Introduction to Silicon Village
Silicon Village is based in Bachhauli VDC (Village Development Committee), Ward no 6, Narayani Zone, Chitwan District, Nepal.
It was started as a non profit organisation with the aim of providing affordable training to local people. Our focus is on members of disadvantaged groups who wouldn't otherwise have access to technology.
Target group
Most of the population of the Bacchauli VDC area are subsistance farmers.
A minority work in the relatively affluent tourist industry, or in local companies. There is a large divide between those that have access to computers and those who do not. This divide is especially large for minority and disadvantaged groups. Silicon Village aims to address this problem by providing computer training to local people.
The Founders
Silicon Village was founded by Kumma Raj Subedi (Kamal) and Brett Hartshorn. Kamal is a professional Secondary School teacher based in Bacchauli, Nepal. Following his with Silicon Village, Kamal was invited to give presentations at Asia Source in Bangalore, India, and in Siem Reap, Cambodia (FOSS SAP II), on running low cost grass roots level IT projects. Brett Hartshorn works as a Python consultant, currently he is working on an offline-wikipedia that translates into Nepali.
In the past, we have received funding from Digital Bridges, the Mirgakunja Bufferzone Committee, as well as from several private donors.
We have trained over 300 students in basic computing skills. We have also conducted training in association with the Buffer Zone Committee for local people including Park Guides and Women's groups. In addition, overseas volunteers trained students in animation, Python programming skills, Linux and Windows basics.
Former tutors went on to use the experience they gained at Silicon Village in their jobs or in further studies. One now works as a computer teacher in a local school, another as an accountant in a local school. Several tutors are studying computing as a main or secondary subject at university, and another is studying in Australia.
Needs Assesment
There's a growing divide within Nepali society itself. Previously, very few people had access to computers. Now many affluent families have computers in the home. Their children go to private schools which are equipped with computers. But a large sector of society relies on subsistance farming, and has no access to technology. Computer courses in govenment schools are rare. Students that are already at a disadvantage are in danger of falling further behind.
Previously, the aim of our training was to give disadvantaged students a basic introduction to computing. Now we must also provide them with the opportunity to learn advanced skills that will equip them to compete in an environement where technology is increasingly common.
Families often have a family member working abroad in the Gulf Countries. International telephone rates are out of the reach of the local people. Voice Over IP (VIOP) e.g. Skype, would be an affordable means of communication, but the local internet cafes are aimed at tourists and their rates are expensive.
Silicon Village Computer Centre (SVCC)
To meet these needs, we intend to restructure Silicon Village as Silicon Village Computer Centre (SVCC). SVCC aims to create an environment where members can meet and share their knowledge. More knowledgeable members will receive support and training to give formal courses to the community.
Two key principles that we developed in Silicon Village will be carried over to SVCC. The first is the tutor system. Promising students were given the opportunity and support to become tutors and give classes in turn. This gave students experience in teaching, while improving their own IT skills. It also meant that skills learned from external volunteers were retained and repeatedly transferred within the community and that students could be taught in the local languages of the area.
The second principle is that students taking courses should pay a fee in line with local wages, as additional incentive for continuous participation: Once students have paid for a course they are regular in attending classes, serious at study, and demand value from the tutors. All fees are means-tested. Students less able to pay contribute reduced or waived fees.
We also aim to provide an internet cafe with affordable internet access, and a multimedia equipped training room available for hire by local community groups. The internet cafe will allow people to communicate with family members abroad, using email or VOIP (e.g. Skype).
At the moment, there is no suitable meeting room in the area available to local community groups for training. Currently, most community training programmes hire rooms in local hotels. This is expensive, and there are no multimedia facilities - e.g. overhead projectors. Building a training room attached to SVCC would mean that SVCC can provide technical support for the multimedia facilities, and that internet access will be available. It would also be a source of income for SVCC.
Aims and Objectives
SVCC has the following aims and objectives:
- To train at least 400 students over 3 years in the Basic Computing Course (72 hours).
- That at least 25% of students will be from disadvantaged groups, on subsidised course rates.
- To give high priority to women students.
- To train the most able students in advanced computing skills.
- To provide internet, fax, scanning, photocopying, and destop publishing facilities to the local community.
- To provide a multimedia training room for local communtity groups.
- Aim to open the club for 6 hours per day on working days.
Long-term vision is to enable SVCC to finance itself over time, through a variety of paid services offered to the local community and beyond.
Project Monitoring and Evaluation
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Attendance sheets will be compiled on a monthly basis.
Kamal Raj Subedi's qualification and long-term experience as a teacher will provide didactic supervision and guidance for the training component during all project phases.
An annual report will be circulated to all donors and published on the SVCC website. The annual report will quantify the SVCC's performance in meeting the aims and objectives.
After three years, we will conduct a review to ensure that the aims of SVCC are still meeting the needs of the local community.
Methodology
Kumma Raj Subedi on behalf of SVCC will undertake to carry out the following actions:
- Recruit a full time secretary to handle day-to-day running of the club.
- Supervise construction of the new multimedia training room.
- Purchase and install computer and multimedia equipment.
- Organise publicity for SVCC.
- Work with disadvantaged groups to make them aware of the available courses.
- Train the initial intake.
- Train students to act as tutors for further courses.
Budget plan
Capital Costs
Phone (upgaded line required for ADSL): 11,000 NPR
Combination fax, printer, scanner: 50,000 NPR
10 Computers: 10 x 40,000 = 400,000 NPR
Furniture for computer room: 30,000 NPR
Signage: 3000 NPR
Mains Stabilizer: 8000 NPR
Generator: 105,000 NPR
Replacement Batteries for UPS: 26,000 NPR
Hub / router: 6000 NPR
Network cables: 3000 NPR
Digital camera: 15,000 NPR
Multimedia Software Licences : $20 (1,500 NPR)
Materials and construction costs for multimedia training room extension and volunteers accomodation: 350,000 NPR
Wiring for training room : 5000 NPR
Fittings for multimedia training room: 8,500 NPR
Furniture for training room: 27,500 NPR
Sound system for training room: 30,000 NPR
Overhead Projector: 60,000 NPR
Total: 1,139,500 NPR (11,630 Euros as of 20/10/2010)
Annual Running Costs
Internet (ADSL): 12,000 NPR
Electricity: 18,000 NPR
Phone: 10,000 NPR
Stationary / consumables: 12,000 NPR
Publicity materials: 10,000 NPR
Maintenance / Spares : 80,000 NPR
Secretaries salary: 72,000 NPR
Fuel for generator: 73,000 NPR
Computer classroom in existing building (property of Kumma Raj Subedi) will be leased to SVCC at a peppercorn rent.
Total: 287,000 NPR / year, or 861,000 (8,790 Euros) for three years
Total capital costs plus 3 years' funding: 20.420 Euros / 26.290 USD
Sources of funding
We are seeking grant funding for the capital costs of setting up SVCC to run the club for three years.
So far and despite all fine, tangible results reached, the project is still running on a financially very unstable base. What is needed at this stage is targeted funding, to enable SVCC to definitely set up stable, efficient operating structures within a reasonable timeframe.
While the club is running, we will assess how income can be generated by SVCC to partially offset the running costs going forward. All services will be provided at prices in line with local wages. Fees will be means tested, and reduced or waived where appropriate.
