tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40285698695048370372024-03-12T16:57:45.379-07:00ICT4DInformation and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D), Mobile for Development(m4D), Inclusive Business (IB), Digitization and Digital Transformation.Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-26963093985420035062021-06-20T01:02:00.000-07:002021-06-20T01:02:11.624-07:00What Sri Lankan Teachers are Going Through While Running Their Online Classes<p>Shashith Randima works here in Colombo, he went on leave last month and got stuck in his home town due to the travel ban imposed by the Government of Sri Lanka due to prevailing covid-19 pandemic. So his current role is to provide technical support to his mother who runs online classes for Grade 3 (8 years old) students in deep rural school in southern Sri Lanka.</p><p>Following is his experience what he posted on social media, but I have personally spoken him to verify the same before publishing it here;</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRukGzwQhyphenhyphenfJhhcSr2VnLrXrcbTY5MY-gBpRuiQ7JiH-c0nbxwAdTS3qus2e4u3JzaDXibUSeepE-rJEfFyaYtONSsiqdowNFdsc6z6Imi2e2JO53PITD1c06rHRSehXOmZt98xMPJeXU/s1080/Shashith_Randima_Mother_Who_is_a_teacher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRukGzwQhyphenhyphenfJhhcSr2VnLrXrcbTY5MY-gBpRuiQ7JiH-c0nbxwAdTS3qus2e4u3JzaDXibUSeepE-rJEfFyaYtONSsiqdowNFdsc6z6Imi2e2JO53PITD1c06rHRSehXOmZt98xMPJeXU/s320/Shashith_Randima_Mother_Who_is_a_teacher.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Shashith Randima's Mother who is a Government Teacher Conducting a Online Class for Grade 3 Students</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Shashith Randima</div></span><br /><p>"I have become the official technician of my mother's online class.</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>The Zoom link must be posted the night before the class starts, otherwise you will be scolded by the mother.</li><li>I should stay close to her until the class is over. If the zoom session get disconnected then, I have to reconnect.</li><li>When children are shouting that they can't see the teacher, then I should attend to that and give immediate solutions.</li><li>My phone stand has been given to her, (It is not allowed to remove even after the class is over 🤦)</li><li>WhatsApp group should be handled by myself, and the meaning of the stickers sent by the students should be explained to her</li><li>Links of videos sent to children on YouTube should also be posted on that group.</li><li>The messages given to children should also be type in Sinhala language.</li><li>Whenever she asks to show a particular photo to the students, I should be ready to share the screen. </li><li>When kids start shouting, everyone's mics should be turned off by me.</li><li>Even though I schedule the meeting, I have to teach my mother all the details of the zoom app, how to do it.</li><li>Stripes should also be drawn with a permanent marker on the white board.</li><li>Before taking classes everyday, check the data balance of the phone and reload if the data package is over.</li><li>On top of all those, before the class start I am supposed to tell my mom whether her dress is beautiful and he hair is tidy.</li><li>Everything is fine. biggest challenge is I have to listen to Grade 3 lecture everyday for two and half hours 😂</li><li>(When teaching Sinhalese, my little brother does makeup to pretend as a scarecrow or sometimes a grandfather, if he wasn't there, I would have to do that too 😂)</li><li>Whatever it is, I think the hardest thing is my mom's teaching. I think it's harder than anything written above. The fact that they are teaching online by while handling some kids ❤ </li><li>My mother is very proud of her online classes, she proudly talk about it, whenever she talks to anyone. So being a part of that class is a pride for me too ❤🙏"</li></ol><p></p><p>Note: base on true experience of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100048654429124" target="_blank">Shashith Randima</a> </p><p>Sameera.</p>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-31527240072826647192013-11-21T09:53:00.003-08:002013-11-29T19:58:17.254-08:00Guru.lk – Digital Educational Platform – learn anywhere anytime<div class="MsoNormal">
Guru will revolutionize the distance education in Sri Lanka<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://guru.lk/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmSKSKojw-9z-2LPA-VPPyJiuEfu57X92pht5vwu-zMnypxJDhtFMjDGbiFnnN7Wv7Oe7N7NvYEMZnb8rNcAzPdA0Ijv6lm6jE0g-_gI3RMzZDpfKEvQNZ1aEwqtvIgNlmhutgX89bYY/s320/DSC_3835---.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://guru.lk/" target="_blank">Guru.lk - learn anywhere anytime</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Children go online for various reasons, but most of the time
those reasons do not add any value for those who go online. But they can’t be
blamed for just wasting time, money and international bandwidth as they are
digital consumers with very little choice. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Guru.lk has been launched as a solution to the dearth of enriching
educational online content here in Sri Lanka. System is open for anyone who
wants to learn and users can pay for the services they consume through Dialog “Add
to Bill”, eZ Cash or Credit Cards.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Current focus is on Ordinary Level (O/L) examination and students
can register for following courses by just visiting <a href="http://www.guru.lk/"><b>www.guru.lk</b></a>
or sending a SMS with course code to 445.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="background: #4BACC6; border-bottom: none; border-left: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 37.25pt;" valign="top" width="62"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">Code<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #4BACC6; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 210.45pt;" valign="top" width="351"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">Subject<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #4BACC6; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 119.7pt;" valign="top" width="200"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">Medium Conducted<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #4BACC6; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 73.2pt;" valign="top" width="122"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">Daily Rental <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #4BACC6; border-bottom: none; border-left: none; border-right: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">Monthly Rental<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-right: none; border: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 37.25pt;" valign="top" width="62"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b>33000<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 210.45pt;" valign="top" width="351"><div class="MsoNormal">
Spin Bowling by Rangana Herath<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 119.7pt;" valign="top" width="200"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Sinhala/English<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 73.2pt;" valign="top" width="122"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 04.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 240.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-right: none; border: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 37.25pt;" valign="top" width="62"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b>11001<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 210.45pt;" valign="top" width="351"><div class="MsoNormal">
O/L Science Revision<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 119.7pt;" valign="top" width="200"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Sinhala<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 73.2pt;" valign="top" width="122"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 03.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 100.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-left: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 37.25pt;" valign="top" width="62"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b>11002<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 210.45pt;" valign="top" width="351"><div class="MsoNormal">
O/L Maths Revision<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 119.7pt;" valign="top" width="200"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Sinhala<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 73.2pt;" valign="top" width="122"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 03.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 100.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-right: none; border: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 37.25pt;" valign="top" width="62"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b>11003<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 210.45pt;" valign="top" width="351"><div class="MsoNormal">
O/L English Revision<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 119.7pt;" valign="top" width="200"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
English<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 73.2pt;" valign="top" width="122"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 03.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 100.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-left: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 37.25pt;" valign="top" width="62"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b>11004<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 210.45pt;" valign="top" width="351"><div class="MsoNormal">
O/L Art <o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 119.7pt;" valign="top" width="200"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Sinhala<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 73.2pt;" valign="top" width="122"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 03.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 100.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-right: none; border: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 37.25pt;" valign="top" width="62"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b>11005<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 210.45pt;" valign="top" width="351"><div class="MsoNormal">
O/L Sinhala <o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 119.7pt;" valign="top" width="200"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Sinhala<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 73.2pt;" valign="top" width="122"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 03.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 100.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-left: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 37.25pt;" valign="top" width="62"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b>11006<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 210.45pt;" valign="top" width="351"><div class="MsoNormal">
O/L History <o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 119.7pt;" valign="top" width="200"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Sinhala<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 73.2pt;" valign="top" width="122"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 03.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 100.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-right: none; border: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 37.25pt;" valign="top" width="62"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b>11007<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 210.45pt;" valign="top" width="351"><div class="MsoNormal">
O/L Tamil <o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 119.7pt;" valign="top" width="200"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Tamil<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 73.2pt;" valign="top" width="122"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 03.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 100.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-left: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 37.25pt;" valign="top" width="62"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b>11008<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 210.45pt;" valign="top" width="351"><div class="MsoNormal">
O/L Business & Accounting Studies Revision<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 119.7pt;" valign="top" width="200"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Sinhala<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 73.2pt;" valign="top" width="122"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 03.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-right: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 100.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-right: none; border: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 37.25pt;" valign="top" width="62"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b>11009<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 210.45pt;" valign="top" width="351"><div class="MsoNormal">
O/L History Revision<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 119.7pt;" valign="top" width="200"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Sinhala<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: none; border-top: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 73.2pt;" valign="top" width="122"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 03.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
LKR 100.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 37.25pt;" valign="top" width="62"><div class="MsoNormal">
<b>11010<o:p></o:p></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 210.45pt;" valign="top" width="351"><div class="MsoNormal">
O/L IT Fitness Test <o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 119.7pt;" valign="top" width="200"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
English<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
<td colspan="2" style="border-bottom: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #4BACC6 1.0pt; border-top: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 154.2pt;" valign="top" width="257"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
One-time LKR 50.00<o:p></o:p></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div>
-Sameera.<br />
<br /></div>
Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-39108573342789366412013-11-07T10:04:00.000-08:002013-11-19T09:32:39.583-08:00Nenasa TV Launches Two New Educational Channels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyNjGmR49BI9aZwB0fIzC2ov_wFz309TEB2Esokdd588MLi346J-ptQhullERYfI_WAD6BGU-9bCIhg6j88pvqfv-kumBKFVIsBI4yz8mACRfpXqM1zCRDNrAVeBiHTwVHZsfCyHd_W4/s1600/Launch_with_HE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyNjGmR49BI9aZwB0fIzC2ov_wFz309TEB2Esokdd588MLi346J-ptQhullERYfI_WAD6BGU-9bCIhg6j88pvqfv-kumBKFVIsBI4yz8mACRfpXqM1zCRDNrAVeBiHTwVHZsfCyHd_W4/s320/Launch_with_HE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-MY" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small; line-height: 150%;">Nenasa
TV, the satellite based television channel developed to bridge the education
gap between urban and rural Sri Lanka took a bold new leap today with the
launch of two channels covering Grade 10 and Grade 11 curriculum respectively
in the presence of Hon. President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Tangalle Ruhunu
Wijayaba National School. Based upon the content developed by the National
Institute of Education (NIE) under the direction of the Ministry of Education (MoE) which has so far
connected over 2000 schools, “Nenasa” will provide these new channels initially
to 1000 “Mahindodaya” schools.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
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<span lang="EN-MY" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small; line-height: 150%;">The
Nenasa programme was developed under the Mahinda Chinthanaya education plan to
address the disparity of access to knowledge between urban and rural Sri Lanka
through ICT (Information Communication Technology). Dialog Television, a
satellite-based broadcaster, is a subsidiary of Dialog Axiata. A
satellite based system has almost no geographical limitations to deliver
crystal clear content from the heavens, making it an ideal medium to deliver
distance learning across the island. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-MY" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small; line-height: 150%;">Launched
in 2009, the programme has so far gone on to connect over 2000 schools and
future plans will encompass many more schools. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span lang="EN-MY" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">The state of the art satellite based distance education programme is
operated by the Ministry of Education, while a high quality telecast edition of
the national education curriculum for Ordinary Level students is developed by
the National Institute of Education (NIE). The content is currently developed
in Sinhala medium. The developed curriculum is transmitted to the rural school
network via Dialog Television.</span><br />
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<![endif]--><br />Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-63241980477428226982013-09-12T09:51:00.002-07:002013-09-12T09:54:32.811-07:00Hong Kong ICT4D PhD Fellowship Scheme<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNehvtz0BFxJAlj6xSNklRXO8zyF4OOrQUtgde_h4giWikxqo8jQgsxI8I6GXc0kIgjLqw87X3vGoVksujmAWD4cVRtseQA4GRrytK09Jza5V7s5Bw3vEMX9DFf4I9YI7dSjYR9DLST0I/s1600/Hong_Kong_Polytechnics_University.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNehvtz0BFxJAlj6xSNklRXO8zyF4OOrQUtgde_h4giWikxqo8jQgsxI8I6GXc0kIgjLqw87X3vGoVksujmAWD4cVRtseQA4GRrytK09Jza5V7s5Bw3vEMX9DFf4I9YI7dSjYR9DLST0I/s400/Hong_Kong_Polytechnics_University.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 17px;">Graduate students and practitioner with evidence of academic excellence, research ability, good communication skills, and interest in pursuing their dissertation in the field of social entrepreneurship and ICT for development are invited to apply for Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 17px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 17px;">The Fellowship provides monthly stipend of HK$20,000 and travel allowance of HK$10,000 per year. In addition, each awardee will also enjoy tuition fees waiver for a maximum of three years.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 17px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 17px;">Hong Kong serves as an excellent hub to access China, South-East- and South-Asia, dynamic social innovations space. To understand how social entrepreneurship is helping solve social issues, PolyU has recently established three centers: Sustainability Research Management Center; Design Institute for Social Innovation; and Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 17px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 17px;">For additional information on PhD fellowship see (</span><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/redirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Epolyu%2Eedu%2Ehk%2Fro%2Fhkphd-fellowship%2F&urlhash=vNDv&_t=tracking_anet" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #006699; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 17px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="blank">http://www.polyu.edu.hk/ro/hkphd-fellowship/</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 17px;">)</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 17px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 17px;">For any clarification about application process: contact Ms Martha Hui (martha.hui@polyu.edu.hk)</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 17px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 17px;">For information on ongoing research projects on social entrepreneurship: contact Dr. Israr Qureshi (israr.qureshi@polyu.edu.hk).</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 17px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 17px;">.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 17px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 17px;">-Sameera.</span>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-51692246730408121372013-02-10T01:12:00.002-08:002013-02-10T01:39:32.798-08:00Mobile Phones in Prisons<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The ‘Census of Population and Housing 2011’, the 14<sup>th</sup>
National Census of Sri Lanka was completed in 2009/2010 and the enumeration
stage of the census was carried out in February‐March 2012. As per its findings
Sri Lanka had 20.2 million population at the end of 2011. Also the latest
statistics released by TRC shows that Sri Lanka has 19.6m Mobile Subscribers, resulting
95.1% penetration by September 2012 (probably with the assumption that population
has increased by 0.4m during 2012). Anyway it shows how widely mobile phones
have spread within the society. A recent article by CNN covered how mobile phones
are being taken in to the prisons and used by prisoners.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9IXkHl1E3G4W3BMqiiZkkvMM7ptfVUqn0NnoEzg-gCyrpq4KP0SFuxvK_ihgCyl5OOHnaVxkN00jkziw2pC2XSucNBccvwVTBpM5M-5LEbyxuRl3MB_OaNIsdz4CXmvLWjiYyGiWnfc/s1600/mobile_Phones_in_Prison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9IXkHl1E3G4W3BMqiiZkkvMM7ptfVUqn0NnoEzg-gCyrpq4KP0SFuxvK_ihgCyl5OOHnaVxkN00jkziw2pC2XSucNBccvwVTBpM5M-5LEbyxuRl3MB_OaNIsdz4CXmvLWjiYyGiWnfc/s1600/mobile_Phones_in_Prison.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Utkal, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left;">A mobile phone and a hands free kit are seen in an X-ray of a Sri Lankan prisoner (Photo courtesy of CNN)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
58-year-old G. Siripala, a Sri Lankan prisoner serving a
10-year sentence for theft, was escorted by armed prison officials to Colombo's
National Hospital with severe back pain, doctors rushed him for an X-ray. Doctors
thought he might have orthopaedic complications, a source familiar with the
matter. "But the X-ray showed a cell phone and two hands-free kits." Medical
staff prepared to carry out a surgical procedure on the prisoner, the source
said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"However, the man said 'Sir, sir, please give me a
moment.' He coughed, wriggled, shrugged his muscles and the items fell on the
ground," the source said.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The awkward incident reveals how Sri Lanka's prison
officials discovered the latest round of phone smuggling into the high security
Welikade Prison, in the northern sector of the capital, Colombo. The prisoner
explained his situation to the doctors, recounting how had been chatting on the
cell phone with a relative when prison officials carried out a surprise check
on his ward, the source said.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"He had no place to hide it. So he thrust it in his
rectum together with the two hands-free kits," he said of the prisoner. At
nighttime, to avoid detection, the prisoners cover themselves with a bed sheet,
hide the phone near the body and use the hands free kit, the source added. Siripala's undoing came when the person he had been speaking
to rang back. The ringing tone came from his back and prison officials grabbed
him, the source said. Smuggling of cell phones into prison is an all-too-common
occurrence, forcing prison officers to use hand-held detectors, Commissioner
General of Prisons P.W. Kodippili told.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Most prisoners, particularly when they are taken to
courts for cases, return with mobile phones given by outside parties. We have
minimized the problem and are on the alert and catch them when they come
in," said Kodippili, who is in charge of all of Sri Lanka's prisons.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Kodippili said jammers have been installed in prisons.
However, one mobile phone operator had a tower near Welikade Prison and this
was causing a technical glitch. Sources had revealed that some prisoner carryout
finical transactions using mobile phones. Anyway all those would not be possible
once authorities introduce body and parcel scanners very soon.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sameera<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(based on a news article released by CNN)<o:p></o:p></div>
Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-1993647265171926262012-07-31T10:58:00.000-07:002012-07-31T23:27:06.168-07:00Dialog 5 Star Partner - Mobile for Development (m4D)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzHxaJOuRARl5kzt9OMm3cFJ1yxZfYMKP30vAamx37EQ61WSpuqc4QOHh0PWMCe9YWxo9T1aNQNTal30Pn6_-Ixe9GU2Cytag5Ot4EFkTH1_-fUaIAstwv_n-WEvE386ncduTpQ2Cldw/s1600/IMG00116-20120601-0912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzHxaJOuRARl5kzt9OMm3cFJ1yxZfYMKP30vAamx37EQ61WSpuqc4QOHh0PWMCe9YWxo9T1aNQNTal30Pn6_-Ixe9GU2Cytag5Ot4EFkTH1_-fUaIAstwv_n-WEvE386ncduTpQ2Cldw/s400/IMG00116-20120601-0912.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal">
5 Star Partner Hoarding in Ampara Town (Eastern Sri Lanka)<o:p></o:p></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dialog Axiata’s “5 Star Partner” programme extends the
company’s reach to customers in rural areas by way of “Infomediaries” –
Information Intermediaries. This exclusive corps of highly trained and
carefully selected independent rural entrepreneurs enables Dialog to improve
customers’ lives by reducing costs and delays in accessing services, as well as
by opening up access to life-enhancing mobile services many currently do not
fully utilize.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dialog Infomediary Initiative (DII) – under the theme of
Inclusive Business (IB), Dialog Axiata PLC has developed a robust business case
to empower communities at the Base of the Pyramid (BoP) and is desirous of
establishing a Social Enterprise Retail Network through an initiative known as
“Dialog 5 Star Partner” to bridge the last-mile in its downstream value chain. The
envisaged 5 Star Network is to build an innovative and non-traditional ‘Infomediary
Network’ that relies on social entrepreneurs (information intermediaries) to
reach consumers at the Base of the Pyramid (BoP). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5 Star Partners receive significant investment and support
from Dialog to position them as Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
or to be specific, Mobile for Development (m4D) ambassadors in their villages.
Dialog is working towards placing 1000 "5 Star Partners" across rural Sri Lanka
within 2012 with the support of International Finance Corporation (IFC) and GSM Association (GSMA). A third of all 5 Star Partners are located in the North and East
of the country which were worst-affected by civil conflict, and where Dialog
was the first MNO to re-establish coverage. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dialog acknowledges that communities that are segmented at
varying levels of e-readiness require creative business models to reach each
segment effectively. Low income communities that are geographically isolated
display lowest levels of e-readiness and are at the receiving end of the
Digital Divide continuum. To date Dialog has made significant progress in fulfilling the
various components of the "5 Star" ecosystem and is currently poised to roll out a
trial "5 Star Partner Initiative" encompassing 1000 tier three retailers equally distributed across Sri
Lanka. Dialog has invested resources in building complementary services such as
Rural Value Added Services (VAS) and charging mechanisms to serve the needs of the
poor through the 5 Star Partner network.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=213295087569576633543.0004b00518f21e3bdbec0" target="_blank">Dialog 5 Star Partner Network in Sri Lanka</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Sameera.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-85692196926626396042012-04-20T11:45:00.000-07:002012-04-22T03:54:03.522-07:00South Asian Mobile Conference 2012What Can you do with your mobile?<br />
<br />
Listen to;<br />
Dr. Hans Wijesuriya - Group Chief Executive Officer of Dialog Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka<br />
Mr. Tomi T Ahonen - Former Nokia Executive, well known author<br />
Mr. Ralph Simon - CEO of Mobilium International<br />
<br />
And many other speakers
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1BWCOAjqVHAfxkLrBamC4aLEsqcQfbJyq5ccox4F3Eu48tcd_LUQGPmGEDTDnnP7M2uK-U9ncR0nyB-1_Hg59-kAZJnWl9sn0gOce5Vab8l9vCehLYTkPvsXcDHANe14VlekEeULysk/s1600/southAsianMobileConference.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="South Asian Mobile Conference Banner" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1BWCOAjqVHAfxkLrBamC4aLEsqcQfbJyq5ccox4F3Eu48tcd_LUQGPmGEDTDnnP7M2uK-U9ncR0nyB-1_Hg59-kAZJnWl9sn0gOce5Vab8l9vCehLYTkPvsXcDHANe14VlekEeULysk/s1600/southAsianMobileConference.png" title="South Asian Mobile Conference" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com3Galle Rd, Colombo 00300, Sri Lanka6.9183323709239684 79.848375320434576.9143913709239682 79.843439820434568 6.9222733709239685 79.853310820434572tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-84920065597916447642011-10-22T10:38:00.000-07:002011-10-23T00:10:27.566-07:00Indian Aakash Tablet PC vs OLPC<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iZwJpQKY2kIgZoE3Bk2ASCxGtfcwdPPJDeLaOC5CzAHMYzP9RVlYD6SMKvHd5gocztKkdpOkTJhjIVUvkqkwZkmY0oMt_iIIHa_q7xDWgk1v3nsjj1cVmnjfZoZTsb9i9tolB2PAoZM/s1600/Sameera_Aakash_tablet_India.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666372701002536370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iZwJpQKY2kIgZoE3Bk2ASCxGtfcwdPPJDeLaOC5CzAHMYzP9RVlYD6SMKvHd5gocztKkdpOkTJhjIVUvkqkwZkmY0oMt_iIIHa_q7xDWgk1v3nsjj1cVmnjfZoZTsb9i9tolB2PAoZM/s400/Sameera_Aakash_tablet_India.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 400px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 317px;" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Early this month India launched touch-screen tablet PC, which is known as “Aakash”. That is priced at just $35 compared to its counterpart OLPC which was originally priced at $100 and then increased to $180 - $200 later. The Aakash has been developed by UK-based company DataWind and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT - Rajasthan).<br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Kapil Sibal, the minister of the Indian Human Resource Development Ministry hopes Aakash will give digital access to students in small towns and villages and <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333;">end the digital divide</span> in India.<br /><br /><br />But it is too early to say how the Aakash will be received as most cheap tablets in the past have turned out to be either poor performers or expensive eventually (what happened to OLPC). Any laptop should meet the demand of its target audience. Following table shows the comparison of Aakash and OLPC;</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"> <tbody>
<tr style="height: 25.15pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;" valign="middle,"> <td style="background: black; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 25.15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-pattern: solid auto; mso-shading: windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: 12pt;">Consideration<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td> <td style="background: black; border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 25.15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-pattern: solid auto; mso-shading: windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: 12pt;">Aakash Tablet PC<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td> <td style="background: black; border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 25.15pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-pattern: solid auto; mso-shading: windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: white; font-size: 12pt;">OLPC<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 17.5pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;"> <td colspan="3" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; height: 17.5pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 6.65in;" valign="top" width="638"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Technical<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Display<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">7” colour LCD/TFT<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">7.5” Dual-mode TFT<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">RAM<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">2GB<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">1 GB DDR2 SDRAM<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Hard Drive<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span">32GB</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Internal 4GB microSD card<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Connectivity<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Wi-Fi, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">USB 2.0 (2), <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ethernet port<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Wireless networking interface<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Operating System<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Android<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;">OS build on</span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;"> modified Fedora Linux kernel</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Processor<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Unknown<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;">1 GHz</span></span><strong><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td colspan="3" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 6.65in;" valign="top" width="638"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 10.5pt;">Other<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Target Audience<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Students of 504 Universities and 25,000 Colleges in India<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Primary level kids (5 - 15 years) around the world<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Unite Price <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">$35<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 159.6pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">$180<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">One which has balanced the price and the features to fulfill the needs and wants of its target audience would be the most successful and sustainable laptop in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br />-Sameera</span></div>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com13Colombo, Sri Lanka6.9270786 79.8612436.8640276 79.782279 6.9901295999999995 79.940207tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-26624703740549022692011-05-04T06:37:00.000-07:002011-09-05T09:53:30.208-07:00Facebook opens an office in Colombo, Sri Lanka?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaFxCd8qJIAgmI_BX83bVR-2ujz4sD07zYBQabLXJN4c0eEsil-4KZj6G6wcDrcjOvrrgfZJedHPkP7ffpVqK7fK9xGNV2sqmIVM8MEevqnQYNfuQ6N4_iCIvxzqNG8kZ3qN3G3AJ9wc/s1600/sameera_facebook_Shop_Colombo.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 279px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaFxCd8qJIAgmI_BX83bVR-2ujz4sD07zYBQabLXJN4c0eEsil-4KZj6G6wcDrcjOvrrgfZJedHPkP7ffpVqK7fK9xGNV2sqmIVM8MEevqnQYNfuQ6N4_iCIvxzqNG8kZ3qN3G3AJ9wc/s400/sameera_facebook_Shop_Colombo.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602855627762744242" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Photo courtesy of http://www.gossip9.com/</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What you see on the picture is a tiny shop in capital of Sri Lanka. The shop owner has named his shop as “Facebook”. What made him to do that?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sri Lanka is a country with an area of 65,610 km<sup>2</sup> and population of 21,283,913 (by 2011). <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As per International Telecommunication Union (ITU) reports, there were 1,776,200 Internet users as of Jun 2010, a penetration of 8.3%.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Usage of Facebook in Sri Lanka</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Currently (April 2011) there are 894,240 Facebook users in Sri Lanka, that means;</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span><b>4.2 %</b> of the Sri Lankan population is on Facebook</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-list:Ignore"> -<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span><b>50.3%</b> of the Sri Lankan internet users are on Facebook</p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Though the impact is debatable, Facebook has become a term which is good enough to name an IT shop on the corner of the street.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">-Sameera. <o:p></o:p></p>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-81287637063502363842011-03-10T02:46:00.000-08:002011-03-10T03:33:24.490-08:00ICT4D – D for Dog<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbmlXtn4eq09yZHpdBaDAU8VLtZ9tR8QLUNP70VABIA4HOr6lXROw1ap3FIw28dbZ-lhhqFle40vQKnNqRtaFUd_kCItPhsZtphpSauRCdgn0uInVJuqqfAmNNjDeqNCXZ1DgOTmKqmI/s1600/sameera_ictForDogs.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbmlXtn4eq09yZHpdBaDAU8VLtZ9tR8QLUNP70VABIA4HOr6lXROw1ap3FIw28dbZ-lhhqFle40vQKnNqRtaFUd_kCItPhsZtphpSauRCdgn0uInVJuqqfAmNNjDeqNCXZ1DgOTmKqmI/s400/sameera_ictForDogs.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582401612729783202" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Even though it sounds funny, the negligence of the primary stakeholders or the beneficiaries has been a key factor for the failures of the Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) Projects. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Giving wrong tool for the right people as well as right tool for wrong people would not lead to fruitful outcomes irrespective of the resources pumped for such projects. So we need to employ real “Development” practices to minimize such outcomes. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Some reasons for intentional negligence;<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>Negative influence from politicians/bureaucrats </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>Malicious intentions of organizations/companies/funders</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>Malicious intentions of individuals who are involved in such projects</p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Blaming politicians or anyone else listed above wouldn’t help to change the situation. Right development practices such as;</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>Being transparent</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>Managing stakeholder engagements</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>Involvement of primary beneficiaries from the inception</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span>Proper communication with all stakeholders</p> <p class="MsoNormal">would lead to better results from the ICT4D initiatives, delivering real development through technology.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">-Sameera. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-20665526954363932472011-02-23T04:15:00.000-08:002011-02-25T01:56:47.429-08:00Not Just Talk - Mobile Services in Poor Countries<span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 21px; COLOR: rgb(51,51,51)font-family:Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;" class="Apple-style-span" ><b> <div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Clever services on cheap mobile phones make a powerful combination—especially in poor countries</span></span></div></b></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_i01hrktPQDdiC6L_SHExiwPpQO5jR9zCE-KcEw5v4QflxlzjRDoOh2OtbV6fb0mxn4KVoyss5y2eVSm1XzuAnwFKFnOHy0-Tz_UOT-sY1b9e5elr5vjkBjvkCWXaND93cscXp60uMGQ/s1600/sameera_farmerWithMobileEconomist.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576863895825255330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_i01hrktPQDdiC6L_SHExiwPpQO5jR9zCE-KcEw5v4QflxlzjRDoOh2OtbV6fb0mxn4KVoyss5y2eVSm1XzuAnwFKFnOHy0-Tz_UOT-sY1b9e5elr5vjkBjvkCWXaND93cscXp60uMGQ/s400/sameera_farmerWithMobileEconomist.jpg" /></a> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;color:#333333;"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 21px" class="Apple-style-span"><b> <div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><b><div style="DISPLAY: inline !important"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">COUNTERFEIT drugs can make up around a quarter of all those sold in poor countries, according to some estimates. They provide a lucrative and lethal business, against which most consumers are powerless. “If your anti-malaria pill is made of any old white powder, you may not survive,” says Bright Simons, one of the founders of mPedigree, an advocacy group from Ghana.</span></span></div></b></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Mr Simons is not just fighting with words. Late last year mPedigree launched a mobile service in Ghana and Nigeria that could make a dent in the fake-drug trade. People buying medicine scratch off a panel attached to the packaging. This reveals a code, which they can text to a computer system that looks it up in a database. Seconds later comes a reply saying whether the drug is genuine. The service is paid for by pharmaceutical companies that want to thwart the counterfeiters. Hewlett-Packard runs the computer system and found a cheap way to print the scratch-off labels.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This is just one of many such services mushrooming in poor countries, using mobile-phone technology that once carried only humble voice and text messages. Rohan Samarajiva, the boss of LIRNEasia, a think-tank in Sri Lanka, calls it “more than mobile”. Jussi Hinkkanen, Nokia’s head of policy in Africa, says the mobile revolution is moving “from ear to hand”.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The number of users is still small: even among young people in South-East Asia (a tech-friendly lot) only 8% had used “more-than-voice” services, according to a poll by LIRNEasia. But the potential is exciting. Mobile phones are the world’s most widely distributed computers. Even in poor countries about two-thirds of people have access to one (see chart 1). As a result, such devices and their networks, though mainly still much simpler than in the rich world, have become a platform on which many other services can be built. This boosts innovation—just as smartphones and faster wireless data networks have led to an explosion of mobile applications (“apps”).</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Classifying mobile services in poor countries is not an exact science. Richard Heeks, director of the Centre of Development Informatics at the University of Manchester, sorts them by their impact on development. One category is services that “connect the excluded”. In their simplest form they provide information to those who would otherwise be out of the loop. Farmer’s Friend in Uganda, for instance, sends out market prices and other agricultural information in text messages.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Such services have been around for some time, but they have become more common—and much more varied. Nokia now provides its Ovi Life Tools, a set of information services from weather to sport, to more than 6m users of its handsets in China, India, Indonesia and Nigeria. Esoko, a Ghanaian “communication platform”, in the words of Mark Davies, its founder, allows two-way communication: people and businesses in 15 African countries can upload their own market or other data, which then become accessible via the internet and mobile phones.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Mobile trading platforms are also in this category. At first most of them focused on agricultural goods: <strong>Dialog Tradenet in Sri Lanka</strong> lets farmers check market prices and text in offers, helping them to time their harvest to maximise income. But many, including Dialog Tradenet, have other things on offer. In India, Babajob.com lists low-skilled jobs. The most popular items on CellBazaar in Bangladesh are second-hand mobile phones. For people with some cash to spare, KenyaBUZZ, one of the larger local websites in east Africa, is selling tickets for cultural and sports events over the phone.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Mobile phones can also spread learning. In Bangladesh the BBC World Service Trust sponsors a service called BBC Janala that allows people on a few dollars a day to improve their English. After dialling “3000”, they can listen to hundreds of English lessons and quizzes, updated weekly. Mobile operators charge about two cents for each three-minute lesson. Since BBC Janala was launched in November 2009, 3.1m people have used it.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Researchers in South Africa working for SAP, a software giant, are trying to connect very small businesses, which make up a large part of Africa’s economy. One service lets craftsmen create a virtual job docket with a few texts or touches on a smartphone, even without mobile-network coverage. The information is uploaded to a computer system later. Another allows rural stores to order goods, saving time-consuming trips to city markets.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">A second category of services includes those that cut out the middleman, or at least keep tabs on him. This is especially helpful in using government services. In the Indian state of Karnataka, corrupt officials would often demand a bribe before issuing landownership certificates, which farmers need, for instance, to obtain a loan. The Bhoomi project helps them directly, by using the internet and mobile phones.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Disintermediation is also made possible by mobile money. Services to transfer cash by text message have been around for some years. One of the most successful, M-PESA, began in 2007 in Kenya, where it now has more than 13m users. It is now used for salaries, bills, donations: few things cannot be paid for via a handset. Similar services can be found in more than 40 countries. Though not yet on the same scale, this seems to be only a question of time: in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, more people have a mobile phone than a bank account (see chart 2).</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Other firms are extending the reach of mobile money. Software developed by Tagattitude, a French start-up, uses a handset’s sound channel to transmit money and will be used by several banks in Africa. A Little World, an Indian firm, has combined several pieces of technology to create a “branchless microbanking system” to allow people in remote areas to withdraw cash. A fingerprint reader identifies them and the sum is deducted from their accounts via a special handset. A small printer produces a receipt. The system already has more than 3m users in India. In Andhra Pradesh it directly disburses welfare payments and pensions.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The sound of the crowd, texting</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">A third, perhaps even more promising category is “crowdvoicing”. Ushahidi, founded by a group of activists in Kenya, is among its pioneers. After the country’s disputed elections in 2008, Ushahidi (which means “testimony” in Swahili) mapped reports about violence, most of them text messages, on a website. Now the organisation offers software and even a web-based service to monitor anything from elections to natural disasters. Similarly, text-messaging software called FrontlineSMS collects and broadcasts information.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Such techniques are increasingly applied in other areas, particularly health. Stop Stock-outs, another African group, has used Ushahidi to map where essential medicines are sold out. By checking whether a drug is genuine, users of mPedigree and another Ghanaian service called Sproxil provide real-time data about which illnesses are on the rise (and can be sent more information as needed). In Mali a company called Pesinet gets agents to send in the weight of newborn babies. If the figure falls below a certain level, the baby is examined more closely.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Then there is txteagle, which hopes to reward those willing to perform small jobs on a mobile phone. Its founder, Nathan Eagle, discovered that nurses in Kenya were much likelier to text in the stock levels at their blood banks if they were compensated with a bit of airtime. This got him thinking about whether other tasks could be “crowdsourced” in this way. Today firms use txteagle for translating words into a local dialect and checking street signs for a satellite-navigation service. Mr Eagle hopes that the service will spread far, in particular to Asia.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">A fourth and last category hardly exists yet, but could prove the most important, says Mr Heeks: platforms that allow the world’s poor to “appropriate the technology and start applying it in new ways”. One small example is “beeping”: hanging up after a single ring. First used to signal that someone wants to be called back because of lack of credit, it has become a free messaging system. In some countries, street hawkers assign special ringtones to different customers, which are in effect free messages placing orders.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">In rich countries, online stores for smartphone apps gave digital innovation a boost. LIRNEasia’s Mr Samarajiva hopes that something similar will happen in the poor world. An early example is AppZone in Sri Lanka. It allows developers to create, test and sell applications, while operators promote them to their customers.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The list will certainly get longer. Whether such services will be commercial successes is another question. Having looked at 400 mobile businesses, the Monitor Group, a consultancy, concludes that too many are dependent on donor money. Social entrepreneurship often muddles demand and need, says Jan Schwier of Monitor. The fact that an African smallholder needs prices for his crops on his mobile does not mean he will pay for them.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Not many services are set up to grow, says Brooke Partridge of Vital Wave Consulting, which advises businesses in emerging markets. Providers lack technology, money and market knowledge. “We don’t need more new services, but a better focus on commercialisation,” she says.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">For others bureaucracy, taxation and bad regulation are the obstacles. In many African countries providers of new mobile services cannot deal with network operators directly, but must use intermediaries to get, for instance, a short code for customers to dial. Governments also use mobile networks as cash cows. A study in 2008 by the GSM Association, an industry group, found that the ratio of mobile-related tax to operators’ revenues in sub-Saharan Africa was 30%. Today the share is probably even higher. And regulators often limit competition, for instance by failing to license radio spectrum to new entrants. All this means that mobile communications are more expensive than they need be. “Price remains the major barrier to the growth of mobile entrepreneurship in Africa,” says Steve Song, a telecoms expert at the Shuttleworth Foundation, a think-tank in South Africa.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Talk of a “Development 2.0”—meaning a mobile-driven transformation of how poor countries develop—thus seems premature. But the potential of mobile services should not be underestimated. If they take off, they could transform lives and livelihoods, not just by connecting the world’s poor to the infrastructure of the digital economy, but by allowing them to become digital producers and innovators.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Fanciful? Maybe, but sceptics said the same about the potential of mobile phones in poor countries a decade ago. Just think what would be possible if smartphones and even tablet computers become as cheap and common in poor countries as mobile phones are today.</span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Courtesy: <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/18008202?story_id=18008202">The Economist</a></span></span></div></b></span></span><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Verdana, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:10;" class="Apple-style-span" > <div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p></div></span>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-47059932182824549822010-12-17T03:20:00.000-08:002010-12-17T03:31:31.996-08:00Dialog tradenet won WSA Mobile Gold Award in the m-Inclusion Category<div>Buying awards, stealing awards, organizers giving awards to themselves is common all around the world today. Some awards are given for some reason to product or service which has no use/users.</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Anyway, Dialog tradenet won WSA Mobile Gold award under the m-Inclusion category. Is tradenet really inclusive service?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; ">Yes, it is an inclusive trade information exchange which has converged multiple access technologies such as USSD, SMS, WAP, Voice (IVR/Call Centre) and Web (www.tradenet.lk), to reach all the socio-economic segments in Sri Lanka.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXK7R3fLGv4Vu69VN-wyRfFhgw1VRT9CFFwGVYvqsYfc9n0x_ekkoZEBTks2XIWcRUI-gY7A2dJ6tE-oQXspeawDtatzKA6SF7lQWdN3dscjqBuyFY03OcsPB3ErquxgDLhgDMT3yrFwA/s1600/socio-economic_pyramid_and_ICT.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 399px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXK7R3fLGv4Vu69VN-wyRfFhgw1VRT9CFFwGVYvqsYfc9n0x_ekkoZEBTks2XIWcRUI-gY7A2dJ6tE-oQXspeawDtatzKA6SF7lQWdN3dscjqBuyFY03OcsPB3ErquxgDLhgDMT3yrFwA/s400/socio-economic_pyramid_and_ICT.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551610429143355442" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">T<span style="mso-bidi-font-style:italic">he World Summit Award Mobile is a global initiative within the framework of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), in collaboration with UNESCO, UNIDO and the United National Global Alliance for ICT and Development (ICT4D).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Commenting on Sri Lanka’s success at the WSA, </span>Secretary to H. E. the President, and Chairman of the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation and of the UN-ESCAP Committee of ICT Experts for Asia & Pacific, Lalith Weeratunga, said;</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">“<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">The World Summit Award for Dialog Tradenet is a testimony to the significant changes taking place in our country. The empowerment, Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) deliver to people, changes their lives and presents unprecedented opportunity for growth. This is why ICT and Access to Information are key pillars of the rapid development and expansion roadmap laid out by the government in the Mahinda Chinthana. As a government, we are thoroughly committed to making ICT an important part of our development story, and we will relentlessly support its growth and exploitation”.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">-Sameera.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p></o:p></p>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-29481770675242119822010-09-29T07:35:00.000-07:002010-10-05T21:09:20.481-07:00New Businesses for the Sustainability of Telecentres<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGfumZqi6KKnHQleg1cSueO7yEDL1fGdXUTEUUiS_e0w_6jIlqQz9AUoFaw7TlHGyse5wCfbUjzN2l1dNKS-lEv0jwkJzaUpfcBxDympg4ZrcKc4jp399kT9VC4RPic1HRrg0juZmulw/s1600/sameera_TradenetForSustainabilityOfTelecentres_v2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrGfumZqi6KKnHQleg1cSueO7yEDL1fGdXUTEUUiS_e0w_6jIlqQz9AUoFaw7TlHGyse5wCfbUjzN2l1dNKS-lEv0jwkJzaUpfcBxDympg4ZrcKc4jp399kT9VC4RPic1HRrg0juZmulw/s400/sameera_TradenetForSustainabilityOfTelecentres_v2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522344868151058194" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">“My farther reads the news paper online, now he does not want to buy the papers” – some anecdotes tries to prove that Telecentres are fully integrated with rural societies and they depend on the Telecentres for various services.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In fact, if a person in rural Sri Lanka tries to read a news paper on line, he has to pay at least $ 0.5 whereas he can buy the new paper for around $ 0.25. It may be worth for a busy executive to read the online version of a news paper but may not be for rural folks. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Telecentres made the technology available for rural communities. So what?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The real issue was we didn’t have applicable content and services to deliver through Telecentres. So services such as Dialog tradenet (<a href="http://www.tradenet.lk/">www.tradenet.lk</a>) can make a real difference in terms of providing relevant services to the community while sustaining Telecentres with incremental revenue.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Three potential roles</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Finding products or services at cheaper rates for the community in the area (used products, etc.). That could be even finding the raw materials for SME businesses.</li> </ol> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ol style="margin-top:0in" start="2" type="1"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Help entrepreneurs to find the market. Exploit the free advertising opportunity in tradenet. There is a potential of reaching a huge market of nearly seven million people (customer base of Dialog).</li> </ol> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ol style="margin-top:0in" start="3" type="1"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in">Playing the role of an intermediary/Broker. Most of the rural products and service sellers find it difficult to interact with modern markets. So telecentre operator can play the role of intermediary to bridge the gap. </li> </ol> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>-Sameera.</p><p></p>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-19673796335002342732010-07-19T07:19:00.001-07:002010-08-03T06:40:36.442-07:00Dialog tradenet is a Truly Inclusive System<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Dialog tradenet is fully mobile integrated Buy and Sell portal in Sri Lanka. The automated SMS matching alerts to connect buyers and sellers is a unique feature which is available only in tradenet. That also provides agricultural commodity prices to farmers and others.</p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;">Dialog tradenet covers all the strata of the socio-economic pyramid. It has some means of access for every Sri Lankan, making it a truly inclusive system.</span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhn9P8p2GeVbb2DGch9SuHC2HsUklt88YsCNz37HmTW5SjJjLiDPk4F9liVLjX2vM2-1VatMB28huhHVZH0YQJ5NT5iCLh1DRExfE5et3zUUe2-oBRpz7st9rJvzvtT3W_fRP9lJjEsiY/s1600/sameera_dialogTradenetTrulyInclusive_v3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 330px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhn9P8p2GeVbb2DGch9SuHC2HsUklt88YsCNz37HmTW5SjJjLiDPk4F9liVLjX2vM2-1VatMB28huhHVZH0YQJ5NT5iCLh1DRExfE5et3zUUe2-oBRpz7st9rJvzvtT3W_fRP9lJjEsiY/s400/sameera_dialogTradenetTrulyInclusive_v3.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496195946292709826" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pTM-KxcggjwGuFfIzWfkcUSsHzp4C34G0O9GpK7LskEGzemz97lKWXpxBZBtAs6OMxblWla_ny8VNJL9N0b6FE7tNO07G6OdowVAyINScw5JBovs9Zg9kWl2WcOd2R3w2pBRuI5jzPQ/s1600/sameera_dialogTradenetTrulyInclusive_v1.JPG"><br /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">E - English<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span>S - Sinhalese<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span>T - Tamil</div><div><br /></div><div>Web: <a href="http://www.tradenet.lk/">http://www.tradenet.lk</a> </div><div>WAP: <a href="http://tradenetwap.dialog.lk/">http://tradenetwap.dialog.lk/</a></div><div>USSD: #977# (From a Dialog Mobile)</div><div>SMS: In all three languages</div><div>Voice: 977 (From a Dialog Mobile)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://ict4d-in-srilanka.blogspot.com/">-Sameera</a></div><div><br /></div></div>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-44559258924412165112010-04-20T07:22:00.000-07:002010-04-20T07:33:52.680-07:00ICT4D Truth<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuD6KpJAviK9xQypm1xVJNSeTfD83h-1uqvJv76rYKkX84NhYY5p8aks2cO7-v8ltMNbN3STpChYDFVjhkqqg4A8ffEjiYMK2UVkeOPigYhiOpmKBKLTEqnB-R2TqpDxcqP9w0_5QPp50/s1600/sameera_ict4dTruth_lobsterDog.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462226381937348194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 227px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuD6KpJAviK9xQypm1xVJNSeTfD83h-1uqvJv76rYKkX84NhYY5p8aks2cO7-v8ltMNbN3STpChYDFVjhkqqg4A8ffEjiYMK2UVkeOPigYhiOpmKBKLTEqnB-R2TqpDxcqP9w0_5QPp50/s320/sameera_ict4dTruth_lobsterDog.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">The concept of ICT4D is being abused by many people / companies / organizations for their own benefit. So now it is a challenge to convince people and get their support for genuine ICT4 Development (ICT4D) initiatives.<br /><br />Following are some instances of fake ICT4D projects;<br /><br />ICT4D projects to gain Political Mileage<br />ICT4D projects to get mere publicity<br />Projects just targeting Awards not real results<br />Projects to just please donors<br />‘<strong>D</strong>’ neglected ICT4D projects<br /><br />Any organization, which implements ICT4D projects, could have many objectives, which is natural. But it is essential to give priority to people and their development if those are to be genuine ICT4D initiatives.<br /><br />So, as development activists / ICT4D activists, it is our responsibility to highlight genuine ICT4D initiatives, give them due recognition and make them models for others to follow.<br /><br />-Sameera. </div>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-91922388647393709412010-03-16T07:23:00.000-07:002010-03-17T05:47:47.335-07:00Research on “Mobile Phones for Agricultural Development in Sri Lanka”<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoa-5OKIGCL4Jyqq7mMZtj1YVbFXPrs3HjiT18fec7BUV2kKo6tHxe8DWfWv2_MBX4CaxTxJHNssYl3knyvGFigF1t95UgSYH4uMvD8iiRWeqYBr4HS-3FSZ0JIyAGAwEMCy00uKaL0d4/s1600-h/sameera_researchMobileForAgriculture.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449238598570916466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoa-5OKIGCL4Jyqq7mMZtj1YVbFXPrs3HjiT18fec7BUV2kKo6tHxe8DWfWv2_MBX4CaxTxJHNssYl3knyvGFigF1t95UgSYH4uMvD8iiRWeqYBr4HS-3FSZ0JIyAGAwEMCy00uKaL0d4/s320/sameera_researchMobileForAgriculture.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">With the exponential growth of mobile telephony in developing world, mainly in Asia, Africa and Latin America, the mobile phone has become one of the best channels to reach the rural farmers.<br /><br />Here in Sri Lanka, already there are some mobile phone (telephone) based initiatives to provide the agricultural and other related services. In this research some of the existing initiatives were studied to understand the reasons for success/failure and new ways for improvements;<br /><br />Following are three main initiatives studied;<br /><br />1920 – Agrarian advisory service by Ministry of Agriculture<br />1919 – Government Information Centre, Telephone Service<br />GovSMS –SMS based Commodity Price Dissemination Service<br /><br />The survey was conducted in Dambull (in Central Province of Sri Lanka) area with hundred (100) vegetable and fruit farmers and covered many areas such as; Agricultural information requirements of farmers, practical challenges, their existing information sources, their perceptions and expectations with regard to mobile telephony in agriculture, technical aspects, financial aspects, etc.<br /><br />Hoping to share some of the findings <a href="http://ict4d-in-srilanka.blogspot.com/">here </a>in the future.</div><div align="justify"><br />-Sameera. </div>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-62751522741902288302010-02-18T06:21:00.000-08:002010-02-18T06:47:45.208-08:00Telecentre Management Course by IGNOU<div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxmB-cVkfqOcdEW0-CQ_x3V21Coo34yPhLpxzF2pVHQQ6Snb1JrFCnbkoPkj45cwLYgwWkrR5hAXDT894MENPO0P0I6XzmHVdqFox82ToAh760K5od4IzBohrVZXpICkJFvTPxrPqe7Y/s1600-h/sameera_ignouLogo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439590040547129378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 103px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 65px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxmB-cVkfqOcdEW0-CQ_x3V21Coo34yPhLpxzF2pVHQQ6Snb1JrFCnbkoPkj45cwLYgwWkrR5hAXDT894MENPO0P0I6XzmHVdqFox82ToAh760K5od4IzBohrVZXpICkJFvTPxrPqe7Y/s200/sameera_ignouLogo.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="justify"><br />“Telecentres are not sustainable; it is just waste of money”.<br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Let’s stop blaming telecentres, understand what went wrong and what went well. Let’s get things corrected. Now we should promote Telecentre Management as a profession not as just looking after some computers in a rural hut.<br /><br />Starting a Telecentre Management Course is a really good and timely initiative by The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) together with other likeminded organizations.<br /><br />Telecentre Management Course Contents;<br /><br />CTCM-01: Fundamentals of Telecentres<br />CTCM-02: Understanding Community Needs<br />CTCM-03: Community Informatics<br />CTCM-04: Planning a Telecentre<br />CTCM-05: Telecentre Management Techniques<br />CTCM-06: Qualities of Telecentre Operators<br />CTCM-07: Basic IT Skills<br />CTCM-08: Content and Services in Telecentres<br />CTCM-09: Community Use of Telecentre<br />CTCM-10: Information Management at Telecentres<br />CTCM-11: Promoting Your Telecentre<br />CTCM-12: Assessing the Progress of Telecentres<br /><br />It is good to hear that the course is going to be available in 10 international languages making it accessible to Telecentre Operators in other developing countries.<br /><br />-Sameera.</div>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-16918254920604922322010-01-13T06:27:00.000-08:002010-01-18T06:32:04.051-08:00Jaffna and Northern Province of Sri Lanka trying to Regain its Glory<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT90MCWyNDaKy9QW-juNRXEo0IVI-xBqGAid1BnR-bA7gvZ0BenvmHKZES60u31fFCE2-Vr-2ejN8IfmOmAgaHsnAXsYZkfW6A3b2sLB567sJO_EMP6tYJioW6tRdeHl004NzBzb7dDk4/s1600-h/sameera_welcomeJaffna.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426232222284545186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT90MCWyNDaKy9QW-juNRXEo0IVI-xBqGAid1BnR-bA7gvZ0BenvmHKZES60u31fFCE2-Vr-2ejN8IfmOmAgaHsnAXsYZkfW6A3b2sLB567sJO_EMP6tYJioW6tRdeHl004NzBzb7dDk4/s320/sameera_welcomeJaffna.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><a name="OLE_LINK2"></a></div><div align="justify"><a name="OLE_LINK1">Recently I visited Jaffna peninsula and other Northern parts of the island. On my way to Jaffna through A9 road, which is now opened for civilians, I could witness the massive destruction in Kilinochchi and other small towns due to the long civil war. </a><br /><br />Anyway that horrible war is over now, people have new hopes about their future and sustainable socio-economic development in Northern Province.<br /><br />There is a very high potential in those areas. We will see so many investments flowing in to those areas soon. Conducive environment is being created in Jaffna and other areas. The literacy rate in the Northern Province is 92.5 present and finding human resources would not be a tough challenge for any investor.<br /><br />Other infrastructure requirements such as road access, electricity, water supply, communication facilities are being developed. The tallest multi purpose telecommunication tower (172 m) in Sri Lanka is being built in Kokavil near Kilinochchi town.<br /><br />The mobile phone subscribers’ growth from 11 million to 13 million during the last six months of year 2009 was mainly due to the new subscribers from post conflicted Northern and the Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.<br /><br />Hope new development initiatives in Northern Province will keep our innocent tamil children in schools instead of bunkers in the future.<br /><br />Sameera </div>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-66158614530654086372009-12-24T03:31:00.000-08:002010-01-05T05:33:14.836-08:00Dialog tradenet - Agricultural Commodity Prices via Mobile Phones<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPGOZfRvsgzooAempIIGTtnCW7YvJ_HRGUs68evBzMk4-lhkXe2cQlAZxHHFgMQDm_zS4_79cvlR2PrPfQPCeH5Oi4GcqoKq2FXNvyvLudJoB-5S9mPa6xz6qQjv7YP5wo0XA89xozYE/s1600-h/sameera_DialogTradenetLaunch.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418767468567218562" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPGOZfRvsgzooAempIIGTtnCW7YvJ_HRGUs68evBzMk4-lhkXe2cQlAZxHHFgMQDm_zS4_79cvlR2PrPfQPCeH5Oi4GcqoKq2FXNvyvLudJoB-5S9mPa6xz6qQjv7YP5wo0XA89xozYE/s320/sameera_DialogTradenetLaunch.jpg" border="0" /></a>Minister of Trade, Marketing Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs, Bandula Gunawardena, is addressing gathering at the launch on 22nd December 2009.<br /><br /><div align="justify">Dialog Telekom, a telecommunication company, together with Farmer Intelligence Services [Govi Gnana Seva (GGS)] has launched a service to deliver spot and forward agricultural commodity price information via mobile phones.<br /><br />Dialog tradenet is a project initiated by the Dialog’s ICT4D team to go beyond the conventional entertainment focused Value Added Services and make a meaningful relevance of ICT to the all the segments of the society, especially to the Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP). So everyone will be able to reap the dividends of ICT for their own socio-economic development.<br /><br />Initially this will provide agri-produce price information from three Dedicated Economic Centres in Sri Lanka (Dambulla, Meegoda and Narahenpita). The scope of tradenet will be gradually expanded to industrial and service sectors also. GGS, as an organisation with the expertise on agriculture markets has joined with a technology expert, Dialog to make this initiative a success, by making it a win-win-win solution for all, including the poor farmers.<br /><br />Among many other unique features, the usage of multiple channels/technologies to reach the end-users has made the system Affordable, Available and Accessible to the all the levels of the society including the BoP.<br /><br />Call Centre : <strong>977</strong> (in local languages)</div><div align="justify">SMS : (in local languages)<br />Web : <a href="http://www.tradenet.dialog.lk/">http://www.tradenet.dialog.lk/</a> (in local languages)<br />WAP : <a href="http://tradenetwap.dialog.lk/">tradenetwap.dialog.lk</a><br />USSD : <strong>#977#</strong><br /><br />Moving farmers from subsistence agriculture to some level of agri-business will help them to come out of poverty. But for those poor farmers to actively participate in agri-business we have to create efficient agricultural markets with minimum information asymmetry.<br /><br />-Sameera. </div>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-59687960070048129412009-11-05T06:09:00.001-08:002009-11-05T06:26:40.877-08:00Mobile Phones for Teaching and Learning Science<div align="justify"><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNrrUnoJ25QLlAVMRnQfBOkc-682l5Zri-hTfIaa_Phue8N8FhM-cboaQFP2cRF_kRB_YBMOrTjXFSo7dITzK-tpKiH6bzws2fhIWlQ8pcl05HcJgexz75sMlMvnjcsuG5TdXmcVV3mOw/s1600-h/sameera_leanAboutDiversityOfLeaves.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400621644937821170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNrrUnoJ25QLlAVMRnQfBOkc-682l5Zri-hTfIaa_Phue8N8FhM-cboaQFP2cRF_kRB_YBMOrTjXFSo7dITzK-tpKiH6bzws2fhIWlQ8pcl05HcJgexz75sMlMvnjcsuG5TdXmcVV3mOw/s320/sameera_leanAboutDiversityOfLeaves.jpg" border="0" /></a>To learn about the diversity of leaves students have to pluck the leaves thus damaging the plants. A more interesting approach is where students collectively took photographs of leaves while observing them.<br /><br />Currently mobile phones are banned in Sri Lankan schools. But recently a research study on effectiveness of mobile phone for teaching and learning science was carried out in central province of Sri Lanka by a PhD student together with Department of Education of the University of Peradeniya in collaboration with the University of Bristol, UK. Dialog Telekom (a telecommunication company in Sri Lanka) supported this initiative by means of providing technical expertise and other resources.<br /><br />How will students use mobile phones if it is already banned in Sri Lankan Schools?<br /><br />In this study it was emphasized that a mobile phone can be just used as another science laboratory equipment such as a test-tube or a microscope. That would minimize the disciplinary and other related problems which caused to <a href="http://ict4d-in-srilanka.blogspot.com/2009/08/sri-lanka-bans-mobile-phones-at-schools.html">ban the mobile phones in Sri Lankan schools</a>.<br /><br />Mobile phones are getting equipped with more advanced tools such as video cameras, audio/video players, etc. Also the handset prices are coming down day-by-day. So it is up to the users to use those for more productive purposes than destructive uses. I think teachers can educate pupils on how best they can use mobile technology even fulfilling basic human needs such as education rather than saying "no" to the new technology or trying to keep children away from the new technology.<br /><br />Courtesy: Sakunthala Ekanayake<br /><br />You can read more about the research study <a href="http://www.schoolnet.lk/research/mobile_phones_for_teaching_learning_science/index.html">here</a>.<br /><br />-Sameera.</div>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-35443396021393668252009-10-09T06:40:00.000-07:002009-12-15T04:42:51.789-08:00World’s First Wind Up Mobile Phone<br><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1qBWX8kiUIMtHekw-H_hJ1mLiBBCgVh8A3iFhLeXYcIOPtbJg0SHjZuSr-8ggn1zgyHPovWvQeMrRkx61tClfQZ7ogW0AoIbq0C1zse7roNGM3WCB7Gx7ic3evA_sr_D4Rb9qVHGB0o/s1600-h/samera_wind-Up-Phone.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390606969909311186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1qBWX8kiUIMtHekw-H_hJ1mLiBBCgVh8A3iFhLeXYcIOPtbJg0SHjZuSr-8ggn1zgyHPovWvQeMrRkx61tClfQZ7ogW0AoIbq0C1zse7roNGM3WCB7Gx7ic3evA_sr_D4Rb9qVHGB0o/s320/samera_wind-Up-Phone.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div align="justify">This will not be exciting news for Sri Lanka as it is a country which has nearly 80% of the households with access to the main electricity grid. But this would be very good news for other countries with poor electricity penetration in Asia, Africa and Latin America.<br /><br />Currently the above phone which is called “Ventus”, is in the prototype stage of development.<br /><br />As per the TCL (http://tclproducts.co.uk/index.html), the company behind the development of this product, after cranking the phone for a minute, one can get four times that in talk time and it’s powered by a specially developed ultra thin dynamo.<br /><br />Another interesting feature is that it also has solar panels incorporated into it so if you leave it in the sun it can be left on standby for extended periods of time.<br /><br />Company has not revealed how near they are going to release it as a commercial product. But hope that would be a great news for people who walks miles to get their phones charged.<br /><br />[Courtesy: http://www.geekwithlaptop.com/]<br /><br />-Sameera.</div>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-60383387634285664452009-10-04T02:06:00.000-07:002009-10-07T07:00:26.306-07:00Stop Positioning Mobile Phone as a Mere Tool for Entertainment and KIT<div align="justify">A recent TV commercial in Sri Lanka shows a girl gets a SMS to her phone and says;<br />“My boyfriend is sending me SMSs too, even after being on phone with me for hours”<br />The message from boyfriend: “you are beautiful”<br />She replies: “you are smart”<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACPzXfcdriOOs8YJa1YNFwlcwrqwie9gr6LTLMqMGvJDGYdw4XpWrDQtGoJztsyY5HRoOd_wFQv4s4uf55Y_XyF4i4owNVz9g6QOOcXcwQvQGuCfMXECtjV3vsF3EZhDYlCs49UocRD4/s1600-h/sameera_airtel_homebottom_super_v1.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 228px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACPzXfcdriOOs8YJa1YNFwlcwrqwie9gr6LTLMqMGvJDGYdw4XpWrDQtGoJztsyY5HRoOd_wFQv4s4uf55Y_XyF4i4owNVz9g6QOOcXcwQvQGuCfMXECtjV3vsF3EZhDYlCs49UocRD4/s320/sameera_airtel_homebottom_super_v1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389112578256616658" /></a><br /><br /></div><p align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsru_SBWTnV-93KhRndt-FnYC8ixzNLzZ1qqmV4CVt7ZBR1uYTYgDs1b9pCqor_MR9FYJVn9qJxm1iQL3pRV8SOcXlV_17e9zx0NWJeoeC5E9r9QvhHg0RyWyakSfAJNfMWoU2C1kcoPY/s1600-h/sameera_dialog_19-features-and-vas.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388946835227866850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 75px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsru_SBWTnV-93KhRndt-FnYC8ixzNLzZ1qqmV4CVt7ZBR1uYTYgDs1b9pCqor_MR9FYJVn9qJxm1iQL3pRV8SOcXlV_17e9zx0NWJeoeC5E9r9QvhHg0RyWyakSfAJNfMWoU2C1kcoPY/s320/sameera_dialog_19-features-and-vas.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiF4z_UJ0jkxJQXXz9XFnrIOtxQjO-wm8UgRQD-hQelK-DhVic2wwey7BUv_iDWqAvtMLYenAF4SJw2EfhmmtKObOFGJGnZojXOmX8Hjor8wavqDCEBzO7P-Bfdyn3w1PbJqRHQYPVudE/s1600-h/sameera_hutch_sharingLove.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388946997083086418" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 171px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiF4z_UJ0jkxJQXXz9XFnrIOtxQjO-wm8UgRQD-hQelK-DhVic2wwey7BUv_iDWqAvtMLYenAF4SJw2EfhmmtKObOFGJGnZojXOmX8Hjor8wavqDCEBzO7P-Bfdyn3w1PbJqRHQYPVudE/s320/sameera_hutch_sharingLove.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgssHFoTUTUUEUxY9-AEhn7TkFZx4-WgqWLzWqTh4RPCCMELao2-RGlUY8QOmkz4Ke3nAF-pugIGZcioX88oEu6zXSF7uD86fctLmueR6hTiFEMe5CvtqrrouZGIjhGwSbXi-LrWJpW0JA/s1600-h/sameera_mobitel_smart_features.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388947111216898114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 180px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 111px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgssHFoTUTUUEUxY9-AEhn7TkFZx4-WgqWLzWqTh4RPCCMELao2-RGlUY8QOmkz4Ke3nAF-pugIGZcioX88oEu6zXSF7uD86fctLmueR6hTiFEMe5CvtqrrouZGIjhGwSbXi-LrWJpW0JA/s320/sameera_mobitel_smart_features.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcZUvGOS4sa_mCDqIktQ0CUa7-JDpZE-dhbig_SYSjg8hZCLJWPWlZso-_lbnK6xcv4uqbTYjLvjJHHZuqgp20zYmWK4J4UOtYkCARVv82Mjy1opbo3ICFd3tTdm4eCf-_6_Qb7FjZN8/s1600-h/sameera_tigo_vasFunSMS.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388947226455552530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 164px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 189px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcZUvGOS4sa_mCDqIktQ0CUa7-JDpZE-dhbig_SYSjg8hZCLJWPWlZso-_lbnK6xcv4uqbTYjLvjJHHZuqgp20zYmWK4J4UOtYkCARVv82Mjy1opbo3ICFd3tTdm4eCf-_6_Qb7FjZN8/s320/sameera_tigo_vasFunSMS.jpg" border="0" /></a>Most of the mobile operators in Sri Lanka try to position the mobile phone as a mere tool for Entertainment and Keep In Touch (KIT). They mainly target youth for their marketing campaigns.<br />This has led to various confusions and disadvantages for both mobile subscribers as well as mobile companies. A negative sentiment has been developed among the people and most of the people, mainly the people at the Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP) do not believe that mobile phone has a positive impact on their lives or livelihoods.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFDRnq4Cjws_GUK369IPQuE66ydJ6vJuYdfq-ZZc9-kXZ43ElQaiFaTP0FhnHqWOSqztOcxzf278o7rOgHMh0zzY_1Fk0q7D6gkkrSFNg-uFItLPkrm6s8oMhF_zC1OdhhcvyPKF8cbg/s1600-h/sameera_abilityToEarnSave.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388949278821371602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 128px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFDRnq4Cjws_GUK369IPQuE66ydJ6vJuYdfq-ZZc9-kXZ43ElQaiFaTP0FhnHqWOSqztOcxzf278o7rOgHMh0zzY_1Fk0q7D6gkkrSFNg-uFItLPkrm6s8oMhF_zC1OdhhcvyPKF8cbg/s320/sameera_abilityToEarnSave.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />The impact of direct access to telecom on the ability to earn more using the phone or save a certain expense that would have been incurred without the phone (mean response) - <a href="http://lirneasia.net/">LIRNEasia </a>Survey<br /><br />The wrong positioning of mobile phone in Sri Lanka has led to even worst policy decisions such as Government of Sri Lanka banning mobile phones in schools <a href="http://ict4d-in-srilanka.blogspot.com/2009/08/sri-lanka-bans-mobile-phones-at-schools.html">http://ict4d-in-srilanka.blogspot.com/2009/08/sri-lanka-bans-mobile-phones-at-schools.html</a><br />So, it is a need of the hour to understand the potential of the mobile phone in Development and position it at the right place. Also it is the time to introduce more and more Value Added Services which goes beyond the entertainment.</p>-Sameera.Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-1063913828340023092009-08-17T07:12:00.000-07:002009-08-18T06:28:44.397-07:00Sri Lanka Bans Mobile Phones At Schools<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1Yq1V_Rwsztdf3qYgBsnyMVNQfKeEtvvgWQ0kjvnPiVZAe7CQdMeI1TTOrpyX11JqNtyB1aLmemSF9lhyphenhyphenlPFu-4f_fVn69HwDwUvv8Byl3Q71d3KGQYlguyeSuqecOz_dSmJWxx_MtM/s1600-h/sameera_banMobilePhosnes.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370941439597849666" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 99px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 124px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG1Yq1V_Rwsztdf3qYgBsnyMVNQfKeEtvvgWQ0kjvnPiVZAe7CQdMeI1TTOrpyX11JqNtyB1aLmemSF9lhyphenhyphenlPFu-4f_fVn69HwDwUvv8Byl3Q71d3KGQYlguyeSuqecOz_dSmJWxx_MtM/s320/sameera_banMobilePhosnes.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br />There are around 11 million mobile subscribers in Sri Lanka and the mobile penetration seems to be very high. It is not a surprise if this number reaches 20 million in another few years time. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />In this context mobile phone would be one of the best information delivery mechanism when compared with other electronic media. So it has immense potential of delivering contents on agriculture, health, education, etc.<br /><br />But this tool has been banned at Schools, why?<br /><br />This sophisticated tool can be a tool of distraction in the schools. That is why it is already banned in other countries such as South Korea, UK, Philippines and France. This is very similar to what happened in Ethiopia, their Ministry of Education kicked of the OLPC from schools.<br /><br />Any technology can be used for good or bad purposes/ constructive or destructive purposes. It depend on who use it and what purpose it being used. Best example is the computer, can be used to kill people as well as it can be used to save thousands of lives.<br /><br />So what should we do? Say “NO” to the technology or teach the younger generation how to use it effectively.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />-Sameera.</div>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-13188058663556964902009-07-22T06:52:00.000-07:002009-08-03T06:18:05.121-07:00Nenasa TV – 1000 Schools to be Connected to Sri Lanka’s first Satellite Television Education Bridge<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPr4J49-jdWi4b72HWaZXVL4hSUAci1BnGwlEXudKhFNVoXR1hIukimcTOdpYoIl9JG__Upv5bTF9GfdwY2tH1yCsGaK_OF1BUk8d2_EROkkcPpJmd2Rk9X7ojlG2tAibXPR_evRtU6WE/s1600-h/sameeraNenasaTVLaunch.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365725735752810770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 202px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPr4J49-jdWi4b72HWaZXVL4hSUAci1BnGwlEXudKhFNVoXR1hIukimcTOdpYoIl9JG__Upv5bTF9GfdwY2tH1yCsGaK_OF1BUk8d2_EROkkcPpJmd2Rk9X7ojlG2tAibXPR_evRtU6WE/s320/sameeraNenasaTVLaunch.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><div><div><div align="justify">H.E. the President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, launched ’Nenasa’ - a Digital Satellite Television based Distance Education Bridge, managed and operated by the MoE and the National Institute of Education (NIE). ’Nenasa’ will connect 1,000 rural schools in Sri Lanka to high-quality rendition of the national curriculum, developed by the NIE over a digital satellite television broadcast medium.<br /><br />This is another joint initiative of Dialog Telekom under the theme of Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D). This would deliver rural children the quality education and would minimize the Digital Divide in Sri Lanka.<br /><br />NenasaTV is a gift to the Ministry of Education and Sri Lanka’s student population from Dialog Telekom PLC. The project has been funded by Dialog Telekom as a part of its Corporate Responsibility programme under the theme of ICT4D.<br /><br />Addressing the gathering, H. E. the President, said: “Our Government is making every effort to harness the potential of rural Sri Lanka, with special emphasis on enhancing educational facilities in remote regions including the newly-liberated areas in the North and East".<br /><br />The NIE will develop contents for ‘Nenasa’, which in turn will be broadcast by Dialog to all 1,000 schools. ‘Nenasa’ will be dedicated towards broadcasting educational content and cater to the Ordinary Level and Advanced Level syllabus in Sinhala and Tamil. In addition, teacher-training and skills development would also be included in the programme line-up. These lessons will be supplemented by a Learning Management System (LMS) <a href="http://www.nenasa.lk/">http://www.nenasa.lk/</a>.<br /><br />-Sameera.</div></div></div></div>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4028569869504837037.post-74538519220544969392009-07-01T07:41:00.000-07:002010-01-08T04:58:22.909-08:00ICT for Agriculture in Sri Lanka<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiS5vYsNCdUo2p5pees331N9muGmcBmAsEJk-sPSHHu3CO537ycNCIQXVNGZqexlz9kHpJI0Z7gIWMvCVUaVGBqGj3aFI5RncY2P9Aaca6AqSr-Q_E9KzqP6FOLOdlFCt7UI5Ge_vDB4/s1600-h/dairyFarmerWithMobile.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353502435001287826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 164px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiS5vYsNCdUo2p5pees331N9muGmcBmAsEJk-sPSHHu3CO537ycNCIQXVNGZqexlz9kHpJI0Z7gIWMvCVUaVGBqGj3aFI5RncY2P9Aaca6AqSr-Q_E9KzqP6FOLOdlFCt7UI5Ge_vDB4/s200/dairyFarmerWithMobile.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">The agriculture sector in Sri Lanka employs 31.3% of the total labor force of the country, but its contribution to the Gross Domestic Production (GDP) is just 11.9% (Central Bank of Sri Lanka). So, basically one third of the labor force is utilized to produce the just over ten percent of the GDP.<br /><br />This is just one side of the issue, but when we consider other issues related to this, such as large amount of government’s money spent on agriculture as subsidies (fertilizer subsidies, etc.) which can be invested on some other sector for better results, continuous poverty of rural people who are engaged in agriculture, etc. - it is clear that we have a issue of productivity within the agriculture sector and we need to address it immediately.<br /><br />There are many factors (policy, legal framework, technology, knowledge, markets, research, etc.) to be considered while trying to improve the productivity of agriculture, but in all of them the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can definitely play a role of a catalyst.<br /><br />Fortunately this has been understood, by the various stakeholders in the agriculture sector and as a result we can see many initiatives under the theme of ICT4 Agriculture today in Sri Lanka. As an attempt to bring all those different initiatives to one platform, Prof. Mangala De Zoysa (University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka) and some other likeminded people have organized the Sri Lanka’s first ever ICT4 Agriculture Conference (<a href="http://www.itfac.mrt.ac.lk/conference/">http://www.itfac.mrt.ac.lk/conference/</a>), which is really a need of the hour.<br /><br />-Sameera.</div>Sameerahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13361431717298334351noreply@blogger.com13