Mobitel, OUSL promote mobile learning for rural women

The National Mobile Service Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel initiated a programme with the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) to promote mobile learning among rural women in farming communities at an event held at the Open University of Sri Lanka today. The project is sponsored by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL).

This programme focuses on mobile learning methods aimed at facilitating women in farming communities, uplift the quality of life of them and their families. The event was graced by Prof. Tissa Vitarana, Senior Minister for Scientific Affairs, as Chief Guest and Guests of Honour Dr. Vijitha Nanayakkara, Vice Chancellor, OUSL; Emeritus Prof. Uma Coomaraswamy, Consultant, COL; Prof. G. Mikunthan, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jaffna, Jean Fernandez, Senior General Manager, Customer Care, Mobitel.

The first phase of this project would involve 550 women from two rural farming communities. Three-hundred women have been selected from Jaffna, while 250 have been selected from Hambantota.As the National Mobile Service Provider, Mobitel hopes that with this newly launched project, women would have wider access to a range of knowledge bases, thus assisting towards educating and uplifting their lives.

Addressing the gathering at the event, Senior Minister for Scientific Affairs, Prof. Tissa Vitarana said, “It is a great honour and pleasure to be a part of this programme, I feel so strongly about making it a success.

With this programme, not only women in particular will be empowered, but villages throughout our country as well. The government policy for development has changed from what it was many years ago. Today the Government’s policy is to develop both the rural and the urban sectors simultaneously to create harmonious development which will sustain our national culture, family values and the morals of our society. Following this premise the Government introduced the Divi Naguma programme to increase the livelihood and earning capacity of the people of rural communities.

The initiative taken by the Open University along with the Commonwealth of Learning and Mobitel, will enhance all communities by the transference of knowledge that will in turn solve problems faced by women and farmers in rural Sri Lanka.”

Uma Coomaraswamy, Emeritus Professor of the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) and Consultant, Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Vancouver, Canada, in her address stated that This project which is being launched today is sponsored by COL as a part of strengthening their global Project “Lifelong learning for Farmers (L3F)” initiated in several commonwealth countries.

The L3F Project in Sri Lanka is University-based and is implemented in three universities: Colombo, Ruhuna and the Open University of Sri Lanka. It is a partnership project with COL, information and knowledge providers, ICT providers, the farming community and banks.

Addressing the gathering at the event, Dr. Vijitha Nanayakkara, Vice-Chancellor of the Open University of Sri Lanka commented, “Working with Mobitel and the Commonwealth of Learning has been such a pleasure for us. It is already evident how mobile communication had revolutionized the way humans learn and interact. Being able to partner this initiative with the National Mobile Service Provider is only going to open new vistas of opportunities to the women and people of the rural communities who contribute towards taking Sri Lanka to its next growth level.”

OUSL is the implementing body of the project. Malinda Kumarasinha, the coordinator of the project in his concluding speech, briefed the steady progress made on the project in the two districts, Jaffna and Hambanthota.