Catholic Relief Services holds 5th ICT4D conference

Over the past few years, the CRS has emerged as a leader in the field of ICT4D. The agency has found that information and communications technology gives staff the means to be more efficient in their work. It provides data that CRS needs to improve the impact of its projects — even as the agency is carrying them out.

It also provides the means to reach more people and empowers impoverished people with information and tools that they themselves can use to improve their livelihoods and quality of life.

 “We have the opportunity to improve the lives of millions of poor and vulnerable people around the world through the use of technology by empowering people with access to beneficial information and services never before within their reach,” said Carol Bothwell, Chief Knowledge Officer for CRS.

CRS programmes across sectors have started taking advantage of this technology to track plant pests and diseases, share crop production and marketing information, improve literacy, monitor patient adherence to HIV and AIDS treatment, rapidly assess needs during emergency response efforts and provide distance learning opportunities for community workers on a scale not possible in the past. 

Lisa Washington-Sow, CRS Ghana Country Representative, said, “A strong partnership between governments, technology companies, and NGOs will help us seize this opportunity. The Ghana conference creates a forum for exploring the impact such partnerships are having on relief and development work around the world.”

The CRS is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. It provides assistance for people in need in nearly 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality.