When I
first heard this world I pictured big buildings will agents taking calls
like in a call center back home. Often when we asked for people’s cell phone numbers they
gave it to us without missing the beat, but they also added that they might not
be available when we called. I didn't quite understand it until I stopped by
one Telecenter and asked all my questions.
Here (I am
careful and try not to generalize too much, but as a matter of fact I observed
the same phenomenal in Guinea, Salone, Togo, Benin and Ghana) many people don’t
know how to read or write, have no steady income, yet EVERYBODY has a cell
phone! Correction, everybody has a cell phone number or two! :)
As it turns
out Telecenters are tiny shacks with a private generator. People either take
their phones there to charge (costs about 20 cents for a 30 min charge, $1 for
a full charge) OR they can use the various cell phones available there when
they need to make a call. They can buy top up cards (anything between 20 cents
and $15) and for a small fee use one of the cell phones in the 'store'.
The Telecenter guy has charger for the main cell
phone makers. No, no smart phones and definitely no iPhone charger. Try to
think back 10-15 years, which models and companies were popular back then? If
you bring a phone he has no charger for, no problem. Following good African
traditions he will make one. It might destroy your phone on the long run, but
hey, he isn't working under warranty! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment