[Telecentres] Introduction and Basic Telecentres

[Pamela McLean]

Don  - you asked for some information

# Ref: (telling more about) links and engagement being forged 
between....and Horace's group

I have forwarded your email to Horace.

#Ref: the way online interactions are increasingly used in support of 
Telecentre (InfoCentre)initiatives ........Watching as this project 
develops has been tremendously enlightening

Here I will plug our newsletter - Issue 1 featured Chief Adejumo's 
description of the commissioning of the InfoCentre in June 2003. Issue 
27 (which should be out in the next day or two) will feature the 
installation of the VSAT last Tuesday. No technical details - its about 
the people involved and how the news travelled. It includes an impromptu 
message of congratulations from four friends of the InfoCentre - living 
in four different countries - who happened to "bump into each other on 
yahoo as the news was breaking".

We held a quick yahoo conference to put together a message, so our 
Ago-Are friends would get an immediate sense of what it means to be part 
of the connected community. This gives you a flavour of the message - 
which also explained how we were in different countries and time zones 
(and why we are planning to get a Yoruba keyboard at the InofCentre - 
there should be tonal marks) :
"Eku'se, Sannu da aiki. AgoAre. Its nice to see you on the World Wide 
Web... The Internet is very interesting and can help you develop in ways 
you have never imagined before......Gbogbo Ago-Are nko, Uruko mini 
David, Omo Kenya, Kaabiyesi oooooh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, Gbogbo ile nko? Kenya 
owa, family owa, kusi onu.......Ekujomeji, Ekujometa Oga Ogunjimi, Omo 
nko, Mama inko, ile inko. Eku'seo Oga, I am glad the dream is coming 
true...."

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http://lists.kabissa.org/mailman/listinfo/oocd2000plus

# Ref - how are the funds and plans for sustainability coming along?
We don't seem to fit into the world of funding somehow... you touched on 
this problem for small bottom up initiatives like ours in a previous 
email. We are still "passing the hat" to try to fund David's return. See too
www.bmycharity.com/cawd1
for a recent fund raising event. If you read the small print you'll see 
that donations were mostly offline - but its not too late to give online 
if anyone feels inclined - all currencies accepted  ;-)

Sustainability is an issue we have been addressing very seriously. The 
InfoCentre has always had to stand more or less on its own feet - which 
limits what it can afford to do regarding "social services" - the 
digital library side of things. I have been very much influenced by the 
theory of Social Entrepreneurship in recent months, and that is having a 
strong influence on how we are currently "regrouping" - too much to 
cover here now - but you can expect to see the results over coming 
months and years.

# Ref: Have you been able to forge linkages with
the Cyber Café in Saki?
That actually is an interesting story - illustrative of many issues, 
with useful lessons for where there is no local connectivity. But no 
space for details here.

# Ref:Your challenges and experiences offer valuable
insight for anyone wishing to grasp the complexities of civil ICT engagement
I hope so. That's why I'd like to link up with an academic - so we could 
upgrade the story from anecdotal to proper research and evaluation.

# Ref and IMHO is exactly the type of experience we need to incorporate 
into WSIS
(do you have any spare time? .   
Thanks for the encouragement Don. We don't do anything non-essential 
that involves spending money - but if its a matter of "rubbing brains", 
won't take too long, and is an opportunity to learn something new it 
might well rise to the top of the pile. What do you have in mind?

Rgds
Pam