Syrians 'click' via a rolling Internet cafe

This article traces the efforts of the Fund for Integrated Rural Development of Syria (Firdos) to bring Internet services to Syrians living in remote areas. The grassroots NGO has created a Mobile Information Centre (MIC) that offers two 18-day computer training courses (beginning and intermediate) at $3 each. The MIC is a former long-haul passenger bus refitted with 18 computer stations and a server. In addition to the training in Windows, Microsoft Office, Excel, e-mail, and the Internet, Firdos offers interest-free loans to purchase a computer.

Community leaders in Marrane, which is a farming village with a population of 700, say they've been overwhelmed by the numbers of residents who want to take the courses. They had to turn away at least 7 people for the current course; the next several scheduled courses are already full. According to Waheeb Elias, a farmer and Arabic language teacher enrolled in the intermediate class, prior to the MIC the only option was to travel 25 miles to Homs, a trip that costs about $1.10 - more than most villagers can afford for numerous trips. Only one family in Marrane owns a computer. In addition to the bus in Marrane, a second unit is stationed 75 miles north of Aleppo.

When it comes to information and communication technologies (ICTs), Syria lags behind its neighbours, despite increases in both Internet subscriptions and Internet cafes. According to Inas Sarraj of the Poverty Alleviation Association at the UN Development Program in Damascus, early efforts to address this shortfall took the form of technological aid (computer gifts to governments) that failed to pass on the benefits to the people. Today, she says, the emphasis is on bringing training and information directly to local communities.

Click here for the full article on the Christian Science Monitor site.