Assessing Intangible Benefit of Mobile Telephony on Agrarian Rural Community of North Shoa, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia: The Case of Habado kebele

Abstract

This study focused on Assessing Intangible benefit of mobile telephony on agrarian rural community of Hidabu Abote Woreda, North Shoa, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia: The case of Habado kebele. Data were collected through the use of focus group Discussion, key informants and personal observation. The key informant interview was conducted with developmental agent, administrator of kebele and elders to get real information about the problem. The focus group discussion was held with the kebele elders that were selected randomly to collect the relevant data. Researcher also collected available data by observing mobile telephony related situation. Qualitative data generated from these sources were compiled, organized, summarized, interpreted and narrated based on the concept of Intangible benefit of mobile telephony on agrarian rural community. Likely the result of the discussion revealed that intangible benefit of mobile phone on agrarian rural community were tremendous. Accordingly, farmers’ confidence, competitive advantage of farmers, discussion ability of farmers, time management’s ability of farmers, farmers-merchant transparency, and moral of farmers were boosted intangibly through mobile telephony for further improvements of crop production and productivity in Habado Kebele. The identified intangible benefit of mobile phone on education in Habado kebeles is that Mobile phone gives morale for the female students to attend school, and mobile phone enabled poor families to attend school. And also  The identified intangible benefit of mobile phone on health in Habado kebele were that Collapse of inefficient traditional health service, Taking care of family from distant, and Mobile phone brought behavioral change to solve health condition. Based on the discussion and conclusion made the Habado kebeles communities should be encouraged to use mobile telephony for further improvements.

Keywords: Intangible, Mobile Telephony