Syrian Telecentre Project A Model for Sustainable Development

Capacity Empowerment Sustainability Self-Sufficiency

Nabil Eid - Syria

neid@telecentre.org

2012

Contents

• Syrian Telecentre Project-Brief• ICTs Roles and Objectives Project• Services Provided and Beneficiaries• Model – Planning• The Community Portal- Reefnet • Mobile Computer Training (E-BAG) in Rural Village• Interactive Schools Project• Empowering and Services for People with Disabilities through ICT• Transformation from ICT Access Point to Knowledge Centre• Challenges Ahead• The Road Ahead

Syrian Telecentre Project-Brief

The First Phase, 2004

Established telecentres all over the country, especially in the most remote areas.

The Ministry of Communications and Technology has launched this project in

cooperation with the (UNDP), as part of its Strategic Program "ICT4Dev SYR/02/001.

This project has so far established about 40 telecentres across the Syrian provinces in

rural areas, with the first telecentre inaugurated in April 2004.

The Syrian Telecentre Project is one of the development projects aimed at providing ICTs

for local and rural communities.

Syrian Telecentre Project-Brief

The Second Phase, 2009

The project has been turned over to and is currently being undertaken by the Syrian

Computer Society (SCS) and the Syria Trust for Development since 2009.

The new MoU between the Ministry of Communication and Technology, Syrian

Computer Society, and the Syria Trust for Development plans to establish 45 new

telecentres between 2010-2013.

Currently, 18 new telecentres have been established, bringing the total number of

telecentres established thus far by the project to 58 telecentres

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

10

18

26

3337

40

50

58

Total number and names of telecentres established each year

Geographical Reach of the project

Location Map of established telecentres over the past years

Item Project Total

Mobile Compute Training Reefnet-ICT4Dev 4

Telecentre Reefnet-ICT4Dev 40

New Telecentre Implemented STP - SCS 18

Interactive Schools Project Reefnet-ICT4Dev 5

Computer Training Center Reefnet-ICT4Dev 4

ICTs Roles and objectives project

•Bridging the digital divide between rural and urban areas,•Using the ICTs as a powerful instrument in the development of local communities,•Creating an enabling environment for the use of ICT in Syria,•Accelerating the development of information facilities and infrastructures as well as to improve the capacity to benefit from ICT.

The project has more dimensions in the development of the Syrian community and bridging digital divide.

Never doubt the ability of a small group of thoughtful and committed people to change the world .

Conventional Wisdom

Turning the Pyramid on its Head

Services provided The program has provided training through telecentres to all people from various of segments (women, youth, children, adult and people with disabilities) on computer applications and volunteers.

Model Services to offer

Training

ICT for Development

Services

Access to Communication Facilities

Beneficiaries and targeted group

The program has trained more than 50,000 trainees from a variety of rural areas. The program has also been implemented in urban areas through four CTCs (Computer Training Centres) to benefit more people in other states.

Students

Teachers

Local NGOs

Small business entrepreneur

General population

Services provided and beneficiaries

Basic services in first phase Advanced services in second phase Free services

•Internet and Telephone services.• sending and receiving fax messages.•Typing services, printing; scanning; photocopying•sending, receiving and translating e-mail messages.•Providing meeting space for small groups.•Access to government forms and information.•Training in computer use and providing meeting and reading room.•Nursing and literacy

•Training services on ICT skills.•ICDL certificate.•Developing local database.•Graphic Design.•Designing Web page.•Maintenance hardware. •Training Foreign Languages (English, French, Spanish, Germany).•Accounting programs •Small project management.

•Free Law consultants, E- Health, Financial and Agriculture consultants•Free training and audio library for blind and visually impaired.•Free training for deaf-mute and motor rehabilitation.•Free cultural libraries and audio national culture for students•Free government content (Financial, Agricultural, Tourism, Results of students exams in schools and universities).•Free job search

Model – Planning

The model of the project is aimed at promoting disadvantaged and rural individuals to provided ICT services through universal service and the creation of equal opportunities for rural people to improve local content, skills, and enhance their livelihood.

Expand and support the uses of ICT in social and economic development.

Build an environment that can use those technologies, especially in isolated areas.

Contribute to closing the digital gap between cities and rural areas.

Contribute to the creation of job opportunities which depend on ICT.

Assist small sized communities to use those technologies and empower women in rural areas to benefit from them.

Motivate Syrian citizens to use ICT in acquiring new skills.

Participate actively in communities’ social and economic activities.

The Community Portal- Reefnet

ObjectivesThe use of the Internet in different activities aiming at promoting the social and economic development The Geographical allocation of the Portals Websites for 100 Syrian towns

Each community portal is assigned a website and the telecentre’s staff are responsible for its management and maintenance

www.reefnet.gov.sy

The main page contains information about topics of interest for rural citizens, such as: A portal that includes:• valuable information for the communities' members• Syrian laws, agriculture, education, health, government transactions• A huge agricultural content, Syrian Law, health awareness leaflets, educational books (Arabic Grammar)• Syrian Heritage • Reefnet e-library• Service websites: medical consulting, education, legal consulting, educational consulting• General information: maps, currency exchange rates, phones numbers• Audio lessons, Specialized audio Lectures, reef e- library Achievement

Content of Community Portal

Built to engage community members in developing and localization of local content, exploring local cultural and more localized relationship with heritage.

Content of Community Portal

Achievements

• The towns are benefiting from the websites to communicate & introduce themselves & their local activities and issues … some heads of councils are following their towns‘ websites on a daily basis• Creating a network of contributing volunteers: more than 60 doctors, 30 teacher, 10 attorneys & 10 agricultural engineers to answer all the enquiries of the websites• A dynamic Syria map in Arabic & world Atlas• Preparing to establish the encyclopedia of summarized encyclopedias • Applications to serve the communities (there are some local products can be marketed online: Draikish silk, Efrin Soap, Bousra’s hey, Mesyaf’s figs• Linking the communities' websites with the municipality services: different types of licenses and documents (currently in progress)

Mobile Computer Training (E-BAG) in rural village

The Reefnet project extended and speared computer training in rural community to serving a large number of rural people which lack ICTs services. And who don’t have computers in school or home. E-BAG Lab improve dtheir computer literacy and surf the internet through modem mobile. A computer laboratory in a mobile bag that aims to bring technology to even the remote rural areas in Syria.

Mobile Computer Training (E-BAG)

Interactive Schools Project

The project was launched with corporate ministry of education in Syria to automate network of schools and set of regulations that operate in an integrated manner to meet the needs of automation teachers and students within schools. The ‘Interactive Schools’ project was implemented in 15 schools in Deir-Ezor, one of Syria’s poorest regions, providing each school with ten desktops to be used by students as an information hub, and five for the school’s administrative and managerial purposes. the Ministry of Education launched a further five schemes in Damascus in January 2011, and is considering introducing similar initiatives to all Syrian schools.

Goal of the project:• Enhance the communication between the teachers and students in school and the families of students.• Services provided by the Ministry of education regarding the formation of an electronic gathering of schools reflect the activities and events each school.AchievementsWork processes in the 20 schools became simplified and automated, eliminating all the paperwork. Both teachers and parents have acquired valuable skills to use modern technology, through which they communicate and work more closely to manage the schools and share their views on the students’ progress.

Moving from Advocacy to Action from Exclusion to Equality

Empowering and Services for People with Disabilities through ICT

Primary Objectives

The vision aims at achieving certain goals and focus on disabilities issues through ICTs.

Promote the e-inclusion, e-learning of the PwDs and maximize the use of IT skills.

Bridging the digital divide for PwDs especially within rural communities.

Facilitate access to education, training, culture and remote services .

Readiness for employing and creating job opportunities.

Sharing knowledge and experiences.

Eradicate extreme poverty for within disadvantaged communitiesBeneficiariesStudents with Physical Disabilities Blindness and Visual ImpairmentsHearing ImpairmentsIntellectual DisabilitiesLearning Disabilities.

Reefnet project and multiple Partnerships with UNDP, UN-ICTDAR , UNESCO and NGO’s

ICTARB promote blind in their skills and rehabilitation and enabling them to access e-Learning and new job opportunities

Empowering and Services for People with Disabilities through ICT

Salamieh Telecentre equipped with:•Four IBSAR Arabic Screen Reader•Braille Printer•Broadband Internet Connection•Communication Facilities•Friendly Environment

Students with Blind and Visually Impairment

Empowering and Services for People with Disabilities through ICT

Students with Physical Disabilities Students with intellectual Disabilities

ICT tools can offer support through- Communication facilities. - Computer access devices. - Utilizing the specialized software. - Maximizing the disabled inputs- Touch sensitive screens- The Internet

-ICT4D PwDs can help in many areas, including word recognition, math, spelling and even social skills. -Communication: E-mail, Internet, Mobile Phones, SMS-Compensation: Movies, Music, Games, Special Services.-Competence: E-Learning Systems, Special Training. -Cognition: Rehabilitating Programs – IT Persons training of brain injured, Alarm system

Students with Hearing Disabilities

ICT given Deaf and Hearing Disability the opportunity to improve their chances at finding employment and also to enhance their current careers

The present indications are that an “Information Society for All".

Three Syrian Telecentre (Salamieh, Zabadani and CTC Damascus )have been selected as access points in the project of Knowledge Networks Through ICT Access Points for Disadvantaged Communities, KN4DC Project –UN-ESCWAThe (KN4DC) is a project that was launched in late 2006 and funded by the United Nations Development Account. The five UN regional commissions ECA, ESCAP, ECE, ECLAC and ESCWA partnered to implement this project on a global levelObjective the projectThe main objective of the project is to empower disadvantaged communities by transforming selected ICT access points/Telecentres into knowledge hubs that are networked at the regional and global levels. This objective will be reached by providing, developing, organizing, sharing and disseminating knowledge pertinent to targeted communities in key areas of sustainable development such as employment, education, gender and health. the project will improve the living standards of the targeted communities.

Salamieh Telecentre Transformation to Knowledge Centre

http://www.knowledgenets.net/salamieh/.

knowledge means: Force for Development of Disadvantaged Communities

Achievements of Salamieh knowledge hub in relation to the main objectives of KN4DC

Salamieh knowledge hub/center put two main objectives: The first accomplishment is specifically concerned with transforming Salamieh Telecentre from conventional to smart knowledge hubs. " Salamieh Knowledge Hub" Secondly, Salamieh Telecentre intended to empower the poor and disadvantaged communities in rural areas of Salamieh through further conversion of this knowledge hub into regional/global knowledge networks.Salamieh Knowledge Hub organize and disseminate knowledge directly related to socio-economic development.

The main successes of the projectPromoting sustainable Telecentres and Knowledge Center.Knowledge sharing - sharing experiences, skills and expertise.Implementation - lessons learnt and best practices, and sharing knowledge on methodologies and tools used for telecentre assessment and evaluation.Work towards knowledge sharing and knowledge fusion.Work with local and national organization and NGO's to identify specific projects for donor funding in partnership.

Rural Women's & Youth Empowerment

Salamieh Telecentre Transformation to Knowledge Centre

Children's Empowerment

Salamieh Telecentre Transformation to Knowledge Centre

Empowerment of the Elderly

Salamieh Telecentre Transformation to Knowledge Centre

Increasing Knowledge, and Raising Awareness of Local Community

Salamieh Telecentre Transformation to Knowledge Centre

•Economies of scale and scope attracting more number of users and offering wider range

of services.

•Keeping costs – capital as well recurrent, low is one of the keys to economic sustainability.

•Generating revenue from diverse fees and services.

•Revenue from core communication applications.

•Gradual growth of other revenue sources.

•Identification of information and communication needs of the users.

•Guarding against potential negative externalities – making sure that every Telecentre

benefits from the development of such services.

•Designing appropriate policies.

•Building local capability – ensuring proper technical training of the operators.

Challenges Ahead

The Syrian Telecentre Project is continuing with a new vision and new future plan to invest in human development and infrastructure. The project is continuing in developing industrial development policies and promoting environmental sustainability and improving rural / urban areas through the use of ICTs.The mission of the Syrian Telecentre Project is to build sustainability not only in the telecentres served, but also in the local communities served by telecentres and improve the way of life for people living in Syria.

The Road Ahead

Nabil Eid

Executive Secretary of Knowledge Networks for Disadvantaged Communities- Western Asia

Regional Community Coordinator – Telecentre.org Foundation in MENA Region

Team Leader of Slamieh Telecentre at Syrian Telecentre Project

neid@telecentre.org