2010

Project Year

2010

Region(s)

East Africa

Country(ies)

Ethiopia

Project Description

This study has the aim of exploring the effect of new technologies (like card-based payments, mobile payments, online payments, e-cash, mobile banking etc.) on social payments (payment for marriage, death, graduation, mahiber1, edir2, ekub3, birthday celebrations, etc.) by the poor people living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The study will address the common social payments and what determines them; the new technologies that affect such payments (i.e. can ICT reduce the poverty level by affecting their saving, storing, and spending practice?); the challenges and opportunities for such technologies in Ethiopia now and in the future; their attitude towards technology mediated financial products and services.

Researcher(s)

Woldmariam Mesfin Fikre

About the Researcher(s)

researcher

Woldmariam Mesfin Fikre is a lecturer at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. He received his first degree in Business Management from Jimma University 2001, and a Master's degree in Information Science from Addis Ababa University 2005. He is currently enrolled in the IT-PhD school of the University in the Information Systems Division. He is interested in interdisciplinary areas, mainly: ICT4D, e-services, technology diffusion, IT-organizations-environment and virtual organizations. Currently, Woldmariam Mesfin Fikre is working on the one laptop per child project.

Synopsis of Research Results

1. Link to Woldmariam Mesfin Fikre's final report: "Social Relationships and Social Payments in Ethiopia"

2. Link to Woldmariam Mesfin Fikre's working paper: Understanding Social Relationships and Payments Among the Poor in Ethiopia.

3. Link to Woldmariam Mesfin Fikre's blog post.

 

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