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Figures 6 and 7. Computer classes at schools
Figures 8 and 9. Public access services at telecenters
4. THE OUTCOME
a) Created enabling environment for rural ICT
o Demonstrated use of low-power pcs in rural areas
to the government and other stakeholders.
b) Promoted government endorsement of ICT for rural
development through cross-sector use of ICTs for
education, e-governance, and agriculture.
c) Fostered delivery channel for GoN E-governance and
other electronic services.
d) Demonstrated mainstream computer education through
low-power computer labs in government schools.
e) Incorporated ICT facilities for rural access in GoN RET
extension strategy. This will contribute to the overall
rural development, and attainment of MDGs resulting
from access to power.
f) Leveraged local development
g) Service provider training for schools/rural ICT centers
o Integrating E-teaching in schools
o Providing public ICT services
o Hardware and software fundamentals
h) E-content and applications
o Updating online platform for rural users
o ICT-enabled full-year curriculum in Nepali,
English, and Science Grades 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10
Table 2. Impacts from four community-based pilot sites
Beneficiary Group Direct Beneficiaries
Schoolchildren 3200
Individuals 5500
Rural households 1100
367
5. SUSTAINABILITY
5.1 Localized Services
This approach is unique in that it presents a holistic approach in
installing and using RET, and wireless technology to bring about
direct economic impacts upon vulnerable communities. The
project has been integrated into the local community to ensure
optimum development impact, and respond to demand-based
online resources and applications. Offline services and products
have been integrated along with online services. Offline services
have strengthened the business plan of the entrepreneurs as they
cost much less to provide in terms of investment cost, but deliver
constant fees for services. Offline services are integral in the
initial phase to encourage rural clientele not used to online
resources to enter the service facilities and gradually build
comfort in using technology.
Activity sustainability has been ensured by:
1) Offsetting the access to energy, and upfront and operating
cost barriers through multi-sector linkages
2) Providing diversified use of the ICT center facilities to the
local population as public access services
3) Localizing content to meet needs at rural schools, including
E-granary server and E-curriculum
4) Creating ownership and demand for ICT services through
partial subsidy towards local commitment to deliver Egovernance
and other services
5.1 Contributing to the National Agenda
This initiative has addressed major barriers to national expansion
of electronic services. This project has precipitated synergy
between multi-sectoral activities, and mobilized financial and
human resource investments from multiple players at the local as
well as national level in order to translate technological scopes
into direct impacts upon rural lives. Winrock International's
previous efforts in rural information and communication activities
strongly indicate that public-private-partnerships are a pivotal
aspect of sustainability following project completion. Impacts on
direct beneficiaries, the children from grades six through ten, and
households in the vicinity in the four pilot sites alone has been
immense, as indicated in Table 2. With the initiation of public
access ICT services and computer classes using just 14 Netbooks
per site in villages averaging 300 households, schools report
enhanced enrollment in the pilot government schools, and better
student retention and attendance rates as students are more regular
in coming to school. Successful demonstration has made this
model universally replicable in partner networks: MoE has
delivered project-developed capacity building trainings in
government rural ICT initiatives; AEPC has replicated the project
model in their microhydro communities as ICTs enable access to
crucial public services, and make productive use of the electricity
generated. The project-developed curriculum has also been
adopted as a locally-appropriate resource by many schools
nationally. This level of commitment from the national to
grassroots players is anticipated to continue to foster strong
ownership of the approach, thereby supporting the development of
locally-appropriate online electronic services and applications.