Description: This is
a VOA Special English Technology Report.
See text below
Text:
When you have a question about something, where do
you go? For many people the answer is simple. They
go online to a search engine like Google or Yahoo.
But what about people in rural or underdeveloped
areas who may have no way to get on the Internet?
A business and international development consultant
in California, Rose Shuman, wanted to find an answer
for them, too. Her solution is Question Box.
Question Box is a service that provides answers --
free of charge -- for people who cannot search the
Internet directly. They might not be able to read,
or they simply have no access.
Question Box began two years ago in India. People
use a metal call box with a push-to-talk button to
connect to a live operator. Rose Shuman explains:
"You just push a button, a big green button, and
that will connect you directly to our operators who
are sitting in front of computers, and speak your
language. And you can ask them any sort of question
you want, and they'll look it up in English or in
Hindi, or whatever the main language is, and
translate the answer right back for you."
The service is currently offered in two villages.
The latest version of the box uses mobile phone
technology, and solar panels in case the electrical
power fails. Rose Shuman says the aim was to make
the box as easy as possible for users. In April,
Question Box expanded to Uganda. Forty community
workers with mobile phones connect villagers to call
center operators in Kampala. The community workers
go around telling people about the service. They
wear T-shirts that say "Ask Me."
But Internet service in Uganda proved slow and
undependable. So Question Box teamed up with a local
technology company to store information on a local
server. That way, the researchers in Kampala can
quickly search the database for answers.
Question Box is a project of Open Mind, a nonprofit
organization founded by Rose Shuman. She says
Question Box is working to expand by offering its
software through partnerships. In Uganda, Question
Box formed a partnership with the Grameen
Foundation. Grameen had money from the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation to bring agricultural
information to rural farmers. But users also ask
about current events and many other subjects.
And that's the VOA Special English Development
Report.
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Hi. I
personally reviewed this video and found it appropriate for
the news section of English Global Group. This
is a Voice of America video which covers an interesting
topic in Special English. I would appreciate some feedback from both
students and teachers about this video. You can comment in
the window below using any of a number of different services
including Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail.
