| dc.description.abstract | The study explored the role of ICT in community rural development with a critical look at
how the project is meeting community needs. Much focus analysed people’s perception of the
project, impact of the project to rural livelihoods, and a great extent of identifying the
management and sustainability strategies in ensuring project sustainability.
Information and Communication Technologies have radically changed the modes of
production and organization of work at global and national levels. And quite important is the
fact that there is a direct correlation between access to ICTs and socio-economic
development, and ICTs are no longer the consequence of development, but rather a necessary
precondition for development (Net tel Africa ...). Developing countries have also come up to
bridge the digital divide that exist between urban and rural as regards use of ICTs and in
Uganda, the government adopted the telecentre model to ensure equitable access of ICT
services in rural communities. It is therefore from this background that the study explored the
role of ICT in Community Rural development and especially with focus on how the ICTs
have been a vehicle to development.
The study findings are based on the analysis of the Buwama Multi media Community project
in Mpigi district whose aim is to provide access and promote application of modern ICTs,
learning resources and build local capacity for sustainable rural development. This study
employed a case study design in exploring how ICTs in this rural community are
implemented and sustained to meet community needs.
The telecentre project has been beneficial to the community especially to the ICT
beneficiaries for example, many testified on how the project has transformed and empowered
them; socially, politically and above all economically. This was possible with the strong
government and donor support that was injected in the project right from its inception.
However, presently, the funding ceased a year now and the project is totally sustaining its self
although with many management and operational challenges.
Quite important is the fact that the people who benefited from the project are a generation in
between 1999-2008 with strong support and facilitation; but the current generation might not
be in position to equitably share the fruits of their predecessors because the telecentre is
grappling with myriads of challenges. Therefore, there is need to revitalize the telecentre to
reach out to the present and future generation for sustainable development, a shift in the mind
set of the community to considering community projects as their own, and also the factor of
clearly streaming proper management in the telecentre. | en_US |
