems are greater.
Remember
Sources and credits
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
