Community Information Centers(CICs) in Rural Nepal - Groups - Community

Details

Name: Community Information Centers(CICs) in Rural Nepal
Website: http://www.sayngja.com
Description:
Nepal Rural Information Technology Development Society (NRIDS) was established in 2004 with the objective of bringing IT awareness and services to people living in rural areas throughout Nepal. The fact that Nepal has failed to embrace the information revolution over the last ten years means that as a country we have fallen further behind the developed world, rather than gaining ground. Everyone would agree that Nepalese people who are involved in agriculture, education, construction, and tourism can benefit greatly from access to the Internet and web technologies, just as residents of other countries have. If only these people could have their eyes opened to how business and education is carried out in the developed world, business would prosper, and students would be benifitted. The problem is that much hard work is needed to provide computer access and training to rural areas in Nepal, and, as it stands, very little is being done to rectify the shortcomings in ICTs
This work began with the endorsement of the Syangja District Development Committee; the members of NRIDS have been formulating a blueprint to convert Syangja into the model district for an information revolution in Nepal. With the go of time this movement has been extended in Kaski and Dang District as well. The Members of NRIDS are working now for the formulation of Strategies throughout the Rural Nepal. This blueprint is based around the establishment of Community Information Centers (CICs) in villages where there is currently an extreme shortage of information and information processing mechanism. A CIC, with the involvement and support of local business people, teachers, serviceman, and young people, have been established in different villages; Mayatari, Karendada, Bagalthok, Lampata, Bayatari, and Helu in Syangja; Kaskikot, Dhital in Kaski and Rampur, Laxmipur of Dang district.

A CIC is a place where anyone can have access to the tools and services of the information society, and receive assistance in making use of them. These include but are not limited to Cyber Cafés, Information Kiosks and all Public Computer Access Points e.g. Public Libraries, Computer Colleges and Computer Laboratories for other Institutions of Learning. These are quickly becoming a tool for economic and social development in the world.

CIC is designed not for the big talks of ICT but to make the local people aware what ICT is. It is concerned with how the local people can get benefited from the ICT such as how can even a farmer get benefits from it. NRIDS is carrying its activities with belief that the one and only alternative that Nepal can compete in the today’s global world is through ICT.

It aims at providing the local community with an environment where the people can increase their skills, expertise and professionalism with the help of ICT in their respective field. The primary objective of NRIDS is to create ICT awareness in the grass root level. The major concern of NRIDS is to well acquaint the community in ICT development for the community, by the community and with the community.

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