First overseas Nenasala a huge success

Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA

The first Nenasala - wisdom outlet - outside Sri Lanka, set up in the United Arab Emirates recently, is a success, according to Information Communication Technology Agency where it is patronized by many Sri Lankans.

The Information Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) CEO Reshan Dewapura told Daily News Business that this Nenasala was set up at the UAE embassy in Sri Lanka located in Abu Dhabi.

The wisdom outlet was set up to benefit Sri Lankans in UAE. It enables them to communicate with their relatives in Sri Lanka with greater ease and minimum cost, he said.

Run by the staff and volunteers at the embassy this first ever overseas Nenasala lays special attention on imparting free training to expatriates to improve their IT and English language skills. According to embassy sources the number of Sri Lankan nationals currently in the UAE is more than 300,000. About 45 percent of them have white-collar jobs and the rest middle and lower rung jobs.

Currently there are 665 Nenasalas set up under the project that implements the 1000 Nenasala concept of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The goal of the project is to take the computer to the village and make the benefits of ICT reach every citizen. Modern ICT facilities are available in these Nenasalas.

These Nenasalas empower the rural community with ICT. The project is implemented by ICTA. A Nenasala outlet or “wisdom outlet” is a centre that provides multiple Information Communication Technology (ICT) based services to the community. It acts as a hub of local, national and global information resources that has a catalytic effect on rural communities in poverty reduction, social and economic development and peace building.

The e-Sri Lanka Development Project initiated by the Government of Sri Lanka aims to provide access to “diverse and unrestricted sources of information and means of communication” to all citizens. The Nenasal a does just this under the e-Sri Lanka initiative. The objective of the Nenasala Project is to upgrade the living standards of all rural communities across Sri Lanka with equal affordable access to ICT based services.