A low-tech NGO without high-tech?

Technical frustrations abound recently for Create Africa South (CAS), the nongovernmental organization (NGO) I have been working with over the last year.  High technology has never been kind to CAS:  last year during intense rainstorms the roof of the office leaked, destroying one of the two remaining ancient PCs the organization ran there.  Several years ago their entire suite of new PCs were stolen in an armed robbery that, upon J’s description, was likely planned and based on observation of the delivery to the building.  Since that incident, CAS has taken a “no frills” approach to using high tech – in part to maintain a low profile but largely so that it doesn’t become dependent on items that can quickly vanish.

Upon arrival this year I was informed the other office computer finally ceased to function likely due to its age and the humid climate here.  It’s kind of humbling to be handed the electronic life of a decade-old organization on two burned DVDs.  Over this weekend CAS’s final desktop computer (housed at J’s home office) died – a victim of flooding due to this weekends heavy storms.  Over the last week in South Africa three days of heavy rain in different areas has led to the death of at least seven people (in Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal provinces) and the displacement of over 200 families – especially in Soweto, one of Johannesburg’s historic townships.  Right now the only functioning high-tech item CAS owns is a digital camera.  R and I have been mediating quite a bit of work and relaying emails for J on our personal laptops because there isn’t much else CAS can do at the moment.

As much as I get frustrated, the situation reminds me of the beauty of low technologies.  Much of the work CAS performs – imparting basic sewing and economic skills and collecting embroidered cloths – is low tech.  In our workshop last year in Mahushu we worked with the women only during the day in a building that lacked electricity.  Besides our digital camera, the rest of our materials consisted of pads of paper, regular and colored pencils with sharpeners, cloth, cotton embroidery thread, sewing needles, scissors, and a few sewn samplers to demonstrate stitches.  Much can come from little.  What are some of the advantages of low technologies?  Generally they can be practiced or crafted with little capital investment and the know-how for the practice can be understood by a single individual (in distinction to trends toward specialization).  But I’m not interested in drawing a sharp distinction or valorizing one over the other ­– rather I'm more interested in how technologies can work together to create opportunities for access and communication.

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