FADECO INFORMATION/ RESOURCE TELECENTRE
P. O. Box 223 Tel/Fax: (028) 2223024
Karagwe - Kagera Region
Rationale:
FADECO seeks to be a development catalyst and as such, a
tool to stimulate development action. It believes strongly in information
as a powerful instrument in catalyzing development change /process. So
this ICT project was conceived:
-
to introduce information and communication Technologies and library
/ information resource services in the rural areas of Karagwe district,
Kagera Region in 1995.
-
to demonstrate the viability of the current conviction that providing
information and communication to rural communities catalyses the development
process and results in improvement in the quality of life of the people.
-
Social economic emancipation and development is possible if the people
are given the means to know, thus the saying: information is power.
Background of the project:
 The
resource centre started as a small bookshelf by the Director of FADECO
in 1992 as what was termed at that time as a rural library. Gradually,
as FADECO became established in development work, the collection expanded
until it was decided to start a small library. Through initial contact
with Mr. Dave Thorpe (www.cyberium.co.uk), some books were acquired from
the Centre for Alternative Technology (C.A.T) near machnylleth in Powys,
Wales- UK.
In 1996, Mr.
Frank Jackson (formerly working with APSO and KARADEA) put the centre
into contact with the Humanity CDROM Project that was disseminating CDROM
libraries to centres in developing countries with limited access to funds
to purchase printed materials. Dr. Loots sent the first CDROM on sustainable
development in 1997.
Main objectives of the resource centre:
To stimulate sustainable rural development and poverty alleviation by
facilitating access to information, learning resources and communication
technologies (ICTs) in Karagwe district; and support different development
initiatives to sustainably address the following issues:
-
Poverty and Ignorance
-
Peace and solidarity among people
-
Good governance and democracy
-
Illiteracy and Diseases
-
Private sector development and economic regeneration
-
Gender sensitivity and human rights
-
Environmental protection and conservation
-
HIV/AIDS awareness and diseases prevention
Intermediate objectives:
-
Stimulate and create opportunity for the rural community in the district
to access local, national and international information services and
resources
-
Utilize information from the centre for rural community development
-
Impart skill in information searching including the use of modern
information technologies
-
Generate local information and knowledge from resources available
within the community
-
Make available needed information to the community through news letters
or other publications
Developments:
The Resource centre has undergone a series of transformations. In 1996
FADECO rented a small room at Omurushaka FADECO logistics office. The
resource centre was also moved along. In 1997, FADECO shifted to Kayanga
at the former UNHCR offices until 1998. It was later transferred in 1999-2000
to a container office at Kayanga.
In 2000 - 2001, FADECO relocated the facility to one of the rooms at
its new offices in Kayanga. The DRDP of contributed USD 400.00 towards
the purchase the essential furniture. The centre is now connected to telephone
through which it become possible to connect to email and internet although
at very high cost.
Beneficiaries / Target Groups:
The primary beneficiaries are members of the development community including
Government institutions, Churches, Schools, NGOs and CBOs. The NGOs who
belong to the the district network of voluntary organizations called KADENVO
are particularly targeted because they claim to help the communities to
develop. They need to have up-to-date information for the farmers and
their other target groups.
Then come the different technical persons (heads of departments, Researchers,
individuals and students in higher institutions of learning). The Resource
center is also targeting the business community and private sector who
may need information on markets, current business trends, etc.
The Resource centre presently has reference information to support the
following:
-
Formal, non-formal, tertially and information education
-
Literacy (adult and functional) campaigns and life skills
-
Agriculture and environment
-
Primary health care and HIV/AIDS
-
Income generating initiatives
-
Rural community development and extension services
-
Business entrepreneur-ship
Collection of resource materials:
Books:
The Resource centre has various collections of books on various subjects
through the generous offer of individuals and organizations through grant
or under some corporate arrangement. The following institutions have directly
donated books to the resource centre:
PANOS INSTITUTE- UK
International Institute of Environment and development (IIED)- UK
Intermediate technology Dvelopment Group (ITDG) - UK
Catholic Fund for Overseas Development (CAFOD)- UK
BOOKAID INTERNATIONAL- UK
ICWRC- USA
International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)- UK
HEALTHLINK WORLDWIDE (formerly ARHTAG) - UK
CTA- The Netherlands
International network for the Improvement of banana and plantains (INIBAP)
ETC - Netherlands
ETC - East Africa
The Kenya Institute of Organic Farming (KIOF), Nairobi- Kenya
OXFAM -UK
Overseas Development Institute (OD)- UK
Natural Resources Institute (NRI)- UK
FADECO extends sincere ACKNOWLEDGMENTS to these and other Organizations
that have provided support to this noble idea.
Periodicals:
FADECO is on the mailing lists of the various publications
ILEIA - The Netherlands for LEISA magazine
TEARFUND - the UK for FOOTSTEPS magazine
IIED for PLA notes and other network papers
The Troy Trust- UK for Bees & Development,
CTA, Netherlands for Spore,
UNHCR-Geneva for the Refugee Magazine,
Arid Lands Information network (ALIN) for Baobab magazine
Actionaid for Strategies of Hope series on HIV/AIDS
ODI for AGREN and other Network papers
Audiovisual materials:
A number of institutions have physically donated videotapes to FADECO.
IIED-UK; CAT-UK: KIOF-Kenya, ETC-Netherlands; UNEP; COMMONWEALTH SCIENCE
COUNCIL-UK, The Centre for Terrestrial Ecology, Edinburgh and many other
institutions.
CDROM Libraries:
The following institutions have donated CDROM Libraries to FADECO:
INIBAP; FOOTSTEPS; FOODNET; HUMANITYINFO CDROM Project, Tanzania Investment
Authority, Ministry of Agriculture, China.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT: Thank you all for your support.
3.0 Services of the Resource centre::
The Resource Centre is used as a means of generating and accessing (making
available) to the community based information and linkage to other international
information and communication networks. The services presently offered
by the centre include the following among others
-
Resource and reference services
-
Production of newsletter called WAZA
-
Production of training materials
-
Limited Internet and email access
Resources and Reference services:
The resource centre offers opportunities to development workers, researchers
and students to access valuable and up-to-date information contained
in the wide range of literature and information sources available.
Limited access to internet and email:
The Resource centre offers very limited and private access to email
and internet (WEB HOME from 6.00 P.M to 6.00 A.M). Users have to pay
for the service. This is service has not been developed because of
telephone costs which tend to make the whole thing bitter. Trunk calls
made to an ISP in Mwanza/ Dar Es salaam make the running costs unaffordable.
Management
The Resource centre is managed by Ms Wanjiku Rahab as Resource centre
manager. This one is a short term volunteer to FADECO from KIOF. The facility
is open to the public from Mon - Friday (9.30 A.M. to 6.00 P.M.). Those
wishing to send their emails have them queued and sent at once after 6.00
P.m. Incoming mails are printed out and posted to respective recipients.
Future plans and aspirations:
FADECO desires to develop this into a fully fledge resource centre. This
however requires some capital injection. A cheaper option for internet
connectivity is best via VSAT. This would be a direct link to the internet
and would afford unlimited access to the internet by users.
Target beneficiaries with computers could be connected via a Local Area
Network either via microwave or telephone line or cable.
FADECO would need to purchase enough computers (minimum of 10) with one
of them being the server networked to all other 9. In this case, the facility
would serve as an internet cafe while at the same time offering service
to others via cable or microwave. The facility would act therefore as
a node.
Some of the basic equipment that would be necessary in this case have
been mentioned in another part
of this site. For internet connectivity however additional equipment
will be needed like:
VSAT dish
Microwave antennae
Accessories
Software
Technical assistance.
Conclusion:
The ball has been set to roll. FADECO invites every interested party
to come in. This is not a cheap undertaking.. but without access to information,
there will never be a bright future for the development of rural Kagera.
Should you be interested to help,
contact us.
|
