Following is a blog posted by Glenanore Nenasala to http://community.telecentre.org/profiles/blogs/gta2013-telecentre-mission-to-excel.
Mission to Excel
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Posted
by Glenanore Nenasala on
February 28, 2013 at 1:01pm
Glenanore Knowledge Centre (Glenanore Nenasala) is
situated in Glenanore Estate, Haputale.
Haputale, located in central Sri lanka, is 193km from Colombo, the capital of
Srilanka.
It is a beautiful place surrounded by hills, tea
plantations, waterfalls and tea factories.
The community here mostly constitute of low income tea plantation workers.
It was our ambition to train and depart computer
knowledge to the younger generation of these workers who hardly have the
resources to attend regular colleges.
The idea of Glenanore Knowledge Centre was to reach
these people and show them the path to communication through the internet.
When the centre was started in 2005, we provided free
classes and computer usage through voucher system. Though we were able to earn
through the voucher system we were not satisfied of our service to the
community. We wanted to change the lifestyle of the people through better
communication and at the same time show them that they could make some extra income
through online jobs.
Then we
searched for Business Process Outsourcing Projects through various sources and
were able to get a few projects from US, Canada and New Zealand. Since
knowledge of English and IT was very poor in Glenanore, we had to settle for
simple internet research and data entry projects. We mainly targeted School
leavers and housewives and provided them free training for the job. They were
happy earning some money and they improved their knowledge of ICT.
Contributions to the community
• Free
Training and Job placements for school leavers.
• Basic IT and English Classes for Students
• Low Cost International Calls through Skype and GTalk.
• Available Downloads of government Forms (Birth Certificate, Visa Forms, etc.)
• Availability to access results of Government Exams
Impact on the people of the
community
As a result
of our training many boys and girls managed to find lucrative jobs in the
cities. They have become self confidence and are not afraid to look for jobs
further from their home town. Over the years we have trained more than 50 girls
and boys and most of them have found jobs in banks, offices and schools.
Sample:-
“I’m Anthony
Mercy (age 33) from Glenanore Estate. I started my carrier in 2010 June with
Glenanore Knowledge Center. When I started I was scared and didn’t have any
knowledge of computers. Now I’m able to do Internet Research, send and receive
emails and train newcomers on the project. Through my extra income I’m managing
my childrens’ school fees and their other needs. I’m very happy that I got an
opportunity to work in Glenanore Knowledge Centre.”
Sustainabilty
Initially the Government of Sri Lanka helped us by
giving funds. This has been discontinued now. All these innovative programs
were implemented by funds received through BPO projects.
We are proud to say that we have done and continue
doing our service to the community around us.
With more help and recognition by way of funds and awards, we can achieve our
aim, which is to release into the mainstream a body of youth who integrate
their knowledge and skills with social responsibility.
Right from the inception of this venture we strive to
achieve the high standard that we had set for ourselves. We aim to excel in our
work and bring out the best in all those who come to our centre for help and
training.
We understand that to succeed we must venture with confidence and extend our
horizons. We pass our success, knowledge and experience to everyone who comes
under our fold.
With our eyes firmly set on this ideal, we continue our journey of imparting
our knowledge to the less privileged.
Nenasala Team Wishing you all the best & Good Luck ... !
