Chatting with Hema Ramkissoon on CNC3

Hear the term “Hole in the Wall” and we think of some little sleazy place of ill repute but google it and you find bold statements about Dr. Sugata Mitra’s wish to“build a School in the Cloud, where children can explore and learn from one another.”Dr. Mitra recently won the million US dollar TED prize for his “Hole-in-the-Wall” (HiWEL) project.

 In 1999, Sugata and his team literally carved a hole in the wall that separated the NIIT premises from the adjoining slum in Kalkaji, New Delhi. Through this hole, a freely accessible computer was put up for use. This computer proved to be an instant hit among the slum dwellers, especially the children. With no prior experience, the children learnt to use the computer on their own. Encouraged by the success of the Kalkaji experiment, freely accessible computers were set up in Shivpuri (a town in Madhya Pradesh) and in Madantusi (a village in Uttar Pradesh). These experiments came to be known as “Hole-in-the-Wall” (HiWEL)experiments.” Since its inception, HiWEL has grown from a single computer at Kalkaji, New Delhi to more than a hundred computers at various locations across India and other countries.

Dr. Sugata Mitra is a Professor of Educational Technology at the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences at Newcastle University, England. He is also the Chief Scientist, Emeritus, at NIIT an Indian company which offers learning and knowledge solutions globally. 

His amazing experiment with children inspired career diplomat Vikas Swarup’s first novel, “Q and A”, which led to the Hollywood movie success “Slumdog Millionaire”. Vikas is quoted in Express India as saying“That got me fascinated and I realised that there’s an innate ability in everyone to do something extraordinary, provided they are given an opportunity”. The real impact of HiWEL has not been assessed because it is an evolving project which is impacting the minds of people and changing their circumstances. The project has expanded beyond children to illiterate adults and displaced persons. Outside of India, it has even been embraced that the Hon. Prime Minister of Bhutan, Jigmi Y Thinley, who inaugurated the first HiWEL computer in the presence of his cabinet colleagues in December of 2011. In addition to building computer literacy among Bhutan’s children it is hoped that the HiWEL project will positively impact the Gross National Happiness (GNH), which is the most prominent metric used by the Government of Bhutan to measure Bhutan’s development.

Additionally, the project is part of a larger Indo-Bhutan project formally known as the Chiphen Rigpel (broadly translated to mean ‘Enabling a society, Empowering a nation’). Chiphen Rigpel is an ambitious project designed to empower Bhutan to become a Knowledge-based society.

The Republic of Central Africa has also recently signed on to establish its own HiWEL projects and this is enjoying phenomenal success.

What is important to me about Dr. Sugata Mitra is the bold steps he took over many years to explore the concept of unsupervised learning and computers. What he and his team did in India and Africa excites my imagination about what can be done in the “Laventilles” of our own country. This project clearly shows how young people can become engaged and focus only on the world they are creating to the total exclusion of everything else. HiWEL has the potential to redirect energy in ways that are thought changing and eventually life changing. Could it possibly help to stem the tide of senseless violence that stalks our country. It is a clear example of the impact the technology is having on people.

If our egos prevent us from buying into the HiWEL implementation model then Dr. Mitra’s TED wish gives us an opportunity to Bring Self-Organized Learning Environments to our Communities.

Ironically, while some countries are thankful for HiWEL reaching the unreachable, there are companies comfortably trying to assess how “Data Analytics Will Revolutionize Decision-Making” or predicting how “The Social Network Will Drive Value”. The digital divide is real. It is not simply that younger persons are using technology and older persons are not. Nor is it about geography. It is about access and this ultimately is tied to income or lack of income. Who can or cannot afford access to technology is an overarching issue? Something big has to happen to bridge the digital divide. Something big has to happen to level the playing field and assure global access to the world of technology. Just think of the possibilities if the internet and technology can be used to reach out to the “at risk” in the slums and ghettoes of the world.

Technology is often discussed in an elitist manner with an underlying assumption that literacy is a pre-requisite. Sugata’s “Hole in the Wall” project demonstrates that, even in the absence of any direct input from a teacher, an environment that stimulates curiosity can cause learning through self-instruction and peer-shared knowledge. The evidence exists amongst young people and there is no reason why the same behaviour would not be repeated among other cohorts given the same opportunities. We are in the digital age and those who are not organized to participate will find themselves wondering in some kind of no-man’s land not understanding that there is a different game being played.

If I prevented you from passing on a public road, I would be acting illegally. How is it that Gang leaders can prevent citizens from using streets, traces and alley ways and we call it “border line” issues?  Aren’t they just breaking the law?  And what are the consequences?

The “Laventille” brand will find positive resolution when we love enough to care. Right now, we are treating the “Laventilles” as headaches. We want them to stop burning tires, shooting up the place and killing each other. This problem did not arrive yesterday. It is the culmination of years of inequity, abuse and neglect. There are Laventilles in different locations and we can see the specific behaviours. For example:

1. Is there a drug block?

2. Is there a gang operating?

3. Is there high unemployment among the young men?

4. Is the neighbourhood traumatized as evidenced by people hustling to get home before darkness falls?

5. Are there random shootings?

Answer yes to four of these five questions and you have Laventille in your neighbourhood. These are our problems as a society and they can only be solved when we love enough to show that we care. Our caring must be manifested in our daily actions. Every step we take must show that we care. There is no one solution, there are simply moments to do right and right will ripple through to our Laventilles. This is my moment to do right.

If money is the ultimate motivator, then why are our institutions in such a desperate state, both private and public sector. If money is the ultimatemotivator then the adage of “who have more corn, feed more fowl” would prevail. But over and over we see that that adage does not prevail, so maybe there is a need to re think the extent to which we see money as the ultimate motivator. The romantic in me remembers the Beatles hit “Can’t buy me love” and I think that in addition to love, money really cannot buy loyalty and support.

I am willing to defend the position that money is not the ultimate motivator with one exception – our taxi drivers, “maxi-taxi, ph, h cars – the whole lot of them”. This conclusion has been arrived at after years of observation. I am convinced that the taxi driver does not see people waiting for transportation, he/she sees the dollar equivalent of his/her taxi fare on the side of the road. Uponsighting a traveller or shadow, the driver immediately is transformed into an unstoppable aggressor, knocking over anything in his way to wrest that fare from the unsuspecting traveller. This example underscores the point that it is irresponsible and reckless for our leaders to continue to preside over this uncivilized and hostile approach to public transportation because here is one example in which money is the prime motivator.

There is an excellent example of how cash incentives can be counter productive in the Levitt and Dubner book “Freakonomics”. It cites the example that “a daycare centre decided to impose a $3 fine when parents were late picking up their children. Instead of encouraging them to be punctual, it had the opposite effect. Late pickups went through the roof. Why? Before the fine was imposed, there was a social contract between daycare staff and parents, who tried hard to be prompt and felt guilty if they weren’t. By imposing a fine, the centre had inadvertently replaced social norms with market norms. Freed from feelings of guilt, parents frequently chose to be late and pay the fine — which was certainly not what the centre had intended”.There is however a growing body of work which supports the notion that business objectives strictly linked to compensation seldom provide sustained results and for a number of practical reasons. The most important being that employees are ofte

n unable to control all the variables which link into the tightly crafted business objectives. A second reason of almost equal weighting is that employers are seldom really interested in digging so deeply into their pockets as to truly provide the necessary cash incentives. This notion is also supported by the last century theory that the reason for business is to extract the maximum profit. Times are changing and scholars are suggesting that business must be driven by the triple bottom line – people, planet and profit so money as motivator is notching down on the list of priorities.

In this example we see the social norm trumping the market norm. This notion should cause some reflection on what really motivates persons to go the extra mile or move beyond what was contracted. What makes a person provide exceptional service or simply do their job? While there is no one line answer to this complicated question, the notion of appreciation keeps popping into my mind. The more appreciated persons feel the more likely they are to give of their best, to go beyond the bounds of duty. The more likely they are to over deliver.

This is not to downplay the importance of financial incentives as a motivator but to restate the point that money alone will not purchase support and loyalty. Shaping the culture of organizations and indeed nations cannot be based solely on economic propositions, it must be based on appealing to more lofty notions like service, integrity, honesty, fair play and a host of other soft concepts.

Further contemplation of how to motivate people reminds us of what is the simplest manifestation of appreciation – saying thanks. It is a social norm which is being forgotten more and more in contemporary society and one which must be re kindled. The late Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, put it another way when he said “Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They’re absolutely free — and worth a fortune.

“Day Break Cafe” (read – Rum Shop) some random evening and “Supa” was there belting out his old hits while the patrons mostly ignored him. Fast forward 6 months or so and “de bong-sin” start. Fast forward again and Supa has a remarkable return to rejuvenate the Carnival.

Seeing him on First Up touched some deep emotions in me. Just recently regarded as a “druggy” singing for a hit .. he is now singing a hit and sharing the absolute joy of achievement. Supa’s continued recovery will provide an inspiration to the hundreds of people of all ages who daily struggle to remain sober in our country. Big thanks to his team and family and may the force be with you on this sweet/bitter journey.

“The 10,000 hour rule” is what Malcolm Gladwell proposes as the key to becoming an expert.  His book “Outliers” is gripping, exciting yet frightening.  It frightens me because of the realization that if I worked 5 hours each day for 5 days each week, it would take me approximately 9 years to become an expert.  Try saying that to any number of “experts” in our society and you’ll be laughed out-of-town. In this population of arm-chair experts, once you have access to an inner circle you can present yourself as an expert, no credentials required.

From Gladwell’s perspective, the process of becoming an expert requires time and significant effort. There is no short-cut along the road to excellence.  There are key questions to be considered. For instance, How to communicate to John and Mira TnT that excellence is our only option?  How can we turn-on our population to the realization that for TnT to be respected or treated as a major player on the world stage, we have to be experts in everything we choose to do?        
The only place to start is with the vision.  That might sound dogmatic and obvious, but if we don’t know where we are going then we are unlikely to have a pathway to get there. Unfortunately our vision changes every time a new political party takes over the governance of the country.  Successive governments with few exceptions, find it necessary to throw out whatever was done before and start something new even if it is simply to take the old idea and re-brand it to something that appears new.  Someone commented recently that in other countries, politics is viewed like running a relay where you “pass the baton but in Trinidad [and Tobago], you start over the race”.  In re-starting the race there is continuous upheaval and often unnecessary change.  The ultimate result is a colossal waste of money which can be used to improve health care and education.     
By way of example, the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company was established in 2006 with the mandate to develop the film industry.  For the past 6 years, they have been doing their jobs and attaining significant success.  If we judge by the increasing demand to view local films at the annual Film Festival, the increasing number of on -location requests to shoot films in this country and indeed the recent success of Lisa Wickham’s documentary “Forward Home”, then something is working here.  
If this was a private sector initiative, the Board of Directors would be in continued huddle to seek a sustainable way forward.  They would be asking critical questions like: “What has worked for us?” “What can we replicate?”  “Is there a “Best Practice” emerging here?”
In their 6 years of existence the Film Company has put in 10,000 hours and more, so Gladwell may have been inclined to call them experts in their area.  Dismantling such a successful company may not be a good idea.  A private sector approach suggests that you strengthen their capacity and increase their resources.  Any other approach would mean starting over.  Imagine having to start over to build your 10,000 hours.           
There is an underlying issue here that goes beyond the mere dismantling of one company. It’s the need to delink the development of the country from the politics of the day.  Projects and initiatives with the potential to serve the common good must not be held ransom or to the whim and fancy of politicians.  They must be allowed to flourish even if they were spawned from opposition politics.  The country’s development must not be stymied simply because there is a different political party in power.  That level of short sightedness is rather unfortunate.
After 50 years of independence, the time has come for us to establish a mechanism through which the views of citizens can be meaningfully canvassed and used to inform decision-making in critical areas.  In a population of 1.3 million, the pool of talent runs dry very quickly.         
On the individual level, the time has come for us to engage in meaningful debate about political philosophy and a range of other concepts which impact our lives.  There is a recognition that the world has moved far along from the edict that we never discuss politics and religion.  Indeed, it is such discussions that foster understanding  promote change and soften positions.            
Great communicators know that one way to understand the enemy is through communication.   

By Dennise Demming – Public Relations and Training Consultant 

Walk along any street and consider that each business establishment represents an untold story of someone’s dreams and aspirations. The statistics suggest that for each business that is standing, there are 9 that have failed … closed their doors … gone bust. That failed business is a representation of the smashing of another person’s dreams and aspirations. Businesses which survive, do so because of someone’s courage and passion to persevere despite the odds. For a limited number of persons in our society, entrepreneurship is the most natural thing to do because they grew up with business being discussed around the kitchen table. If it was not about the impact of the weather on crops, it was the impact of strike on the port or the impact of the walk out by customs officers.

Some entrepreneurs grew up to the hum of business and while no one was saying you have to become an entrepreneur, the spirit of entrepreneurship was so pervasive that they made an automatic choice at the appropriate stage of their lives. Their mindset was conditioned daily to think of business and to seek solutions to business problems. Conversely, they were trained to see business as a solution to problems. There is the story of a business being spawned because of a mother’s need to import suitable foods for her lactose intolerant child.

Additionally, this small grouping also has access to easy funding simply because of who they are and the resources that are available to them.

But what happens to the other hundreds of persons who choose the role of entrepreneurship? It is a long, treacherous pot hole filled road which requires careful navigation.  

There are 3 huge “pot holes” to be navigated: Self Doubt, Cash Flow and Bureaucracy.

The first pot hole is called “self doubt” which is reenforced by everything some people have been exposed to or learned. It begins in school where young people are encouraged to absorb and regurgitate so that, by the time they leave school, they are still asking what to do and when to do it. The thought of taking the initiative and making decisions is just not second nature. This mind set is even more paralysing because of the risk the entrepreneur is about to take by striking out on her own. And as if personal self doubt is not enough, the business person then has to cope with employees who want continuous direction in order to get anything done. There is no easy resolution to this problem because this attitude of “self-doubt” exists at all levels from top business executives, government officials all the way through to the bottom rung of the organization. This need for direction will take a long time to be changed.

The second pot-hole is “money”. Your first approach to the bank is likely to result in anxiety because of what is required just to open a business account. If you have cash, then it’s easy but if you need funding then the business opportunity can easily pass you by before the bank approves the overdraft or grants the loan. As a result of this level of bureaucracy and red tape, small businesses typically obtain their funding for start-up and early stage growth from a combination of the founder’s savings, credit cards and investments by family and friends. In several cases, the entrepreneur and or directors will even cook up a story to take a personal loan. These factors make for tremendous insecurity. Despite the hype and high profile media coverage, very few small firms secure venture capital funding. Banks, by the very nature of their business, are resistant to the high-risk loans which many small businesses represent. Additionally, potential entrepreneurs often lack the business savvy to be able to articulate what they need using business jargon. They are also often inexperienced in presenting a well-thought out long-range alternative plan to cover emergencies and other contingencies. All of these factors lead to the slow response by the financial sector to small businesses. There is really no easy solution to the pot hole of “money”.

A third pot hole is the one called “bureaucracy”. With a low threshold of $250,000.00, the small business is required to function like any multi million dollar business. The business must become VAT registered, pay National Insurance, PAYE, Green Fund and Business Levy. This just adds layers of institution and bureaucracy requiring an accounts department if only to keep on top of the forms. Ironically, this figure is less than what some top CEOs earn so there is a need to reconsider and really ask the question: “to what extent is this a barrier to entry into the small business sector”?

A fourth pot hole and one which might be unique to Trinidad and Tobago is the continued and unrelenting rise in “crime”. Nearly every business has been affected by crimes such as housebreaking, larceny, violent crime, road rage and white-and blue-collar crime within businesses. To my mind petty crimes upon the business include using the stationery for non business related purposes; staying in the office until late to prepare for an examination and using the resources of the business for any non related activity. Oh no! You may cry, that’s not a crime, but it is!

Incidents of crime impact the psyche of the organization and all employees. If we are to achieve the goal of a highly productive society then, we must be able to maintain a crime free environment.

Everyone thrives in an environment where people trust the system, where people genuinely live the notion of an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work. Despite the size of the business, it a remarkable kind of person called the entrepreneur who has kept her doors open despite the odds. Small businesses far outnumber big business. The time has come for more emphasis to be placed on the needs of the small business because ultimately, the small business is in a better position to respond to the fast paced changes in our communities.