Internet-Educational Unit Project 

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River

To work  in the fields of environmental awareness and conservation, watershed management, food security, non formal education, open distance and technology mediated learning, the rights of children, women and waste pickers in Bangladesh. In backdrop of the widespread poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and malnutrition, SSS initiated the participatory rural development programs in Bangladesh aiming at the sustainable socio-economic development of the distressed women specially children, women with disabilities, girls, aged groups and ethnic minorities.

Bangladesh being one of the largest watersheds has the highest rural population densities in the world, but rural people living at the river basins do not have any access to information society, as these villages are located within extensive river networks, seasonally submerged and do not have any facilities to offer development initiatives; thus conditions of hundreds of rivers and streams are degrading with negative impact on the overall health of aquatic system, biodiversity, human health, rural economy etc. SSS introduced mobile Internet-educational units on Boats to the riverside farming community, to educate on environmental friendly agricultural practices with a view of improving the environmental health of rivers of the northern parts of Bangladesh. The units reach people via the waterways, anchoring at river basins during the evening-night.  With volunteer groups, boats are equipped with laptops, multimedia-projector, display screen, sound-systems, cellular-mobile systems, printers etc. Locally developed web-tutorials, animated-drawings, recorded documentary/dramas along with other website information are displayed. Farmers also get information on the commodity-farm input prices, are able to send-receive mails, access the Internet and contact others using the mobile phones on the units.

SSS minimised the rate of fish kills, controlled killing of beneficial insects, improved water quality of rivers, enhanced overall health of aquatic system, maximised agricultural productivity and improved the quality of life of thousands of landless and marginal farmers.

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