I want to bring this thead up again. to get answers to how exactly start up a center/NGO or something in a remote village.
--lets say .. i have identified a region .. ( the region in Rajasthan, India has high female foeticide, child marraiges, domestic voilences cases) --I am fortunate to have some people on the ground .. willing to work with me and they are committed and passionate -- Now the questions i face are:-- how to i chart up a sustainable solution in this area?..now i am thinkign out loud ------Do i start a computer center in this region ? why ..how can computers helps in this remote desert area getting them employment ? how can internet, excel benefit these people? -------Do i start a social enterprise --that sounds better since girls in that region love to sew, or learn more home-making skills .. so they willbe interested in coming and learning and making new things (crafts, pots clothes bags e.t.c) ..because they are getting skills they can use and ..if a fair trade is established they can earn ..and hence get empowered. But then i don't have experience and i need guidance and i wonder if the costs can be broken down .. such as international sellings will actually translate to profits back home for these artisans ? --------Do i start a awareness center ..a information center probably is the low-caste safe alternative .. but its reach/impact also is not that much. So my question is . ..How to find the right solution for this remote village in Rajasthan ..to make a difference in the lived of those girls..Whom i dream of giving the same opportunities i was fortunate enough to get cheers, Neetu On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 4:35 PM, Rose G <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Joan and Neetu, > > Joan, you really struck a nerve there. I have been working on the issue > since 2010 and have run into walls repeatedly. I am from Pakistan > originally, and we have power cuts for up to 18 or 20 hours every day. The > government is not promoting use of solar power nor looking in to providing > any incentives for switching to alternative energy sources. > > I started a technology centre in a very remote desert area (thanks to > Systers PIO award) and the girls travelled to the centre from miles for the > lessons and would sometimes wait a few hours before returning to their > homes. They would have wasted half their day, mane even bus fare and all in > vain. The situation was not so bad previously but because the power issue > got worse and worse, we were running out of luck about what to do. Now the > centre is used is a private lesson facility almost, if someone wants a > lesson or guidance about writing a job application, and there is power, > they are accommodated. If not, they go back without gaining anything. In > short, it is serving for the individual needs of some women but regular > group lessons have been a nightmare. > > Neetu, we were also facing similar social and cultural barriers of girls > not coming out of their homes, so we decided to make it a women only > centre. We had a very good respond, partly because it was a group of young > women who asked us to start such a facility. We got a managing board and a > steering committee for the centre in no time! > > I agree that connecting the needs of the women to the technology is very > important. You cannot just start a centre somewhere and hope for women to > walk unto it. It will only be a success if a genuine need for such a > facility has been identified. If the need is not there, there will be no > interest from the community. > > I hope to hear more on this topic especially where electric power issue is > concerned as I am planning to keep on with my mission of connecting women > from rural areas through modern information and communication technologies. > > Kind regards, > Iffat > > > On Apr 15, 2013, at 17:39 , neetu jain <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I have been very interested in knowing more about how technology can help > > rural remote areas. > > > > I would love to know more about your findings. > > > > Here are my 2 cents ( having good amount of exposure to remote villages > In > > Rajasthan, India) > > > > 1) the best means of information dissemination in rural villages is face > > to face. They have ample gatherings .. and any information that is > useful ( > > financially, physically e.t.c) spreads pretty fast ( even the gossips and > > non-useful info does ..but we are not considering that here) ...free food > > gatherings, awareness camps should be a hit..for spreading good > information > > > > 2) There is lot of resistance for girls to get out of home .. in general > in > > these places because of patriarchal system ..But if there is a safe > secure > > ways to make a decent earning .. often that resistance can be fought over > > > > 3) Safety of girls is the topmost priority .. if that in any ways is > > questionable ( like long travel, no support from the mail society e..tc) > > then no matter how good the initiative it is .. it will fail > > > > 4) Cellphones ( in India as well as in Africa) ..are invading even the > > rural sectors .. because if their usefulness .. they have transformed the > > way business happens atleast in villages known to me ( because hoarding > is > > a major occupation there ) > > > > 5) To involve girls .. we need to combine the "cultural part" with > > 'technology part".. to be well received .. Like traditional things that > > girls can do at home .. sewing, making other craft stuff e.t.c .. are > > vastly accepted in rural places .. as things to do for girls .. if > somehow > > using digital world into these hobbies and often occupations .. can be > > incorporated then i think it would be a good hit .. for ex .. a "sewing > > machine database" of a village ..somebody helps them checkout , maintain > > the database e.t.c , getting deisgns from internet , selling online > e.t.c > > e.t.c are few things that come to my mind ..on how their interests can > eb > > blended with technology to get better results > > > > > > 6) There was a computer donated by bill gates foundation in my village > .. i > > found out when i was there 10 years back .. It was in a cow shed --it had > > internet :) slow but still worked ..i was abel to chat with my fiance in > > Stanford from that cowshed -internet thanks to gated foundation . But it > > made me feel very sad .. on how technology goes waste ..when there is not > > enough effort spent in incorporating it into people's lives > > > > > > > > > > > > On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 10:23 AM, African PRIDE Centre < > > [email protected]> wrote: > > > >> Any ideas on how we can transform rural folk, especially women and young > >> girls using ICT? Remember that grassroots lack power connections! > >> > >> Joan > >> > >> > >> To unsubscribe from this conversation, send email to < > >> [email protected]> or visit < > >> http://systers.org/mailman/options/systers?override=4855&preference=0> > >> To contribute to this conversation, use your mailer's reply-all or > >> reply-group command or send your message to [email protected] > >> To start a new conversation, send email to <[email protected]> > >> To unsubscribe entirely from systers, send email to < > >> [email protected]> with subject unsubscribe. > >> > > > > > > To unsubscribe from this conversation, send email to < > [email protected]> or visit < > http://systers.org/mailman/options/systers?override=4855&preference=0> > > To contribute to this conversation, use your mailer's reply-all or > reply-group command or send your message to [email protected] > > To start a new conversation, send email to <[email protected]> > > To unsubscribe entirely from systers, send email to < > [email protected]> with subject unsubscribe. > >
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