“Can a small group of people who see and respond differently to the world make a difference? Indeed, history shows it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead

Zambia is a developing country in Southern Africa. Only 6% of the population is connected to the internet.

A small band of like minded individuals, including a number of believers and ministries in the small village of Macha, have embarked on a collaborative development initiative to change the numbers.

The dream of the pioneers at LinkNet and Macha Works is to spread the Internet to the 80% of Zambians who don’t live in cities.

Their approach consists of three steps:

Internet Connectivity – LinkNet provides the required infrastructure and training of specialists.

Local heroes – The use of talented locals from the community drives effective program development.

Community initiated solutions – Individuals from local villages determine which technology projects have priority. They are also responsible for implementation and sustainability of the activity.

What has been achieved?

Before LinkNet was launched in 2006, there were only 5 PCs in Macha. Now there are more than 200 PC’s connected to the Internet. More than 300 people are trained in the use of computers and more than 65 jobs have been created.

LinkNet has received several requests from communities and several national organizations to connect other communities. LinkNet is scheduled to connect at least 10 new communities to the Internet in the coming year. A number that eventually could increase to 150 in the coming 5 years.

Click, the BBC’s flagship technology program, traveled to Macha and filed this video report on how the Internet connections are transforming the lives of villagers in Macha and other communities.

The LinkNet and Macha collaboration is an excellent example of one small group and village, uniting together to make a difference. A showcase of effective communication and partnership. An unwavering perseverance to achieve the mission.

Keep in mind. Macha started with no technology infrastructure. Very few natural resources. And the average income in the region is US $1 per day.

Now, let’s imagine for a moment…

That a small group of Christians in an average sized U.S. city has decided to make a difference using technology. They have an epic God-given dream.

Their vision is to build a web-based interactive communications hub to meet the spiritual needs of every unchurched person living in their community.

This small band of courageous Christians in our imaginary story is…

• Cooperatively sharing costs, accessing affordable Internet connectivity and virtually unlimited bandwidth.
• Recognizing the ministry opportunities from seventy-seven percent of the population being connected to the Internet.
• Tapping into the rich abundance of creative energy and talent in local churches.
• Developing a live performance platform for local and regional artists.
• Creating employment opportunities for a new generation of digital media warriors.
• Establishing a platform to teach children and teenagers how to witness and share the hope of Christ using the Internet.
• Partnering on innovative initiatives with local ministries, media entities, schools, churches, hospitals and businesses.
• Aggregating media resources to do good works in the community.
• Addressing the Internet outreach and evangelism needs of a variety churches and ministries.
• Becoming a ‘proof-of-concept’ model of a community-based communications network that is scalable, flexible and cost-effective.

This small group of Christians has seen the numbers of unchurched people living in their community for a long time. They have decided to address the challenge in a new way.

For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. Matthew 18:20

They desire to make a difference by fighting tooth and nail to work together as one, using communication technologies to connect with open hearts in which to creatively transmit the gospel. The End.

Could this story really happen?

In rural Zambia, a small group IS making a difference using technology. They are changing lives. They are now rolling the strategy out to the nation. An inspiration of what can be.

You can follow Macha Works on Twitter @machaworks.

Question: Use of the Internet is beginning to out-pace traditional media, evidenced by this report that Generation Y spends more time online than watching TV. Would a web initiative be an effective way to reach them? The unchurched?