Mobitel, Open Uni and Ericsson to teach ICT to teenage girls from farming communities in SL
With Information and Communication Technology (ICT) becoming an asset of knowledge in today’s modern world, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel has taken the initiative to teach ICT for teenage girls from farming communities in Sri Lanka with the support of Ericsson, Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) and the Commonwealth of Learning through ‘Connect to Learn Sri Lanka’ programme.
The MoU was signed among the four parties at the Taj Samudra in Colombo last week with the participation of Shiranthi Rajapaksa, wife of the President.
Speaking to the Business Times on the sidelines of the event, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel CEO, Ranjith G. Rubasinghe said, “Connectivity makes no sense without content. We are trying to bring content to the people through the right connectivity and increase the knowledge of the teenage girls around Sri Lanka from the rural areas where they have limited or no access to technology.”
He said, “Initially we have planned to start the programme with the teenage girls from Kandy and Hambantota by the first quarter of 2015 and then move on to other areas of the country. The programme will be done free of charge and it will be held at the OUSL”.
Ericsson will provide the ICT equipment required to implement the project, in addition to project management, systems integration and remote support capabilities. Mobitel, in its endeavour to accelerate growth of the female digital economy in Sri Lanka in line with GSMA connected women programme is providing the mobile connectivity required to facilitate the ‘Connect to Learn’ initiative.
OUSL which is supported by the Commonwealth of Learning is responsible for providing the teachers’ learning facilities and content focusing on ICT training for teenage girls with the aim of equipping them with knowledge and skills in these areas.
Denis Brunetti, Head of Ericsson Sri Lanka at the event said, “In recognition of the International Day of the Girl Child on 11th October the ‘Connect to Learn Sri Lanka’ initiative marks the first milestone of Ericsson’s ‘Technology for Good’ programme in the country. We look forward to continuing this collaboration through the use of technology and the expertise of employees across all three organizations to make positive impacts in the communities we serve.”