Who is World Telecenters
WorldTelecenters.Org is a not-for-profit organization established in March 2002 by the United Kingdom based Regency Foundation Networx.
What is a telecenter?
A telecenter is a physical space which provides public access to information and communication technologies (ICT's) for educational, personal, social and economic development - a facility where ICT's are made available to people who otherwise might have little or no opportunity to use or to learn to use these technologies.
Each telecenter has its own unique qualities, yet all share a commitment to technology access and a belief that a telecenter is a way for people to increase their self-sufficiency and improve the quality of their lives. A successful telecenter will offer opportunities to improve education levels, gain job-related skills and build personal and community capacity. But with the priorities for low income communities being food, shelter, health, and safe drinking water - how is access to information and communication technologies going to change all that? Because a telecenter can be a tool to open the door to all of these basic necessities of life and improve the livelihoods of poor communities.
The practical applications of the telecenter
Tele-food - providing food manufacturers, restaurants and hotels with an Internet based e-service to accelerate the donation of surplus food to the city's hunger relief organizations and to the needy.
Tele-shelter - facilitating information access to government housing programs for low-income communities.
Tele-health - using the Internet to offer health education to assist with the signs and symptoms of illness, most specifically to increase knowledge of topics such as nutrition, hygiene and sanitation.
Tele-water - increasing awareness of health concerns from the consumption of poor quality water and providing information as to the location of safe drinking water.
Tele-literacy - using the computer and the Internet to assist with basic reading and writing tuition.
Tele-training - training community facilitators and promoters on how to attain self-sustainability, how to access and share relevant materials and information resources, and how to foster co-operation.
Tele-education - covering all areas of elementary education - Literacy, Language, Literature, Geography, History, Mathematics and the Sciences.
Tele-special groups - IT training, community-based rehabilitation and professional placement for the handicapped.
Tele-work - developing, collaborating and establishing partnerships on the production of learning tools and information resources; to include Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Computer Use and Applications; Principles of Business Administration and Management; Auto-Mechanics, Construction, Electronics, Plumbing, Reception and Restaurant Service and Management.
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Tele-job creation - increasing employment possibilities and establishing partnerships with business and professional associations to enhance job opportunities following course completion, to include the designing of an online database of job opportunities and applicants.
Tele-sport - accessing virtual football, handball, basketball and netball on the Internet. Although a virtual activity, this can still assist with the channeling of youngsters’ energy, competitiveness and aggression in a positive way.
Tele-culture - today it is possible to share many forms of art through the Internet - music, paintings and drawings, photographs, video, dance, poetry and books.The telecenter can create beautiful, original products, put them on a website, and offer them for sale to an audience of more than 150 million people worldwide.
Tele-cookery - with increasing frustration and health difficulties caused by artificial additives such as food dyes, sweeteners, and preservatives, the online cookery courses and workshops adopt a holistic approach geared towards eating and preparing natural foods.
Tele-agriculture - farmers can conduct activities such as research soil analysis, fertilizer use, market prices and weather information online.
Tele-friendship - virtual laughter, chat lines and emails provide new opportunities for making friends.
Tele-community - online and offline, helping communities make use of information and communication technologies to improve their living conditions, identify resources to address social problems within the community, and promote interaction and communication between other low-income communities with similar problems and needs.
Tele-environment - environmental education courses delivered via the Internet, to include online alternative energy, conservation, recycling and garbage workshops.
Tele-governance - facilitating the provision of information about all government programs relating to education, health and social services, and about groups active for the rights of the poor.
Tele-entrepreneurship - entrepreneurship is a driving force for innovation and growth in the economy and the introduction of e-business and e-learning for the small entrepreneur is a useful aid.
Tele-partnerships - working through strategic partnerships, it is possible to leverage the expertise and experience of others. Through a virtual alliance network, different people and organizations can work together to address common interests and concerns.
Tele-sharing - community information management: to document experiences and information to help assess the project's socio-economic and cultural impact. To identify lessons from experience and best practices for future projects.
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