syrian telecentre project: a model for sustainable development
DESCRIPTION
Community-led innovation is perhaps the best way to describe the Syrian Telecentre Project. This model of sustainability relies on users as the force driving innovation and sustainability by identifying and forging new projects and partnerships for community well-being.TRANSCRIPT
Welcome toTIS TalksWe believe that today’s ICT4D (information and community technology for development) environment presents us with trends and opportunities with great potential to generate game changing innovations to telecentres and their growing number of users.
Join us and learn how!
Host and moderator
Jimena BetancourtTELECENTE SUSTAINABILITY WEBINAR COORDINATORJimena Betancourt is an international consultant with more than 10 years of experience in social innovation, strategy and management for sustainable development enterprises and social businesses in ICT4D. She has been involved with the telecentre movement since 2009. Jimena has an Master’s in Business Administration from Simmons College and a degree in Finance and International Relations from Universidad Externado de Colombia.
Nabil Eid
Executive Secretary of Knowledge Networks for Disadvantaged Communities- Western Asia
Regional Community Coordinator – Telecentre.org Foundation in MENA Region
Team Leader of Slamieh Telecentre at Syrian Telecentre Project
Syrian Telecentre Project A Model for Sustainable Development
Capacity Empowerment Sustainability Self-Sufficiency
Nabil Eid - Syria
2012
Contents
Syrian Telecentre Project-Brief
ICTs Roles and Objectives Project
Services Provided and Beneficiaries
Model – Planning
The Community Portal- Reefnet
Mobile Computer Training (E-BAG) in Rural Village
Interactive Schools Project
Empowering and Services for People with Disabilities through ICT
Transformation from ICT Access Point to Knowledge Centre
Challenges Ahead The Road Ahead
Syrian Telecentre Project-Brief
The First Phase, 2004
Established telecentres all over the country, especially in the most
remote areas.
The Ministry of Communications and Technology has launched this
project in cooperation with the (UNDP), as part of its Strategic Program
"ICT4Dev SYR/02/001.
This project has so far established about 40 telecentres across the
Syrian provinces in rural areas, with the first telecentre inaugurated in
April 2004.
The Syrian Telecentre Project is one of the development projects aimed
at providing ICTs for local and rural communities.
Syrian Telecentre Project-Brief
The Second Phase, 2009
The project has been turned over to and is currently being undertaken
by the Syrian Computer Society (SCS) and the Syria Trust for
Development since 2009.
The new MoU between the Ministry of Communication and
Technology, Syrian Computer Society, and the Syria Trust for
Development plans to establish 45 new telecentres between 2010-
2013.
Currently, 18 new telecentres have been established, bringing the
total number of telecentres established thus far by the project to 58
telecentres
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
10
18
26
3337
40
50
58
Total number and names of telecentres established each year
Geographical Reach of the project
Location Map of established telecentres over the past years
Item Project Total
Mobile Compute Training
Reefnet-ICT4Dev
4
Telecentre Reefnet-ICT4Dev
40
New Telecentre Implemented
STP - SCS 18
Interactive Schools Project
Reefnet-ICT4Dev
5
Computer Training Center
Reefnet-ICT4Dev
4
ICTs Roles and objectives project
•Bridging the digital divide between rural and urban areas,•Using the ICTs as a powerful instrument in the development of local communities,•Creating an enabling environment for the use of ICT in Syria,•Accelerating the development of information facilities and infrastructures as well as to improve the capacity to benefit from ICT.
The project has more dimensions in the development of the Syrian community and bridging digital divide.
Never doubt the ability of a small group of thoughtful and committed people to change the world .
Conventional Wisdom
Turning the Pyramid on its Head
Services provided
The program has provided training through telecentres to all people from various of segments (women, youth, children, adult and people with disabilities) on computer applications and volunteers.
Model Services to offer
Training
ICT for Development
Services
Access to Communication
Facilities
Beneficiaries and targeted group
The program has trained more than 50,000 trainees from a variety of rural areas. The program has also been implemented in urban areas through four CTCs (Computer Training Centres) to benefit more people in other states.
Students
Teachers
Local NGOs
Small business entrepreneur
General population
Services provided and beneficiaries
Basic services in first phase
Advanced services in second phase
Free services
•Internet and Telephone services.• sending and receiving fax messages.•Typing services, printing; scanning; photocopying•sending, receiving and translating e-mail messages.•Providing meeting space for small groups.•Access to government forms and information.•Training in computer use and providing meeting and reading room.•Nursing and literacy
•Training services on ICT skills.•ICDL certificate.•Developing local database.•Graphic Design.•Designing Web page.•Maintenance hardware. •Training Foreign Languages (English, French, Spanish, Germany).•Accounting programs •Small project management.
•Free Law consultants, E- Health, Financial and Agriculture consultants•Free training and audio library for blind and visually impaired.•Free training for deaf-mute and motor rehabilitation.•Free cultural libraries and audio national culture for students•Free government content (Financial, Agricultural, Tourism, Results of students exams in schools and universities).•Free job search
Model – Planning
The model of the project is aimed at promoting disadvantaged and rural individuals to provided ICT services through universal service and the creation of equal opportunities for rural people to improve local content, skills, and enhance their livelihood.
Expand and support the uses of ICT in social and economic development.
Build an environment that can use those technologies, especially in isolated areas.
Contribute to closing the digital gap between cities and rural areas.
Contribute to the creation of job opportunities which depend on ICT.
Assist small sized communities to use those technologies and empower women in rural areas to benefit from them.
Motivate Syrian citizens to use ICT in acquiring new skills.
Participate actively in communities’ social and economic activities.
The Community Portal- Reefnet
ObjectivesThe use of the Internet in different activities aiming at promoting the social and economic development The Geographical allocation of the Portals Websites for 100 Syrian towns
Each community portal is assigned a website and the telecentre’s staff are responsible for its management and maintenancewww.reefnet.gov.sy
The main page contains information about topics of interest for rural citizens, such as: A portal that includes:• valuable information for the communities' members• Syrian laws, agriculture, education, health, government transactions• A huge agricultural content, Syrian Law, health awareness leaflets, educational books (Arabic Grammar)• Syrian Heritage • Reefnet e-library• Service websites: medical consulting, education, legal consulting, educational consulting• General information: maps, currency exchange rates, phones numbers• Audio lessons, Specialized audio Lectures, reef e- library Achievement
Content of Community Portal
Built to engage community members in developing and localization of local content, exploring local cultural and more localized relationship with heritage.
Content of Community Portal
Achievements
• The towns are benefiting from the websites to communicate & introduce themselves & their local activities and issues … some heads of councils are following their towns‘ websites on a daily basis• Creating a network of contributing volunteers: more than 60 doctors, 30 teacher, 10 attorneys & 10 agricultural engineers to answer all the enquiries of the websites• A dynamic Syria map in Arabic & world Atlas• Preparing to establish the encyclopedia of summarized encyclopedias • Applications to serve the communities (there are some local products can be marketed online: Draikish silk, Efrin Soap, Bousra’s hey, Mesyaf’s figs• Linking the communities' websites with the municipality services: different types of licenses and documents (currently in progress)
Mobile Computer Training (E-BAG) in rural village
The Reefnet project extended and speared computer training in rural community to serving a large number of rural people which lack ICTs services. And who don’t have computers in school or home. E-BAG Lab improve dtheir computer literacy and surf the internet through modem mobile. A computer laboratory in a mobile bag that aims to bring technology to even the remote rural areas in Syria.
Mobile Computer Training (E-BAG)
Interactive Schools Project
The project was launched with corporate ministry of education in Syria to automate network of schools and set of regulations that operate in an integrated manner to meet the needs of automation teachers and students within schools. The ‘Interactive Schools’ project was implemented in 15 schools in Deir-Ezor, one of Syria’s poorest regions, providing each school with ten desktops to be used by students as an information hub, and five for the school’s administrative and managerial purposes. the Ministry of Education launched a further five schemes in Damascus in January 2011, and is considering introducing similar initiatives to all Syrian schools.
Goal of the project:• Enhance the communication between the teachers and students in school and the families of students.• Services provided by the Ministry of education regarding the formation of an electronic gathering of schools reflect the activities and events each school.AchievementsWork processes in the 20 schools became simplified and automated, eliminating all the paperwork. Both teachers and parents have acquired valuable skills to use modern technology, through which they communicate and work more closely to manage the schools and share their views on the students’ progress.
Moving from Advocacy to Action from Exclusion to Equality
Empowering and Services for People with Disabilities through ICT
Primary Objectives
The vision aims at achieving certain goals and focus on disabilities issues through ICTs.
Promote the e-inclusion, e-learning of the PwDs and maximize the use of IT skills.
Bridging the digital divide for PwDs especially within rural communities.
Facilitate access to education, training, culture and remote services .
Readiness for employing and creating job opportunities.
Sharing knowledge and experiences.
Eradicate extreme poverty for within disadvantaged communitiesBeneficiaries
Students with Physical Disabilities Blindness and Visual ImpairmentsHearing ImpairmentsIntellectual DisabilitiesLearning Disabilities.
Reefnet project and multiple Partnerships with UNDP, UN-ICTDAR , UNESCO and NGO’s
ICTARB promote blind in their skills and rehabilitation and enabling them to access e-Learning and new job opportunities
Empowering and Services for People with Disabilities through ICT
Salamieh Telecentre equipped with:•Four IBSAR Arabic Screen Reader•Braille Printer•Broadband Internet Connection•Communication Facilities•Friendly Environment
Students with Blind and Visually Impairment
Empowering and Services for People with Disabilities through ICT
Students with Physical Disabilities Students with intellectual Disabilities
ICT tools can offer support through
- Communication facilities. - Computer access devices. - Utilizing the specialized
software. - Maximizing the disabled
inputs- Touch sensitive screens- The Internet
-ICT4D PwDs can help in many areas, including word recognition, math, spelling and even social skills. -Communication: E-mail, Internet, Mobile Phones, SMS-Compensation: Movies, Music, Games, Special Services.-Competence: E-Learning Systems, Special Training. -Cognition: Rehabilitating Programs – IT Persons training of brain injured, Alarm system
Students with Hearing Disabilities
ICT given Deaf and Hearing Disability the opportunity to improve their chances at finding employment and also to enhance their current careers
The present indications are that an “Information Society for All".
Three Syrian Telecentre (Salamieh, Zabadani and CTC Damascus )have been selected as access points in the project of Knowledge Networks Through ICT Access Points for Disadvantaged Communities, KN4DC Project –UN-ESCWAThe (KN4DC) is a project that was launched in late 2006 and funded by the United Nations Development Account. The five UN regional commissions ECA, ESCAP, ECE, ECLAC and ESCWA partnered to implement this project on a global levelObjective the projectThe main objective of the project is to empower disadvantaged communities by transforming selected ICT access points/Telecentres into knowledge hubs that are networked at the regional and global levels. This objective will be reached by providing, developing, organizing, sharing and disseminating knowledge pertinent to targeted communities in key areas of sustainable development such as employment, education, gender and health. the project will improve the living standards of the targeted communities.
Salamieh Telecentre Transformation to Knowledge Centre
http://www.knowledgenets.net/salamieh/.
knowledge means: Force for Development of Disadvantaged Communities
Achievements of Salamieh knowledge hub in relation to the main objectives of KN4DC
Salamieh knowledge hub/center put two main objectives:
The first accomplishment is specifically concerned with transforming Salamieh Telecentre from conventional to smart knowledge hubs. " Salamieh Knowledge Hub"
Secondly, Salamieh Telecentre intended to empower the poor and disadvantaged communities in rural areas of Salamieh through further conversion of this knowledge hub into regional/global knowledge networks.Salamieh Knowledge Hub organize and disseminate knowledge directly related to socio-economic development.The main successes of the projectPromoting sustainable Telecentres and Knowledge Center.Knowledge sharing - sharing experiences, skills and expertise.Implementation - lessons learnt and best practices, and sharing knowledge on methodologies and tools used for telecentre assessment and evaluation.Work towards knowledge sharing and knowledge fusion.Work with local and national organization and NGO's to identify specific projects for donor funding in partnership.
Rural Women's & Youth Empowerment
Salamieh Telecentre Transformation to Knowledge Centre
Children's Empowerment
Salamieh Telecentre Transformation to Knowledge Centre
Empowerment of the Elderly
Salamieh Telecentre Transformation to Knowledge Centre
Increasing Knowledge, and Raising Awareness of Local Community
Salamieh Telecentre Transformation to Knowledge Centre
•Economies of scale and scope attracting more number of users and
offering wider range of services.
•Keeping costs – capital as well recurrent, low is one of the keys to
economic sustainability.
•Generating revenue from diverse fees and services.
•Revenue from core communication applications.
•Gradual growth of other revenue sources.
•Identification of information and communication needs of the users.
•Guarding against potential negative externalities – making sure that
every Telecentre benefits from the development of such services.
•Designing appropriate policies.
•Building local capability – ensuring proper technical training of the
operators.
Challenges Ahead
The Syrian Telecentre Project is continuing with a new vision and new future plan to
invest in human development and infrastructure.
The project is continuing in developing industrial development policies and
promoting environmental sustainability and improving rural / urban areas through
the use of ICTs.
The mission of the Syrian Telecentre Project is to build sustainability not only in the
telecentres served, but also in the local communities served by telecentres and
improve the way of life for people living in Syria.
The Road Ahead
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