One of the most talked about topics in ICT4D today is the Mahavilachchiya project. A joint venture by Horizon Lanka and ICTA, it is slated to be the first model e-village in Sri Lanka. The village which doesn’t even have fixed telephone coverage, is connected to the Internet, 24/7, by a wireless mesh technology. The decentralized and relatively inexpensive mesh happens to be the first wireless outdoor network to be implemented in Sri Lanka.
So far Horizon Lanka has helped to furnish over 30 homes with used desktop computers which the villages help themselves to access the Internet. One of the immediate outcomes is that the children have started browsing for information to help them with their studies and have started using VoIP.
The older generation has started reading Sinhala and Tamil newspapers. (There are some interesting videos on you tube composed by the children – visit youtube.com and search for Mahavilachchiya)
When the project was first proposed in December 2004, the project objectives included an E-channelling and hospital connection, facilitating the search of employment opportunities, community chat, connectivity between institutions and people, and even an online market for whole sale buyers.
Therefore, in spite the great leap taken forward in implementing this rural e-village (and acknowledging it all the way), Mahavilachchiya still has a long way to go. And if it’s going to sustain after consuming the given grants, then villages need to be given a better reason to access the internet than just browsing information and reading the news.
The most important facet to realize is that Mahavilachchiya cannot hold by itself. The Internet has an impact of the quality of life only when it’s backed up by services directly related to the villagers well being. Government services have to be accessible via the Internet, people related to the village have to be connected and contactable via the Internet and similar peer communities should be brought up simultaneously so that the villages don’t feel alienated inside the web.
From language issues to IT awareness, it’s not an easy task to initiate an e-village from scratch. Good will and infra-structure is an excellent starting point for now, and Horizon Lanka’s past efforts in providing education for the children in Mahavilachchiya in an unconventional way must have been an inspirational factor in convincing the villages to embrace the new change as well.
But in terms of e-governance, e-services and e-community the rest of the country is far behind and desperately needs to keep up, otherwise the efforts in Mahavilachchiya would be in vain.
(30,Dec 2006)
Chamila Edirisinghe said,
May 12, 2007 @ 9:37 am
Today, we could get many experiences with new visitors from Beliaththa. They said that Horizon is like wonderland and they also want to get ideas from us to improve their IC knowledge. I was very happy about lessons and always I like to give my knowledge to them. At this moment I’m very happy referring to our situation and I could improve my knowledge too. This is good method to share knowledge with our friends around the world wide.
Iresha Dilhani said,
May 12, 2007 @ 9:38 am
There is another visit group from NIhiluwa Maha Vidyalaya from Beliaththa. But it was a different visit than other visit. There were many children and some of teachers form that school. They come for share our knowledge with them. It was very important and it is a example for the another Horizon in South in Sri Lanka. They visit our house and check out our internet connection. I taught them how to create a gmail account and how to operate the account. It was very useful to increase our knowledge. We are happy to meet them and build a friendship with them. We are like to visit them too.
Radhika Nilupulee Rajapaksha said,
May 12, 2007 @ 9:51 am
It was so glad to meet some friends and teachers from Nihiluwa Vidyalaya in Beliaththa today at Horizon Lanka. They visited us to see how Horizon works and wanted to learn from us. We are a model to all of the other organizations in Sri Lanka. They wanted to learn about the Internet and web design. I really am happy to say that I was able to be a teacher for 2 hours to them and taught them Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia Dreamweaver as a close friend. I think they learned something from my small lesson. I am very happy about that opportunity. I met good friends and I could improve my knowledge by teaching. I am happy about that. And also I would like to thank all of them for coming to Horizon Lanka Foundation.
I would like to have some opportunities like that in the future and I like to give the maximum what I have learned. Thanks!
Duleeka Dilhani said,
May 12, 2007 @ 9:55 am
Today is very special day for us because new visitors came to Horizon Lanka form Beliaththa to learn IT. I could teach them with my friends. It is useful to share our knowledge with them. I am very happy to see them and teach them. I also like to visit their. Physically, we are too far both of us but we can share our knowledge through the internet.
Ruvini Senevirathna said,
May 12, 2007 @ 9:59 am
Recently some students from computer centers in other villages visited us to learn computer technology. And today also some students and teachers from Beliaththa, Nihiluva Vidyalaya visited us to share the Computer technology. First we introduced them about us and we showed how Mesh network is working here. And also we taught web designing, creating animations, maintaining a blog, and how to use internet. I don’t think that they had enough time for that but I think the get the maximum knowledge until the time. I also like to learn the knowledge from some people in other places like this. By sharing knowledge I think all the people can learn the computer technology and through this we can develop our villages.
Waruna Prabath Ekanayaka said,
May 12, 2007 @ 11:53 am
Today the 11.02.2007 some students came from Beliatta. I acted as a photographer when the web designing lesson was being held by Radhika Akka I was also listening to it and learned about it. In fact, I enjoyed well together with them talking and exchanging ideas.
Waruna Prabath Ekanayaka
Grade 10
Horizon Lanka Foundation
Mahavilachchiya