Information Unicom changes destiny
"With 'Wancun Connect', can our people see the World Cup football match?"
At the launch ceremony of the "Wancun Connect" Zambia project, President Edgar Lungu asked a lot of questions.
"Yes." The Chinese team gave a positive answer.
"This is really great news!" President Lungu said happily, "Satellite TV can allow rural people to contact external information, which is exactly what the government wants to see. Information is not a privilege that a few people should enjoy, but a basic human right, as important as personal safety, clean drinking water, and affordable medical care."
Two young people were curious about the changes in the village
According to relevant UN statistics, in 2015, 62% of the population in Africa lived in rural areas. "Wancuntong" focuses on this group - people in areas with underdeveloped economies and lack of information and communication. With the gradual advancement of the "Ten Thousand Villages Connect" project, the social backwardness caused by information closure is quietly changing. Before the implementation of the
"Ten Thousand Villages Connect" project, an ordinary Zambian family needs to pay at least 115 kwacha (about 60 yuan) per month to watch the TV. Expensive digital TVs are an unattainable luxury in the eyes of ordinary people. After the implementation of the "Wancuntong" project, you only need to pay 30 kwacha (about 15 yuan) of viewing fees per month, saving 75% of the expenditure.
At present, "Wancuntong" has installed projection TV equipment for more than 400 remote schools in Zambia, installed TV equipment for more than 500 clinics, and connected set-top boxes for 10,000 families, covering more than 300,000 people. An example like
is not Zambia. In the past, due to the extremely expensive imported satellite receivers and the high cost of installing equipment and watching programs, few families in the village of Jabo in the outskirts of Bouvake, Cote d'Ivoire could watch TV. After the completion of the "Wancuntong" project, many people can watch TV.
TV signals are spreading in the air, invisible and intangible, but the changes brought by "Wancun Connect" to rural Africa are tangible. The wonderful world outside brought by "Wancuntong" not only beautifies life in rural Africa, but also ignits people's confidence and motivation to create a better life -
"I never thought I could watch TV," said 9-year-old Nigerian child Il shyly, "It's like my other pair of eyes, allowing me to see the world outside at once. It turns out that the world is so big, there are so many fun!"
12-year-old elementary school student Kasan said: I never knew how big Zambia was, and what the world outside was like, and now I have learned a lot of interesting knowledge from TV. "When I grow up, I will go to the capital Lusaka, earn money to buy a house in the city, take my parents there, and live a better life." For this ideal, this little African boy used his spare time to do carpenter work, while practicing his craft while saving travel expenses for his dreams.
Satellite pot installed on dead tree stump
"Wancuntong" project also promoted the development of local radio and television and promoted employment. The
project trains more than 20,000 technical personnel locally in Africa. Every year, outstanding employees have the opportunity to go to China for training to improve their professional skills and knowledge levels. They learned technology and gained stable income, which was spread throughout various positions such as engineering technology, marketing, financial management, and after-sales service. It not only provides guarantees for the sustainable operation of the project, but also provides hope for the future promotion and popularization of digital technology in rural Africa.
Soko is a farmer in the southern province of Zambia. Previously, due to the continuous drought in the local area, agricultural harvests plummeted. In order to make a living, Soko had to go out to work. Due to lack of technology and craftsmanship, he has been unable to find a job for a long time.
By chance, he applied for the after-sales service of the "Wancuntong" project. In just one month, Soko completed the commissioning and maintenance of satellite TV equipment in 30 villages, and was responsible for the after-sales maintenance work of the village closest to home. Not only did it get an income, it was also particularly popular.
In Zambia, there are more than 500 local after-sales personnel like Soko, and they are all full of gratitude for the "Wancuntong" project and the Chinese government.As Soko said: "'Wancuntong' not only provides me with job opportunities, but also allows me to learn related technologies. This is what I want most. The Chinese are amazing."
For this reason, Zambian President Lungu said sincerely: "'Wancuntong' is a milestone for the development of Zambia's information society. It helps to improve the ideological quality and civic awareness of the people, and also helps to build a smart Zambia, a Zambia that does not let anyone fall behind."
This is also the common feeling of the country where the "Wancuntong" project is located.
In January 2019, the "Wancuntong" Uganda project was completed, which is the first country in Africa to hold a completion ceremony. At the completion ceremony, Uganda National Assembly Speaker Kadaga expressed sincere gratitude to the Chinese government for its long-term friendly help. She said that the assistance of the "Wancun Connect" project will effectively drive the development of Uganda's digital TV business and effectively improve local information and communication conditions, and make positive contributions to Uganda's improvement of people's livelihood and realizing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Asongputta, executive secretary of the Rwanda Local Government Department, said that the satellite TV provided by the "Wancuntong" project will help villagers better understand the world, enrich their cultural and entertainment life, and improve their knowledge and skills. The Rwandan government and people sincerely thank China for its valuable help.
project overview:
In December 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed at the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation that China will implement the "Top Ten Cooperation Plans" with African countries in the next three years. Among them, the "Humanities Cooperation Plan" includes "implementing a satellite TV project for 10,000 villages in Africa".
Since 2017, Sida Times Group, as the implementer, began to undertake the "Wancun Connect" project in many African countries. At present, Rwanda, Congo (Brazza), Uganda, Central Africa, Burundi, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Congo (DRC), Zambia and other countries have successfully completed the project acceptance. "Ten Thousand Villages" enriches the daily lives of African people, breaks down information barriers, and plays an important role in supporting the development of African education.
Source: Belt and Road Stories WeChat Official Account
Editor: Liang Yufang
Reviewed by: Wang Ya, Zhang Yingxue, Li Dandan
