Telecentre on Wheels

When Change Initiatives (India) first tried to bring information sharing technology to remote areas of West Bengal, the NGO faced one major problem. There was no electricity. The remote villages of Ghoragacha and Madandanga lacked access to the electricity and connectivity they needed to enable ICT (Information and Communications Technology).

The solution came last month with a donation from the West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency. WBREDA provided the project with a solar-powered rickshaw van, giving birth to mobile “telecenters”. The result was a new experimental project called Telecentre on Wheels.

Since last month’s official launch, TOW has been working to develop a network to connect rural women and establish information sharing that could significantly improve quality of life in West Bengal. TOW currently works in four West Bengali villages, providing ICT services that give villagers access to news media and public information in their native language of Bengali on everything from hygiene to literacy. The project is also sparking economic activity by helping local women sell their wares via the Internet.

To learn more about the project, check out:
http://www.change-initiatives-india.ibfx.nl/tow.htm

Category: Knowledge for Development