WIRES

Project Title:

WIRES

Responsible Organisation:

CEEWA-Uganda

Website:

www.ceewauganda.org

Organisation Type:

Non-governmental

Project Director:

Partner Organisations:

IDRC

Administrative Country:

Uganda

Project Region:

Africa

Project Country:

Uganda

Project Funding:

Type of technology used:

Communication; Data Management and Information Sharing

Technology Details:

Computers, Telephones, Fax, Internet

Support Of Technology Company:

Conservation/Developmant Focus:

Economic empowement of women

Project Duration:

The main objective of the project is to enable rural women entrepreneurs and women's organizations that promote enterprise development to explore ways and means of exploiting ICTs for community economic empowerment.

Project Aims:

A number of strategies were applied, including the following:

1. Establishing the Women Information Resource Electronic Services (WIRES): a centre where women would access ICTs such as computers, telephones, fax, Internet, and relevant business information and best practices in agriculture on a database driven website;

2. ICT as well as entrepreneurship training materials were developed on CDs tailored to the needs of the local women. The materials were in both audio and visual formats and were translated into the local language;

3. Building the capacity of women in ICT use and application in entrepreneurship development and entrepreneurship skills such as business management skills;

4. Content was translated into the local languages and repackaged in easy to read formats such as booklets and fliers on best practices in agriculture, for example;

5. Building local human resource capacity to pass on skills in ICTs and entrepreneurship. This was done through training of trainers that were drawn from the three project sites for purposes of sustaining project ideals and outcomes within the communities.

Project Activities:

Business linkages were established between women producers and buyers. Markets were found for women, especially women who were involved in the making of crafts. Information on where they could find markets and business opportunities was provided. Services, which could not be provided under the project, were given through a linkage programme. Rural women were linked to microfinance institutions and were able to receive credit to support their enterprises.

Project Results:

Future Steps:

Technology Lessons Learned:

Telecentre design at the three project sites assumed that rural women would be able to pay for ICT services such as telephone, training, and access to information on the Internet. However, due to low incomes, high illiteracy, and a lack of appreciation or perhaps relevance, this did not work. The other assumption was that ICTs are a priority need among women. This was a total misconception. Women expressed the need for credit, yet this was left out of the project design. This appeared to have contributed to the limited use of ICT facilities in rural areas.

Contact Name 1:

Telephone/Fax 1:

Postal Address 1:

Email 1:

Use form on website

Contact Name 2:

Telephone/Fax 2:

Postal Address 2:

Email 2:

Organisation Summary:

General Text:

Project Image: