One can cite many reasons why Access to Information is important
to any community for Socio-Economic Development. For poor
rural communities, Access to information is hampered not only
by lack of Physical Infrastructure inluding Telecommunications
but also by poverty itself that puts modern communication
tools and production technologies out of reach by such communities.
For such communities therefore, help must be near. The Personal
Computer (PC) does just that to almost any member of the Community.
When Nyanza Community Internet Center opened, the first group
of Clients included very old men and women who receive some
money from their Children abroad. Once helped to open an e-mail
account, they become monthly clients. They do not have to
be literate. Those who can't read and write are helped by
any CIC attendant or come with a child in primary school.
For Professionals including Teachers and Medical Assistants,
they got hooked so fast and started to conteplate further
education on line.
Community Leaders including the District Headof Nyanza have
been shown that messages from the Center of Government in
Kigali can be passed to them instantaneously via E-mail and
now that PC that accumulated dust by the hour and that telephone
line that made him reach only his Governor have been connected
to the Internet by Dot-Org Rwanda Partrner in Nyanza at a
small fee!
The root causes of poverty are very often embeded in social
injustices including bad governance. Computers are such enemies
of bad governance because they encourage transparency in addition
to being too fast and too accurate for bureacracy.
In addition to all the above, the PC promises to bring European
and American markets for Tourism and Handcrafts right on the
PC screens in Nyanza.
The Gitarama Partner has been asked by one Women Organisation
to look for markets for Sunflower Oil! She has been told that
it would be more productive to seek guidance from the web.
Almost a dozen categories of services that could be conveniently
offered at a Community Internet Center (Telecenter) have been
listed by dot-ORG Rwanda. Such categories include:
- Internet Connectivity;
- Secretarial Services;
- Training;
- Tech_Hardware;
- Tech_Software;
- Cafe;
- ICT Consultancy Services;
- Stationary;
- Public Telephone and Fax;
- Lounge (TV,Video) Facilities;
- Library; and
- Others.
1. Internet Connectivity
Here, a connection time is set or a client is timed. Rarely
do clients take more than one hour. An hour is charged Frw
400 (Equivalent to about USD $0.80). Most clients will use
15 minutes and pay Frw 100. The Nyanza Telecenter has a single
minute charge for those who exceed the set time. This minute
price is Frw 10.
2. Secretarial Services
Secretarial Services include Photocopying, Typesetting, Scanning
and Desktop use of Microsoft’s Office Suite of Applicatons
(MS Word, MS Excel and MS Access).
The price of Photocopying (Monocolor) depends on Equipment.
In the City, where Canon and Xerox machines are used, price
ranges from Frw 15 to Frw 50. The Telecenters dot-ORG Rwanda
has sponsored utilizes rather expensive equipment where a
price less than Frw 100 would not be viable. Its ink is very
expensive. However, a price of Frw 300 for an A4 colored photocopy
has been accepted.
Typesetting fetches Frw 300 per A4 page, 12 font Size in Times
New Roman. A page that includes tables and graphics fetches
an extra Frw 100. This price includes one copy. Further print
outs cost another Frw 100 for monocolor and Frw 300 for color.
A single scan run costs Frw 150 only. Print outs are priced
exactly like for typesetting above.
Use of MS Desktop Applications has been set to Frw 300 per
hour.
3. Training
This is a typical setting in nyanza.
Training is done in the morning hours. internet Connection
Clients are encouraged to come in the afternnons. In the first
month of operation, the biggest contraint for both services
was Electricity. There is a plan to acquire a gasoline Generators
in very near future
4. Tech-Hardware.
This service will include Computer Repair and Maintenance.
Because of high levels of dust and humidity in Rwanda, preventive
maintenance (cleaning mainly) needs to be done every quarter
(3 months). This is the main service in this category.
The other service is computer repair. A third service being
conceived is the sale of certain simple items like hard disks,
memory simms, diskette and cd media etc. Maintenance and Repair
of common peripheral devices is included in this category.
5. Tech-Software.
Simple Software installations and integration including set-up
and device configurations have been assigned to this category.
Already, the Telecenters in Gitarama and Nyanza are being
asked to provide this service along category 4 above.
6. Cafe
This category will include Tea, Coffee and small snacks. None
of the Telecenters have started to provide this service although
plans to start are underway.
7. ICT Consultancy Services
The development of Software Applications including Website
development is grouped under this category and will be done
in partnership with Professionals in all fields. This service,
once established will enable our Partners and their communities
to begin to develop appropriate applications and programmes
to benefit the communities.
8. Stationary
Internet Cafes have proved to be important consumers of some
primary stationary items like printing paper, notepads, pens,
clips etc. This could add to the Telecenter income.
9. Public Telephone and Fax
Traditionally, Telecenters offer public Telephone and Fax
Facilities. Some of the equipment is already in place but
the Telecommunications Company has delayed the allocation
of Lines for this purpose. dot-ORG Rwanda and the partners
are waiting.
10. Lounge Facilities
Lounge Facilities will include some chairs, simple Radios,
TV and Video Facilities for News and Documentaries. This Service
is very critical to the full realisation of Telecenter development
objectives.
11. A Category of Others
The category of Others will include Services that have not
been included above. One that is already under consideration
is a Library Service. Another is Language Teaching.
Of all the above Services and Facilities, Internet connectivity
is the mos expensive. The Artel Container Model that is shown
here is equipped with nothing else beside connectivity and
yet its costing is estimated thus:
- Container and Conversion: USD $ 1,000
- Eight (8) Laptop Computers: USD $ 12,000
- Solar Energy Kit: USD $ 12,000
- Monthly Charge for the Telecommunications: USD $ 800
Even if the Community had electricity, the monthly cost would
still prove prohibitive. Rwandatel offers a flat rate of about
USD $ 300 for Internet Connectivity (ISDN BRI - 64 kps) for
some lucky few, but this offer is limited to a few urban communities.
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