Etisalat partners Sarvodaya in rural development scheme
View(s):Mobile telecom provider Etisalat Sri Lanka in partnership with Sarvodaya-Fusion, the ICT arm of the Sarvodaya Movement, launched the Etisalat Android Village Hub recently.
The programme is designed to create information and telecommunication resource hubs in the villages of Sri Lanka with an aim of empowering and connecting communities using Android Technology.
Under the initiative, Etisalat will distribute Android Tablets to families in villages identified by Sarvodaya-Fusion and each family will be trained on how to use the device, understand and apply the Internet to their day-to-day activities and maximise on Android applications.
The Tablets will be circulated among 20 selected families in each village with each family receiving the device for a period of two weeks, during which time they will get an opportunity to experience its multiple benefits. Project coordinators at Sarvodaya-Fusion will visit families weekly to assist with knowledge development and device utilisation. The pilot project of the Etisalat Android Village Hub was launched in the villages of Bathiyagama in Kantalai and the Niramisiya Sarvodaya Society in Naththandiya, an Etisalat media release said.
The inauguration ceremony for the Etisalat Android Village Hub at Bathiyagama was attended by Head of Prepaid and Brand Marketing, Shameel Bishri, Head of Human Resources, Srinath Fonseka, Head of Corporate Communications, Pradeep Carvalho, Regional Business Manager, Suresh Mohamed of Etisalat Lanka and from Sarvodaya-Fusion, Managing Director, Dr. Harsha Liyanage and Coordinator Mobile4D Projects, Udara Dharmasena.
Speaking on the launch of the Android Village Hub, Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Sri Lanka Dumindra Ratnayake said, “Etisalat makes every effort to introduce meaningful technology and this project is an initiative from our part to demystify the Internet and Android technology in rural Sri Lanka, to empower and connect local communities with the world. The world around us is evolving at a rapid pace, and the World Wide Web, if harnessed correctly, is a gateway to limitless opportunities. We believe every Sri Lankan must be given the tools and knowledge to understand and access these opportunities. “
Dr. Harsha Liyanage, Managing Director of Sarvodaya-Fusion, said, “This initiative will help improve the knowledge and awareness of children, expose villages to information technology and its benefits, improve the language skills of communities and over all increase awareness about technological and communication innovations in the world.”
Referring to the selection criteria of the villages for this programme Dr. Liyanage said, “When selecting villages, we took into account several practical and social prerequisites in order to make this programme a success. Some of the consideration factors are the village’s 2G or 3G connectivity, having existing relationships with Sarvodaya and being an established and responsible community with a majority of students and youth.“
Each tablet will include the Etisalat Hub, an Android application created for new users of Android. The app is designed to make browsing easier for the user and content is available in Sinhala, Tamil and English.
The pilot project of the Etisalat Android Village Hub will continue for a period of three months and subsequently the programme will be extended to other villages in the country. The benefits of the programme will be monitored to ascertain the development and progress of each enrolled family.
The picture shows the initial four families selected from Bathiyagama, Kantalai who were educated on the Android Village Hub initiative and amongst them were Etisalat Lanka - Head of Prepaid and Brand Marketing, Shameel Bishri, Head of Human Resources, Srinath Fonseka, Head of Corporate Communications, Pradeep Carvalho, Regional Business Manager, Suresh Mohamed and from Sarvodaya Fusion - Managing Director, Dr. Harsha Liyanage, Coordinator Mobile4D Projects, Udara Dharmasena and Coordinator - Sarvodaya Resource Centre Kantalai, Sunil Wickramarachchi.
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