The centre has continued to educate the community on what the Internet can offer in terms of information riches. It has brought people with diverse interests and backgrounds in a common forum.
Shinyalu Telecentre as commonly known, has continued to provide an environment where the community has access to methods of communication and volumes of information now available on the internet and it has assured them free access such that they aren’t socially, economically, or politically isolated.
Information and Communication Technologies are used to offer new ways of providing access to information and knowledge, thereby creating significant opportunities for learning, networking, plus social organization and participation. It is true to say that community members no longer feel marginalized as the likes of internet and ICTs as a whole sounded a reserve for those in the urban areas.
Far from the wireless internet connectivity, the centre houses a fully packed wide range of book materials and periodicals with a conducive reading environment. This move is targeted at encouraging and nurturing a reading society where many believe that reading ends at the school and college level. The high turnout of readers and users is a clear indicator of the route the community has taken towards learning for knowledge and reading for development.
The Telecentre boasts of a 2 acre farm currently serving as a demonstration farm. It is set for continuous planting of different crops with the aid of agricultural experts from the Ministry and other identified experts.
They now enjoy being abreast with the current systems of operations for instance agricultural trends in terms of their way of life and market, which when applied assures improved crop yields and harvest.
They are encouraged to come up with experiences, concerns and queries, and to share them on the web through chatting (e-conferencing) to enable them get the possible solutions and ideas for their wellbeing.
The future lights brighter with the recent collaborations and introduction of like-minded organizations like Farm Radio International, Telecentre.org, UNESCO just to name a few.
Much more will be achieved with the launch on the community radio station which is in its final stages of completion.
The writer works with Shinyalu Community Telecentre, Kenya
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