INTERNET CENTER LAUNCH

If you missed the best launch ever in Lyantonde, you can still watch it online.

MEET A FARMER WHO HAS BENEFITED FROM INTERNET USE

Rhoda Sempebwa (about 55 years of old) from Nakaseke Uganda tells her story about how her farm harvests have increased over the recent years because of using internet. She reveals that she has used the internet to learn new farming techniques, share her experience and learn from other farmers. She also encourages other farmers to learn internet use by taking part in ICOD's IT project.

SOLAR POWERED INTERNET CENTER LAUNCHED

The organization recently launched Lyantonde Internet Center; a solar powered facility that will help the organization implement ICT projects in Lyantonde district and the other districts in southwestern Uganda. The launch began with a bicycle race where youth competed for a new bicycle and other prizes. 5 community groups are taking part in a program at the Center that provides them with better access to information important in their daily lives (farming, health, education, etc). Selected group members are being trained in computer and Internet use, and will collect information that their communities have requested from the Internet. The Center is also open 7 days a week to the public, providing Internet access.

Above, the RDC Lyantonde, District Chairperson and police chief shown how internet works, the winner of the bicycle lifts up his prize and below and youth who participated in the race

Rural farmers watching a movie on the relevance of computer and internet in agriculture.

A technician installing solar panels at the center

LYANTONDE FARMERS TAKEN FOR A STUDY TOUR

On May 21, 2010, ICOD selected 5 groups’ leaders from 5 local farmer’s groups working with the organization and took them for a study tour in Western Uganda. The purpose of the tour was to link Lyantonde farmers to other farmers who have used of computers and internet to increase agricultural productivity and market their produce. The group visited Bwera Information Center and visited local farmer's groups who shared their experience with farmers from Lyantonde about modern farming methods, group formation, savings and credit and how the use of internet has helped them increase agricultural productivity. Farmer's from Lyantonde were inspired and they shared stories from Bwera with their communities and also formed farmer's groups that are being trained in using the computers and using internet by the organization

Lyantonde farmers taking notes

The group touring of a pineapple farm in Bwera

ICOD's Director sharing his experience

Bwera Information Center Coordinator (second right) explaining how the center trains local farmers.

After training, farmers will be able to use the internet to link their respective groups to markets, get infomation about crop and animal diseases prevention, get weather forecasts, learn and adopt new agricultural production methods, learnt from other farmers and retrieve agricultural related information from the internet, repackage it in the local languages and share it with other farmers.