In exploring how mobile technologies are being used in developing regions, it is evident that their use is being channeled in a number of areas ranging from business and commerce to healthcare. And although each of these areas plays a significant role in a country's development, none has the potential to impact national development like education. It is the one area that, if invested in properly and given adequate tools and resources to serve the population, can single-handedly help transform all the others. It is through education that individuals and communities are empowered and find a way out of cycles of poverty. It is because of this that education is so crucial in developing regions.
At the same time, there is a serious deficit of technological resources available for education in developing countries, largely as a result of lack of funds and infrastructure. This makes access to quality education a challenge in major urban areas, and essentially a non-existent option in rural communities. It is because of this that mobile learning is such a powerful concept and mobile devices a gateway into the future for countless children across the world. As we have seen with the One Laptop Per Child Project, in areas in the developing world where they may not be a quality school or children may not be able to reach school due to war and violence, if there is a mobile device (a cellphone, a laptop), there is the possibility of accessing education. In the words of Queen Rania (of Jordan)...
"Education through mobile devices can be a transformative force for good. In the face of disease, it can mean a clean bill of health; in an economic downturn, it can mean a skilled workforce ready to earn again; in a warzone, it can be the language of diplomacy and dialogue." - Queen Rania Al Abdullah (GSMA Development Fund Report, Nov. 2010)
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