Aruna Chaminda
Manager Batuwangala evillage
Batuwangala
Neluwa,
Galle.
arunabmv@yahoo.com
http://www.batuwangala.org

What use are information and communication technologies (ICTs) to a community grappling with problems of daily life? Can technology enhance their daily lives and provide them with a decent living? Sceptics constantly stress that the provision of basic human needs must take precedence over the introduction of ICTs to rural and disadvantaged communities. However, the Information & Communications Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) has clearly proven that technology can play a major role in improving the lives of remote and marginalized villages. One such example is Kadurupitiya, a small village situated on the outskirts of the Wilpattu National Park, that has come alive with the introduction of ICTs. The village school, Ashokamala Kanishta Vidyalaya, which for years suffered poor attendance now boasts of a near 100% attendance – all on account of the advent of Information Technology.

ICTs can also illuminate the lives of the visually handicapped – bringing about greater opportunities in our society. The ICT Agency is already working with the Daisy Lanka Foundation in producing a collection of digital talking books which would be invaluable to the print disabled.

How can an organisation be a party to these efforts and assist in bringing the dividends of ICTs to communities who know so little about it? How can a successful business enterprise share its expertise with a rural or disadvantaged community and thereby contribute to its well being?

ICTA under its project portfolio – has a variety of projects designed to take the dividends of ICT to all levels of society. One such project is the Community Assistance Programme (CAP) that provides grants directly to community based organizations to develop their communities through ICT. At present, 51 communities have been short listed through a public and transparent process. The selected organizations will be provided with grants assisting them to purchase hardware, software for implemening a community ICT project. While these communities display a high degree of motivation in deploying ICT to improve their daily lives – a lack of innovative ideas, advanced project management skills and specialized technical expertise is a deterrent.

To fill this gap, ICTA is seeking to partner private and public sector organization in using ICT as lever in their the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Organizations that are already involved in CSR activities or plan to be are invited join hands with ICTA in this venture.

CSR is fast becoming a core area for successful organizations and such activities can help the relevant organisation by improving employee motivation and satisfaction. Organizations that have limited budgets for CSR can partner ICTA in implementing ICT based community projects which would help uplift the lives of disadvantaged communities in the country. The Community Assistance Programme, a programme under the Agency’s e-Society Development Initiative would cover the communities’ direct costs up to a maximum value of USD5,000. This is an excellent opportunity for organizations to help empower rural communities and ensure that the benefits of ICT reach all segments of society.

Dear Mr. Wanni

‘I write with reference to the meeting held with me in Colombo on 14th October 2008. Although the meeting was suggested by you, at my suggestion it was also attended by Messrs. K. Samarawickrema (Ex-GA who has been assisting me regarding the transfer to my husband, of the title of the land on which the school has been built), Vinod, Denuwan (a friend of yours as well of the villagers) and Tyrone Abeygunawardena (with whom you dealt regarding financial transactions relevant to the building of the school and payments of salary.)

For my part, I was keen to hold the meeting to find out the reasons for the failure of the Foundation to carry on its educational activities in the past one and a half years and for the deplorable state of its finances. I had also been receiving negative reports about the Foundation and its management.

You would recall that at this meeting you were keen to have a new proposal by you accepted; but it was not. The reasons why you failed are many. Although you constantly mention the availability of funding, you had failed to maintain the activities (the reason for the existence of the Foundation) that had been carried out for a number of years at the Foundation or to ensure its financial viability. Further, at the meeting you declared your intention of resigning and allowing the senior students to take over responsibility for the running of the establishment. You would admit that despite numerous requests in the past you have up to date not provided me or the donors with a statement of how donor funds have been expended. What you have instead informed me and the donors of are the debts owed by the Foundation. In other words, you have failed to make a proper accounting of the funds received, which is one of the key obligations owed to any donor.

‘You were thereafter handed the new proposal I had drawn up and its contents were clearly explained to you in both English and Sinhala. Your reaction to it was that you were happy to accept it and that you felt as if a weight had been removed from your shoulders since you felt unable to cope with the situation in Mahavilachchciya. You left the meeting with a copy of my proposal and a promised to get back to me with suggestions if any, to improve on it. However, you did not communicate with me on the proposal, as promised.

‘Since the meeting however, I had heard that you are no longer in favour of my proposal in which I have stated that the present bank account of the Foundation would be closed and a new one opened for which I will take responsibility. My proposal also recommends the removal of the website for fund raising until the new administrative and managerial structure is in place and the Foundation’s educational activities are resumed. You will admit that when these were explained to you at the meeting on the 14th of October 2008, you were agreeable to them. I telephoned you about what I had heard and you then made it clear that you and your directors were against my proposal and that you also objected to the presence of the afore-mentioned individuals at your meeting with me on 14th October. At this point in the conversation I mentioned to you that if your directors and you were unhappy with my proposal, you were free to move on taking the name of the Horizonlanka Foundation with you.

‘In these circumstances, I would like you to explain in writing:

‘(a) why, for the past 1 1/2 years no teaching of children has taken place at the school, thus depriving poor children of the village of an education which has been paid for by the donors;

‘(b) why you have failed to inform both the donors and the Government that no educational activities have taken place in the past one and a half years, although you continue to publicize on your website that education is being provided;

‘(c) how you have accrued a debt of a sum of over Rs. 500,000/-;

‘(d) How the money received from the donors has been spent by you and your directors. In this connection I refer you to clauses 43, 44, 45, 47 and 48 of the Articles of Association and to clause 11 of the Memorandum of Association of which you approved and which clearly indicate the necessity for proper financial accounting and transparency;

‘(e) Why, despite requests, you have consistently failed to provide me and the donors with a list of donors indicating what sums of money have been received from each of them;

‘(f) why you object to the company ON TIME which is supported by the NGO FARO and John Keels Ltd. which provides employment to the youth of Mahavilachchiya without their having to move to a city to find employment;

‘(g) what has happened to the rent of Rs.10,000/- per month paid by this company to the Foundation for occupying space in its building; and

‘(h) why and how the lorry load of IT equipment which should have been at the Foundation’s building at Mahavilachchiya, came to be in your garage, as stated by you at the meeting referred to which was held on 14 October 2008. You would recall stating that we should make arrangements to move it to the Foundation.

‘I would appreciate receiving your written response to the above-mentioned matters at your earliest or by 30th of November 2008 the latest.

‘I might repeat that if you are unhappy with my proposal and since you also mentioned your decision to resign, you would THEREAFTER be free to move on.

‘It would be appreciated that I have been the major donor to the project by providing a sum of over Rs 8,000,000, much of which has been spent on providing the necessary infrastructure for the Foundation to function. I therefore have every right to be concerned about the way matters have developed and to raise questions in this regard.’

‘Yours faithfully,

‘Mrs. L. Charles
Major Donor

Really good stuff!

What happened to the Ketawala pilot project page of ICTA web site.

Did it caught to tsunami?