NAKASEKE MULTIPURPOSE COMMUNITY TELECENTRE IS A COMMUNITY ICT CENTRE THAT WAS FOUNDED IN 1997 AS PART OF A SERIES OF PILOTED INITIATIVES ESTABLISHED BY THE AFRICAN INFORMATION SOCIETY INITIATIVES TO TEST AND ASSESS THE IMPACT AND VIABILITY OF MULTIPURPOSE COMMUNITY TELECENTRES IN RURAL AFRICA AND TO DEMONSTRATE THE VIABILITY OF THE CURRENT CONVICTION THAT PROVIDING INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TO RURAL COMMUNITIES CATALYSES THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND RESULTS IN IMPROVEMENT OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE PEOPLE.
THE CENTRE IS LOCATED IN RURAL NAKASEKE, A FORMER GROUND OF THE GUERRILLA BUSH WAR THAT BROUGHT THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT INTO POWER, 75KM NORTH OF KAMPALA, THE CAPITAL CITY OF UGANDA.
AS RESULTS OF THE WAR, INFRASTRUCTURE WERE TOTALLY DESTROYED INCLUDING SCHOOLS, MEANING THAT NO CHILDREN WOULD HAVE A CHANCE TO CONTINUE WITH SCHOOLING, LEAVING THE AREA WITH A VERY BIG CHALLENGE OF HIGH ILLETERACY LEVELS.
BUT EVEN AFTER SOME YEARS OUT OF THE WAR, AND ALL GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO RESTORE THE SITUATION, RURAL SCHOOLS ARE STILL LYING BEHIND IN TERMS OF EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES THAT WOULD HELP CHILDREN DO BETTER LIKE LIBRARIES, ENOUGH CLASSROOMS, SCHOLARSTIC MATERIALS, BETTER TEACHERS, AND PARENTS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN VALUING EDUCATION.
IT IS FROM THIS BACKGROUND THAT A SPECIAL EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN (THE RADIO QUIZ COMPETITION) WAS SPEARHEADED BY THE LOCAL COMMUNITY RADIO IN AN EFFORT TO FIND A LASTING SOLUTION TO THE CHALLENGE TO SUPPLEMENT ON THE GOVERNMENT’S EFFORTS OF REBUILDING THE SECTOR.
NAKASEKE MULTIPURPOSE COMMUNITY TELECENTRE IS IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECT TOGETHER WITH THE TEACHERS FROM THE NAKASEKE DISTRICT.