Learning about the world around you and how to be safe online!

There has been a rapid increase in the use of the Internet in developing countries, although this expansion is still largely an urban phenomenon. Rural communities represent the \"last mile of connectivity\" (or the \"first mile\" if you look at it from a rural perspective) in both developing and developed countries with regard to access to Internet services and the telecommunication connections that help transmit those services. People in rural areas are generally unable to take advantage of the services available to their urban peers.
ICTs present direct benefits to women. Socially, ICTs can substantially improve lives of women and girls by providing learning opportunities (education, research), health care delivery, environmental protection, etc. Economically, it provides increased incomes through increased volumes of trade, less cost of trade, increased productivity, access to market/market information and access to finance. Politically, it provides increased participation in governance both at the local and national levels.
Youth especially girls and women classes will be part of our center’s Program, an out-of-school time program, or just drop in! Our programs will be made so that they learn and have fun when using the computers and doing projects on the computers. They will be better computer user and better world citizens.
Lab Requirements; Internet connected computers, either platform, running Internet Explorer, One computer per participant, Maximum number of participants 24 ,Software requirements: MS Office, Flash, Adobe Acrobat Reader
Tools such as; assignment worksheet, computer use rules, hardware trouble shooting checklist, reflection questions, saving web pages with internet explorer, participant or student pre-assessment forms would be required to be in place. For resources, we believe that video- and Internet-based activities should complement, not replace, other hands-on work such as projects, field trips, performances and presentations. Activities such as these help students and women understand the importance of the learning process, rather than focusing entirely on the outcome. With this in mind, the Resource pages will demonstrate how these technologies are uniquely suited to support particular educational, social and economic objectives. We will provide practical, concrete tools and suggestions for learners especially girls and women to get started, or continue, making exciting and effective use of video and the Internet.
The programme will help deliver a room or area to be dedicated to basic computer access and ICT training for those identified at risk of exclusion were due to old age, special needs or disabilities, low-skilled workers with limited Internet access, those who live in remote areas, non-working women and young girls both in schools and those who did not progress to higher education. The trainings will include;
Using Computers in library; \"They can't read yet, so they don't need computers!\" There are many ways which rural women and students would benefit from use of the computer and internet in learning and social development. We shall find out what women and students could do and what resources they could find to help make life with internet or computer easier. Learn creative ways to use Microsoft Office applications to enhance learning in a fun way! Application trainings will offer; Use PowerPoint, Excel and Word in the Classroom to the participants.
Productive Strategies for Internet Searches - Training will be designed to familiarize participants with productive searching and browsing skills. Special techniques required by search engines will be practiced. Browser skills will be taught such as organizing and managing bookmarks. Specialized search engines will be covered such as image and audio searches.
Making Effective Use of the Internet - Training will be designed to equip participants with skills and strategies to use the Internet effectively in the library. Participants will see where to find quests and internet-based projects, and will see how to adapt them to their own classroom situation. Emphasis will be placed on finding and using some of the outstanding Internet sites available.
United Streaming - Training designed to familiarize participants with all aspects of United Streaming; Learning Tools; Assignment Builder, Quiz Center, Image Gallery, Lesson Plans. Also the session will cover Searching, Streaming video, Using images, Downloading videos and Teacher Handouts. Participants will explore strategies on using United Streaming within their lessons. Hands-on activities will give participants opportunities to see integration in action and how to adapt these to use with their own students.
ICTs facilitate public and private sector activities, promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women, improving the quality of life for citizens, sharing knowledge and improving access to information, facilitating activities in the business and social sector. The biological and social roles of women in the family and the community are the key barrier. Additionally illiteracy and education, time, cost, geographical location of facilities, social and cultural norms and very few female role models.
Educationally, there is minimal learning and skills development in ICTs for women and girls as well as the inability to effectively apply ICT knowledge and skills for their own benefits.
Another challenge, is as a barrier to women is Technology. There is limited access to ICTs for women and girls especially in rural areas, high cost of the services (acquisition and knowledge) especially in rural areas, lack of good publicity and incentives to attract potential users of ICTs, inability to identify information sources that meet the needs of women, difficulty in finding the right ICT tool(s) to support line of business, poor quality of service - internet and telecommunication services, high cost of maintenance and sustainability and the lack of access to family property or institutional finance thereby making it difficult to engage in self-employment in the ICT sector.
On the way forward, we have managed to provide an enabling environment which will support and strategies that will encourage promoting women’s equal access, and use of ICTs, developing local content which speaks to women’s concerns and reflects their local knowledge, and which is of value for their daily lives, supporting increased representation of women and girls in scientific and technical education. We secured a structure that was given to us in a right of use agreement by a community school to establish a community library; we are moving forward to and we also promoting rural young women’s lobbying and advocacy activities in regard to web connection and internet use at community levels.
During our sensitizations, we have always urged all especially women and girls to see themselves not as passive recipients of information, but as active knowledge and technology developers and sharers, women to focus their minds on the positives that ICTs can provide them such as economic empowerment and political empowerment that in turn can help in the advocacy for ending violence, discrimination and effective representation.
Soooo awesome for doing this! Indeed. I am so grateful that we have tried to play our role though limited resources, “There is some little publicity about this issue of girls and women related to their health, rights and empowerment! “I want to bring out the voices of these rural girls, women and connect them with the world, connect them to other people, and teach them to do what I have done. I want to help girls tell their story instead of trying to convince people how bad the situation is.”
We have trained youth on the computer basics, in the creation and use of different accounts like face book, G-mail and yahoo, Messenger and others that seemed very crucial for everyday life.
We have always targeted improving particularly the rural women social, livelihoods and food security through engaging the women into a culture of knowledge sharing and information management of local content using ICT methods that include informational brochures and newsletters, DVDs. This is carried out by the use of computer.
We have also tried empower the community especially women with data related to potential Income Generating Activity (IGA), micro-credit activities and on the ways of accessing credit and other supports so that the entrepreneurs can take quick and appropriate steps in local business management.
We have also provided some of the trainings to the community especially to the youth and groups or associations on the use of computers for addressing issues in the community. This could be possible by making the people more informed about more societies, by bridging the technological divide between men and women & rural. It is expected that they can also voice their concerns and share their experiences.
Our rural Women are now looking forward to working on raising the status of rural women and creating space for their own identity. They are also hoping to use ICT tools to get united for their progress and achievement. The formation of women’s groups within the community centre has helped the women to gain self-confidence through increased interaction, encouraged their journey into the public sphere and honed them for participation in decision-making roles in their families and regarding their lives.