Adopted from: Rajamohan KG Consultant : Social Development , Program Management, Social Monitoring Evaluation,Social Audit & Review (Freelancer)
Can Technology be a catalyst for good governance ? Yes but this is only possible
through community driven development process i.e., e Society Resource
Center.
Meaning of life existence can be perceived only through Volunteering.
As a VSO Volunteer and Information System Adviser, I could recap a
professional volunteering experience in Uganda, East Africa, how
technology transformed the life status of the communities in Africa.
My advisory started in 2010 at the e Society Resource Center at
Kasese, western region of Uganda (http://kasese.go.ug/) managed by
Rwenzori Information Centers Network, Fort Portal
(http://ricnet.co.ug/).The center was like any other Internet café. I was
inducted there to revive and transform the center from Internet café to a
Resource Center which would act as a hub, networking the government,
civil society organizations and people through technological (IT /
ICT) intervention for mutual understanding in participation and
governance process of the Local Government administration.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwkhBYbdnLBlgoQ1-i9-yqchJ8GT2jkt77aXHsIgF-rQDFjLNZFcFxsgTXFDbGE0VGGmAVUv_bOqzcOOy7gP7Oc_4xZjiIfoabTPjxPPZspRqM4Em208as7V3WmSt7NMBLBmerFYh8JiQ/s400/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAeDAAAAJGUzMjU3MjM2LTA3ZmUtNGIzZi05MTg4LTE5YWNjOTBjNjk1Mw.jpg) |
Hands on support to user of the centre |
e-Society Resource Center trains academician,scholars and government staff.
From day one till end of my volunteering service, a strong strategic
planning and active execution system has been designed and implemented.
After a year (2011) , the day of my departure to bid adieu to Uganda, I
found my dream had come true………. this mere internet café shaped into a
full- fledged hub and resource center for the whole district of Kasese.
I
am happy, overall advisory and expertise in the field of ICT enabled
Knowledge Management System, sincere efforts of the RICNET staff and
the Local Government Kasese District support and commitment ignited all
to achieve this result and also confirmed that sharing skills and
knowledge could bring real change in the life style and mind set of the
government and the people to have participatory approach in governance
and advocacy.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQhqerCRVG-i69AT7fjmy2SFsnA0XS5d23AsTwFivZPr_rUv_ASMeo8cGbyS61ROLtsc8hTR42jjj8XswAu0J0j-l278tpUpiDdnamZv5InZEUy3YiZXMJ24RzbGGLw17oVqgqy5aI40/s640/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAXDAAAAJDA4YTQ1M2RjLTM1YzktNDE2Ny1iZDZmLWI4YjQ3Zjk0NGM0Mg.jpg) |
District local Government staff training at the centre |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpESRdKWgCRdV3Ana9FhKCa-ZD2DPPG3jqeVDNAagmwV7lW4_9ekQa9Q0s6ZU_6ONSgy14BA09uDIYsvgLx8EPAtcAgPrNYOZEG1eFQhTqJlIDh0QmwIxCvSJnR7hwiUlhZYAZhD85Nh4/s640/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAdEAAAAJDIzZTQ3M2I4LTc4MjUtNGQ4OC1iZmNmLTVlNmNkOWQ5MTI1YQ.jpg) |
John Silco ED RIC-NET training District Staff |
Bridging the digital divide: The e Society Resource Center is the
first model in Uganda for the year 2011 and Kasese stands as the first
district which introduced this tripartite combination of Government with
public, private partnership with the civil society to show the world
that a healthy and transparent administrative system could be possible
with the advent of IT & ICT intervention which would bring out
healthy participation of people in governance. The center invites
attention of the CSOs to go hand in hand with the Government to find
solution for their social issues.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkRfXLlFXOIet0N-fMqHLf_4OK9Ot_1ceJkp2Niyqj68uRSI1pA-9jNm6-nsxiBlc8dCE9ccLxzrTWkG55eRg5wO53bHtbIcMJVHEOEVOnlCmjRbkGjU6xyc9pIPOg4M8JhMZiGcgILI/s640/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAYVAAAAJDU5YjdjM2NkLTI1MTMtNGRlMi1hZmY4LTNhMWMxZGYxMTU3Nw.jpg) |
Team who "made e-Society Resource Center as an active resource Hub " |
The center answers the issues of
inadequate access to timely and relevant information, a key aspect that
limits citizen's effective participation in the government’s planning
and monitoring administrative system and its processes at the district
level. It is aimed at bringing the society of Kasese into purview of
electronic usage for poverty alleviation to improve their social,
economical, health, agricultural and educational status.
The center initiated the services like training the civil society
organizations, local government staff focusing in the thematic areas of
water, education, health, agriculture, human rights, good governance and
advocacy by using information sharing platforms such as “d-groups,
blogs, wikis and other web 2.0 tools; More number of students from the
schools and the universities were given training on use of IT/ICT
facilities for their employment opportunities and academic pursue.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtq2ZW2zCRlCCQb7Ojww8c6clQ-DB3MU_QU0wKDiNjrRE-JE1_TMJZIFBdDOdH6kIJwi64TcXAq6qTzyxHq478b-QMVF91N63mgR90jRCaYPycRXsbeu9h1MEHZttBtu2IHpfIp1W5PM/s1600/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAkDAAAAJGQzZTFjZDU4LWU0ODAtNDA2My05ZGNhLWZlYTI0NmI3MjdiYg.jpg) |
Commissioning of e-Society resource center in April 2011 |
Commissioning of e-Society resource center in April 2011 and the
Local Government of Kasese District signed the document for adopting the
center under their Governance.
The center also introduced online and off line “Suggestion Box”
(Voice of the People) to catch attention of the government on community
grievance.
The center established web portals for the local government and the
CSOs for proper sharing of information between them for good governance
and participation.
The E-Library Portal for the Local Government to make an on line
documentation of their official records, data, announcements, annual and
periodical reports and budgetary provision. The Local Government
maintained their documentation archive electronically with the help of
the e-society resource center.
School children use the e-Society resource center's library
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxJwxnvGSMv22MkeDD4cTYmGP07-MQPdANEMIUJCFNpEG10mqcAQ7MNF7jr6ZWDsWp0RX-UTajOSzahO7RUMHUcYOjtJc_XOfM-iONMhNd8tDt1JudseQ_YVXh2yfuxU-RPCFWyRuWW4/s640/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAgXAAAAJGZiYjllNTUyLTMyZDItNDUzOC05YTI3LTA2NGUxZTI3ZDE3Mw.jpg) |
School children use the e-Society resource center's library |
The
CSO Portal for the Civil Society Organization to make an on line
documentation of the CSOs profile and activities which will enable them
to share their people grievances and also could help them to generate
their funds and a mobile SMS technology platform enabling the citizens
to express their opinion / feedback on pertinent governance issues to
the District leadership.
Today in 2016, I am happy to say that the seed of e-Society Resource
Center model at Kasese being replicated by RICNET and grown as a big
tree with multiple branches reflecting self sustained models in other
five and more districts in Uganda. Bravo! Good Job RICNET!
Till now I have been in touch with the progress and promotion of the center through online as their life time adviser and guide.
Kasese
- D-groups -platform for information sharing through on line discussion
is still in force and progress: https://dgroups.org/iicd/kasese.
I am proud of my volunteering with Ugandans who are kind hearted,
friendly and dedicated and know the preciousness of human relationship.
Only through volunteering such a nerve twisting experience one could
perceive. Happy volunteering!
K.G.Rajamohan