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P E E REDUCATION

Learning & teaching for a fairer world

MOBILE PHONES INFO SHEET

Find out more mobile phonesToday we can’t imagine life without mobile phones. More people in the world have a mobile phone than have access to a toilet! What are the global connections and issues which lie behind our mobile phones?

Global mobileDid you know that mobile phones are made from metals and minerals from all over the world: gold from South Africa or Russia; copper from Chile; nickel from Canada and coltan from the Democratic Republic of Congo? Coltan is very important for mobile phones and most of it is found in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mining for coltan can be a dangerous, poorly paid job and also a job which is often done by children. Mobile phones are put together in factories in China and other countries where workers are paid low wages and often work long hours. These are factories which often do not respect workers’ rights.

Mobile phones and the environmentWhen a new mobile phone design is produced, many people buy it and get rid of their perfectly good one. Millions of phones are thrown away every year and this waste is harmful to the environment. They contain dangerous chemicals which can leak out into the soil and the water system. Wealthy European countries often ship old mobile

phones to poor countries for ‘recycling’ where laws to protect workers and the environment are weaker.

FairphonesThere is a new phone on the market called a Fairphone which has tried to make sure that all the parts in the phone where produced in an ethical way and that the phone was put together in a factory which respected workers’ rights. It is also easy to fix. The phone is designed so that you can take it apart and mend or replace the broken bits.

Taking actionSpread the message about the issues with mobile phones to other pupils in your school using the Peer Education materials. Maybe you can find out more about Fairphones or what happens to old phones. Read the Campaign Guide for more ideas!

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MOBILE PHONES ACTIVITY

Mobile phones & child labour:making the connection (Length: 15 minutes)

Your mobile phone connects you to people around the world in surprising ways. This activity looks at one global connection.

What you need to prepare• 6 x copies of photo

Worksheet 1 (go to page 2) or download the PowerPoint file

• 6 x copies of A3 person template Worksheet 2 (go to page 3)

• 2 x felt pens for each group• Questions displayed on the board• Pack of sticky notes

What you need to knowColtan is a black coloured mineral found in the Earth’s crust. Most coltan is found in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Democratic Republic of Congo is in West Africa. Coltan is used in mobile phones and without it, mobile phones would not work.

What to doDivide the class into groups of 4 or 5. Give each group a copy of the photo of the boy working in a mine (Worksheet 1) and a copy of ‘person’ outline sheet (Worksheet 2). Ask each group to carefully look at the picture and note down any ideas about the boy and his job on the inside of the person template. Ask groups to think of answers to some of the questions below:

Who is the person in the photo?Is the person a boy or a girl?What is the child doing?What is it like to work in this place?Why does the child work?What would the child like to be doing instead of working?

ReflectionOn a sticky note, ask each pupil to write down an answer to the following question:

How to you think this photo and mobile phones are connected?

Ask pupils to stick their sticky note on a display board. How will you share their ideas? You may need to explain what ‘Coltan’ is and what it is used for.

Go to Worksheet 1

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Try out the activities

Mobile phones & child labour: making the connection

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Worksheet 1: Mobile phones and child labour:making the connection

You will need a copy of this photo per group.2

Go to Worksheet 2

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Worksheet 2: Mobile phones and child labour:making the connection

You will need a copy of this per group.

Go back to Activity page

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What you need to prepare • 6 x copies of ‘Decu Case Study’: Worksheet 1 (go to page 2)• Question cards:

Worksheet 2 (go to page 3) • World map

What you need to knowColtan is a black coloured mineral found in the Earth’s crust. Most coltan is found in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Democratic Republic of Congo is in West Africa. Coltan is used in mobile phones and without it, mobile phones would not work.

What to doDivide the class into groups of 4 or 5. Give each group a copy of ‘Decu Case Study’ (Worksheet 1). One pupil should read aloud the case study to the rest of the group. Explain to the class that the Democratic Republic of Congo is a country where there is a lot of mining for coltan or cobalt, a mineral needed to make our mobile phones. Show the country on a world map. Ask pupils to discuss the question cards (Worksheet 2).

ReflectionExplain to the class that most of the mines are controlled by the army or the rebels they are fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Most of the money made goes to the army or to the rebels. The country has many ongoing wars and the money from the mines is spent on more weapons.

Ask pupils to turn to their ‘elbow partner’ and share something that they found surprising or interesting from the lesson.

Or, ask for suggestions about what could be done about this situation. Gather answers from the class and write on the board. You may want to take a photo of the board to keep for future reference!

What is in my phone? (Length: 15 minutes)

All mobile phones have a mineral called coltan inside. Coltan is often mined by people, including children, working in poor conditions. This activity explores their rights.

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Go to Worksheet 1


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Worksheet 1: What is in my phone? You will need one copy of this case study per group.

Case study: Child labour in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Decu is 8 years old. He has never owned a football or played a computer game. He has no computer and no TV. He’s never been to school, but he passes young people in school uniform every morning, as he sets off for work.

Decu’s day begins at dawn. He has nothing to eat just a little drink of water. Then he sets off on a two-hour walk with his twin brother, Kaba.

By seven or eight each morning, the boys arrive at Ruashi mines. They join 800 child miners, working alongside fully grown men. There are no safety standards. No-one wears a hard hat. There are some boys working with bare hands and bare feet. The first job of the day is separating the soil from mineral deposits. It is heavy work.

Many mine owners prefer to use younger children, because the older boys get paid more. The children here can be as young as five or six. As the day wears on, the twins dig for nuggets of copper with their bare hands, but don’t find much. A local buyer gives them a few notes, which is enough for one small pastry each.

Decu moves on to cleaning cobalt with his bare feet, in a lake of toxic water. Between the two of them the boys do not make enough to buy an evening meal.

Decu is a child, born into poverty in what could be one of the richest places in Africa. The money made from mining minerals does not go to those who do the work in the mines but to the mine owners, government officials and the big companies who buy the raw materials.

Case study adapted from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/5071172.stm

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Go to Worksheet 2

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/5071172.stm

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Can you imagine walking 2 hours to work or even to school?

How do you think you would feel if you had to work this hard?

Can you imagine how tired he is?

Is life fair for Decu?

Why do you think he earns so little?

Should he be going to school?

Worksheet 2: What is in my phone? You will need to cut these questions into strips.

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What happens to our waste? (Length: 15-20 minutes)

Where does all our rubbish go? How can we reduce our waste? Use the activity cards to discuss the issue.

What you need to prepareSet of ‘waste cards’ cut up for each group – Worksheet 1 (go to page 2)

What you need to knowIt is better to refuse (say no), re-fill and reduce before recycling. Recycling uses lots of energy.

What to doPut pupils into groups of 4 or 5. Give each group a set of cards. Explain that they are going to answer the question: what is the best way to deal with waste? Ask each person in the group to read aloud 1 or 2 cards to the rest of the group. Ask pupils to complete a ‘Diamond 9’ activity putting the most important idea at the top and the least important idea at the bottom.

ReflectionHow will you get pupils to share their ideas?Explain to the group that it is best to refuse (say no) and re-use before recycling. Recycling uses a lot of energy in order to make our waste into something new! It is best to only buy what you need!

Ask pupils to show their fingers to answer this question:

Do you feel that you have a responsibility for the environment and how you use your materials?

1 finger = not at all 5 fingers = a lot of responsibility

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Go to Worksheet 1


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Re-use The carton might be empty but I can use it again!

Recharge 50 times more energy is used to make batteries than the energy they give us.

Refill Get things fixed instead of throwing it away!Computers which are thrown away can put poison into our land and water.

Repair Get things fixed instead of throwing it away!Computers which are thrown away can put poison into our land and water.

Rethink What do I do with my waste?Things are produced so cheaply now that we throw things away much more quickly. Every year, we make 3% more waste than the year before.

Recycle We make it into something new but this uses a lot of energy for transport and factories. We can waste more energy recycling our cartons.

Reclaim We can get bits of materials from old things and put them together to make something new!

RefuseSay no to plastic bags and bring your own.You’ll save money too!

ReduceStop producing so much waste!If everyone in the world was wasteful, we would need 8 more worlds to keep going!

Worksheet 1: What happens to our waste? You will need to copy and cut out a set of cards for each group.

Reproduced from How do we Know it’s Working? www.risc.org.uk

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http://www.risc.org.uk

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Old phone, new phone (Length: 15 minutes)

Ever thought about what happens to your old phone? This short film and discussion questions will help you find out more.

What you need to prepare• Internet access• Interactive whiteboard to show video link• Flip-chart or board to display 3 questions

What you need to knowGhana is a country in West Africa. Lots of old mobile phones, laptops and tablets from the UK end up there to be ‘recycled’.

What to doShow the group or class this 6 minute video on how electronic waste has an impact on the country of Ghana. It shows how electronic waste is sent to dumps in the UK but then taken to Ghana. Before showing the film it might be a good idea to check that everyone knows where Ghana is. You might also want to ask the class if they have any idea about what happens to old mobile phones, laptops, tablets and other electronic goods.

You can find the 6 minute video here

ReflectionAsk pupils to turn to their ‘elbow partner’ and answer one of these questions:

What issues are highlighted in the film?

What do you think about e-waste from the UK being dumped in Ghana?

Did anything surprise you about what you have seen in the film?

Do you have any ideas about what you can do about this issue?

Ask 2 or 3 pupils to share their ideas with the rest of the class.

How will you get answers from the class?

1MOBILE PHONES ACTIVITY

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/multimedia/videos/Electronic-Waste-in-Ghana-/

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/multimedia/videos/Electronic-Waste-in-Ghana-/

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Mobile phones in Africa (Length: 25 minutes)

Mobile phones are used all across Africa. They are used by farmers, doctors, nurses and many others to make people’s lives better.

What you need to prepare• 1 x copy of each of each case study

– Worksheet 1 (go to pages 2-4) • 1 x copy of each photo

– Worksheet 2 – go to pages 5-7 or download the PowerPoint file

• 6 x A3 sheets of paper• 2 x felt tip pens per group• Timer

What you need to knowThe case studies are from Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Make sure you can find them on the map!

What to doPut pupils into groups of 4 or 5. Give each group a different photo and ask them to place it in the middle of an A3 sheet of paper. Ask each group to discuss the photo and get them to write down what they see. Next ask them to write down any questions they would like to find out about the photo. After about 10 minutes, hand out the case study number which matches the photo number. Ask 1 pupil from each group to read aloud the case study. Ask pupils to discuss the questions below in their groups. Ask one person from each group to share how mobile phones have

made a difference to the people in their case study. The groups can also find out where the country is in Africa and share with the group.

ReflectionThink about how you are going to share these questions with the class:What difference has the use of the mobile phone made to the person/people in your case study? Did anything surprise you about the photo or case study?

AssemblyChoose 6 pupils from the audience at assembly. Ask them to come to the front of assembly. Hand out a name label of the person in each case study and hang it around their necks and give them some props to act as clues. Ask pupils if they think that mobile phones are used in Africa. Get them to explain their reason to their shoulder partner. Before reading the first case, get pupils to talk to the person next to them about the props or ‘clues’. Ask them how they think this person uses a mobile phone? Read aloud the first case study and show the photo on a screen if you have a projector. Repeat this for different case studies. Ask pupils to share if they found anything surprising about the assembly. How will you gather pupil answers?

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Go to Worksheet 1


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Case Study 1: Maternity CareThe Mobile Midwife service is part of the Mobile Technology for Community Health (MOTECH) Ghana Project. It sends pre-recorded messages to women about how to feed their babies, what kinds of food pregnant women should eat and how to vaccinate their babies against dangerous diseases. It also tells women and nurses when appointments are due or are missed.

Nurse Linda Mbe, age 24 on a Ghana Health Service Motorbike, which is used to transport pregnant women from Kunkua village to the local hospital.

Ghana, 2010, Abbie Trayler-Smith, Oxfam

Case Study 2: EducationMoMath is a mathematics teaching tool used through the instant messaging platform Mxit. Mxit is South Africa’s most popular social media platform, with more than 10 million people using it in the country. Using mobile phones to teach has helped school-age African children who are not receiving any formal education.

A child does a summersault on a trampoline during an after school club.

South Africa, 2008, Kaya Ngwenya/Oxfam

Worksheet 1: Mobile phones in Africa There are 6 case studies. You will need one per group.

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Case Study 3: BankingM-PESA is a mobile money transfer service created in Kenya. In Kenya, Sudan and Gabon half or more of adults used mobile money. It helps people move money from different banks and bank accounts. In some countries in Africa, only 1 in every 5 adults has a bank account.

Many people in Africa now use mobile money to pay their bills, buy goods and make payments to individuals.

Fatima Hamid took her first loan two years ago, and set up a small shop selling credit for mobile phones.

Sudan, 2009, Alun McDonald, Oxfam

Case Study 4: EntertainmentIn Nigeria, phones are used for dialling into favourite radio shows, voting in reality shows, downloading and sharing songs, photos and videos, as well as tweeting.

Nigeria’s mobile music industry (covering everything from mobile downloads to ringtone and caller-tune subscriptions) is now a multimillion-dollar industry. The mobile social networking site, Eskimi, recently became the second most visited site in Nigeria, after Facebook.

A BlackBerry user at a concert in Lagos, Nigeria

Nigeria, 2012www.theglobeandmail.com/authors/iain-marlow

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Case Study 5: FarmingMobile phones have made a huge difference in the lives of farmers. Farmers can share weather information, market prices and help them make better choices. Farmers are able to send a text message to find out crop prices in places thousands of miles away.

iCow is a mobile app. It’s an SMS and voice service that allows dairy farmers to track their cow’s gestation, acting in a way as a veterinary midwife. Farmers are also given tips on breeding and nutrition.

Isaac Mkalia, 20 years old, a teacher but working on a farm now is checking his mobile phone.

Kenya, 2011Sven Torfinn, Oxfam

Case Study 6: HealthSimon, from Ghana thought of an idea to put codes on the box of medicines. Before buying the medicines, people can type the code in a text message and send this to a number. It will check if the medicine is good or not. Many people across Africa were dying from using bad medicines.

Mobile phones are also being used to find health services nearby for people across Africa

Pharmacists handing out our medicine in a local hospital in Free Town, Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone, 2011, Aubrey Wade, Oxfam

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Go to Worksheet 2

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Worksheet 2: Mobile phones in Africa You will need one photo to go with each case study you have used.

Ghana, 2010, Abbie Trayler-Smith, Oxfam

Kaya Ngwenya/Oxfam

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Sudan, 2009, Alun McDonald, Oxfam

Nigeria, 2012, www.theglobeandmail.com/authors/iain-marlow


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Kenya, 2011Sven Torfinn, Oxfam

Sierra Leone, 2011, Aubrey Wade, Oxfam


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Fair technology (Length: 25 minutes)

What is most important a toilet or a mobile phone? Explore your technology ‘needs’ and ‘wants’.

What you need to prepare• 6 x A3 sheets of paper• 6 x sets of technology cards

– Worksheet 1 (go to pages 2-3)• 6 x technology placemat

– Worksheet 2 (go to pages 4-5)

What you need to knowFair technology: A belief that everyone has the right to use the technologies they need in order to live a life they want to live. The use of technology should not have a bad impact on others in the world, now or in the future.

What to doPut pupils into groups of 4 or 5. Ask pupils to discuss the technology that they use and write these down on the A3 sheet of paper. For example: hairdryer, bike, television. Remind pupils that technology does not only mean objects which use electricity. Hand out four blank cards to each group and ask pupils to write down a technology on each card which they need most in their lives. Hand out a set of technology cards to each group. Pupils should now get rid of any cards which are the same

as the cards they have written. Ask one pupil in each group to shuffle and deal the rest of the cards. Pupils should take it in turns to place their cards into a box on the technology placemat. You may need to explain the parts on the mat before the groups begin the task! If pupils want to move or get rid of a card then the whole group must agree. Pupils cannot put more than one card in each space so there will be cards which are left over. Ask pupils to discuss the questions below in their groups.

ReflectionThink about how you are going to share these questions with the class:

Was it easy to agree where the cards should go? Why/Why not?

Which technology was the most important to the group? Why?

Were you surprised by anything?

Do you think we would get different answers if we played this game in a different country?

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Go to Worksheet 1

Concept of Technology Justice and activity adapted from Practical Action – www.practicalaction.org.uk


http://www.practicalaction.org.uk

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Worksheet 1: Fair technology You will need to copy and cut out a set of cards per group. (There are 20 cards in total, including 4 blanks)

The above icons are designed by Freepik – www.freepik.com

Car Electricity

Internet access Clean water system

Hairdryer Bike

TV Equipment to cook

Washing machine Toilet

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The above icons are designed by Freepik – www.freepik.com

Worksheet 1: Fair technology You will need to copy and cut out a set of cards per group. (There are 20 cards in total, including 4 blanks)

Go to Worksheet 2

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Heating system for your home Gas for your home

Health equipment Laptop

Mobile phone MP3 player

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4Worksheet 2: Fair technology See the instructions below and go to the next page for the placemat. You will need to copy a placemat for each group.

Take it in turns to place your technology cards, one at a time, in one of the 3 boxes on the placemat. You need to decide whether the technology on your card is needed, makes life better or is simply a luxury to have.Put a maximum of 4 cards in the centre blue boxes, 6 in the middle green boxes and 8 in the purple outer boxes. Blue = Technology needsGreen = Technology wants: makes life better for the userPurple = Technology wants: a luxury for the user

Go to next page for the placemat.

More on Worksheet 2

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Worksheet 2: Fair technology You will need one copy of the placemat for each group.

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