Community-led innovation is perhaps the best way to describe the Syrian Telecentre Project. This model of sustainability relies on users as the force driving innovation and sustainability by identifying and forging new projects and partnerships for community well-being.

1. Welcome to
TIS Talks
We believe that today’s ICT4D
(information and community
technology for development)
environment presents us with trends
and opportunities with great
potential to generate game
changing innovations to telecentres
and their growing number of users.
Join us and learn how!

2. Host and moderator
Jimena Betancourt
TELECENTE SUSTAINABILITY WEBINAR
COORDINATOR
Jimena Betancourt is an international
consultant with more than 10 years of
experience in social innovation, strategy and
management for sustainable development
enterprises and social businesses in ICT4D.
She has been involved with the telecentre
movement since 2009. Jimena has an
Master’s in Business Administration from
Simmons College and a degree in Finance
and International Relations from Universidad
Externado de Colombia.

3. Nabil Eid
Executive Secretary of Knowledge Networks
for Disadvantaged Communities- Western
Asia
Regional Community Coordinator –
Telecentre.org Foundation in MENA Region
Team Leader of Slamieh Telecentre at Syrian
Telecentre Project

4. Syrian Telecentre Project
A Model for Sustainable Development
Capacity
Empowermen
t
Sustainability
Self-
Sufficiency
Nabil Eid - Syria
neid@telecentre.o
rg

5. Contents
 Syrian Telecentre Project-Brief
 ICTs Roles and Objectives Project
 Services Provided and Beneficiaries
 Model – Planning
 The Community Portal- Reefnet
 Mobile Computer Training (E-BAG) in Rural Village
 Interactive Schools Project
 Empowering and Services for People with Disabilities through ICT
 Transformation from ICT Access Point to Knowledge Centre
 Challenges Ahead
 The Road Ahead

6. Syrian Telecentre Project-Brief
The First Phase, 2004
Established telecentres all over the country, especially in the most remote
areas.
The Ministry of Communications and Technology has launched this project in
cooperation with the (UNDP), as part of its Strategic Program "ICT4Dev
SYR/02/001.
This project has so far established about 40 telecentres across the Syrian
provinces in rural areas, with the first telecentre inaugurated in April 2004.
The Syrian Telecentre Project is one of the development projects aimed at
providing ICTs for local and rural communities.

7. Syrian Telecentre Project-Brief
The Second Phase, 2009
The project has been turned over to and is currently being undertaken by the
Syrian Computer Society (SCS) and the Syria Trust for Development since 2009.
The new MoU between the Ministry of Communication and Technology, Syrian
Computer Society, and the Syria Trust for Development plans to establish 45 new
telecentres between 2010-2013.
Currently, 18 new telecentres have been established, bringing the total
number of telecentres established thus far by the project to 58 telecentres

8. 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
2009
2010
2011
10
18
26
33
37
40
50
58
Total number and names of telecentres
established each year

9. Geographical Reach of the project
Location Map of established telecentres over the past years
Item Project Total
Mobile Compute Training Reefnet-
ICT4Dev
4
Telecentre Reefnet-
ICT4Dev
40
New Telecentre
Implemented
STP - SCS 18
Interactive Schools Project Reefnet-
ICT4Dev
5
Computer Training Center Reefnet-
ICT4Dev
4

10. ICTs Roles and objectives project
•Bridging the digital divide between rural and urban areas,
•Using the ICTs as a powerful instrument in the development of local
communities,
•Creating an enabling environment for the use of ICT in Syria,
•Accelerating the development of information facilities and infrastructures as
well as to improve the capacity to benefit from ICT.
The project has more dimensions in the development of the Syrian community
and bridging digital divide.
Never doubt the ability of a small group of thoughtful and committed people to change the
world .
Conventional Wisdom
Turning the Pyramid on its Head

11. Services provided
The program has provided training through telecentres to all people from various of segments
(women, youth, children, adult and people with disabilities) on computer applications and
volunteers.
Model
Service
s to
offer
Training
ICT for
Development
Services
Access to
Communicat
ion Facilities

12. Beneficiaries and targeted group
The program has trained more than 50,000 trainees from a variety of rural
areas.
The program has also been implemented in urban areas through four CTCs
(Computer Training Centres) to benefit more people in other states.
Students
Teachers
Local NGOs
Small business
entrepreneur
General population

13. Services provided and beneficiaries
Basic services in first
phase
Advanced services in second
phase
Free services
•Internet and Telephone
services.
• sending and receiving
fax messages.
•Typing services,
printing; scanning;
photocopying
•sending, receiving and
translating e-mail
messages.
•Providing meeting space
for small groups.
•Access to government
forms and information.
•Training in computer use
and providing meeting
and reading room.
•Nursing and literacy
•Training services on ICT skills.
•ICDL certificate.
•Developing local database.
•Graphic Design.
•Designing Web page.
•Maintenance hardware.
•Training Foreign Languages
(English, French, Spanish,
Germany).
•Accounting programs
•Small project management.
•Free Law consultants, E-
Health, Financial and
Agriculture consultants
•Free training and audio
library for blind and visually
impaired.
•Free training for deaf-mute
and motor rehabilitation.
•Free cultural libraries and
audio national culture for
students
•Free government content
(Financial, Agricultural,
Tourism, Results of students
exams in schools and
universities).
•Free job search

14. Model – Planning
The model of the project is aimed at promoting disadvantaged and rural individuals to
provided ICT services through universal service and the creation of equal opportunities
for rural people to improve local content, skills, and enhance their livelihood.
Expand and support the uses of ICT in social and economic
development.
Build an environment that can use those technologies, especially in
isolated areas.
Contribute to closing the digital gap between cities and rural areas.
Contribute to the creation of job opportunities which depend on ICT.
Assist small sized communities to use those technologies and empower
women in rural areas to benefit from them.
Motivate Syrian citizens to use ICT in acquiring new skills.
Participate actively in communities’ social and economic activities.

15. The Community Portal- Reefnet
Objectives
The use of the Internet in different activities aiming at promoting the social and economic
development
The Geographical allocation of the Portals Websites for 100 Syrian towns
Each community portal
is assigned a website
and the telecentre’s
staff are responsible for
its management and
maintenance
www.reefnet.gov.sy

16. The main page contains information about topics of interest
for rural citizens, such as:
A portal that includes:
• valuable information for the communities' members
• Syrian laws, agriculture, education, health,
government transactions
• A huge agricultural content, Syrian Law, health awareness
leaflets, educational books (Arabic Grammar)
• Syrian Heritage
• Reefnet e-library
• Service websites: medical consulting, education,
legal consulting, educational consulting
• General information: maps, currency exchange rates, phones
numbers
• Audio lessons, Specialized audio Lectures,
reef e- library Achievement
Content of Community Portal

17. Built to engage community members in developing and localization of local
content, exploring local cultural and more localized relationship with
heritage.
Content of Community Portal

18. Achievements
• The towns are benefiting from the websites to communicate & introduce
themselves & their local activities and issues … some heads of councils are
following their towns‘ websites on a daily basis
• Creating a network of contributing volunteers: more than 60 doctors, 30
teacher, 10 attorneys & 10 agricultural engineers to answer all the enquiries of
the websites
• A dynamic Syria map in Arabic & world Atlas
• Preparing to establish the encyclopedia of summarized encyclopedias
• Applications to serve the communities (there are some local products can be
marketed online: Draikish silk, Efrin Soap, Bousra’s hey, Mesyaf’s figs
• Linking the communities' websites with the municipality services: different
types of licenses and documents (currently in progress)

19. Mobile Computer Training (E-BAG) in rural village
The Reefnet project extended and speared
computer training in rural community to
serving a large number of rural people which
lack ICTs services. And who don’t have
computers in school or home.
E-BAG Lab improve dtheir computer literacy
and surf the internet through modem mobile.
A computer laboratory in a mobile bag that
aims to bring technology to even the remote
rural areas in Syria.
Mobile Computer Training (E-BAG)

20. Interactive Schools Project
The project was launched with corporate ministry of education in Syria to automate
network of schools and set of regulations that operate in an integrated manner to meet
the needs of automation teachers and students within schools.
The ‘Interactive Schools’ project was implemented in 15 schools in Deir-Ezor, one of Syria’s
poorest regions, providing each school with ten desktops to be used by students as an
information hub, and five for the school’s administrative and managerial purposes.
the Ministry of Education launched a further five schemes in Damascus in January 2011,
and is considering introducing similar initiatives to all Syrian schools.
Goal of the project:
• Enhance the communication between the teachers and students in school and the
families of students.
• Services provided by the Ministry of education regarding the formation of an electronic
gathering of schools reflect the activities and events each school.
Achievements
Work processes in the 20 schools became simplified and automated, eliminating all the
paperwork. Both teachers and parents have acquired valuable skills to use modern
technology, through which they communicate and work more closely to manage the schools
and share their views on the students’ progress.

21. Moving from Advocacy to Action from Exclusion to Equality
Empowering and Services for People with Disabilities through
ICT
Primary Objectives
The vision aims at achieving certain goals and focus on disabilities issues through
ICTs.
Promote the e-inclusion, e-learning of the PwDs and maximize the use of IT skills.
Bridging the digital divide for PwDs especially within rural communities.
Facilitate access to education, training, culture and remote services .
Readiness for employing and creating job opportunities.
Sharing knowledge and experiences.
Eradicate extreme poverty for within disadvantaged communitiesBeneficiaries
Students with Physical Disabilities
Blindness and Visual Impairments
Hearing Impairments
Intellectual Disabilities
Learning Disabilities.
Reefnet project and multiple Partnerships with UNDP, UN-ICTDAR , UNESCO
and NGO’s

22. ICTARB promote blind in their skills and rehabilitation and enabling
them to access e-Learning and new job opportunities
Empowering and Services for People with Disabilities through
ICT
Salamieh Telecentre equipped with:
•Four IBSAR Arabic Screen Reader
•Braille Printer
•Broadband Internet Connection
•Communication Facilities
•Friendly Environment
Students with Blind and Visually Impairment

23. Empowering and Services for People with Disabilities through
ICT
Students with Physical Disabilities Students with intellectual Disabilit
ICT tools can offer support
through
- Communication facilities.
- Computer access devices.
- Utilizing the specialized
software.
- Maximizing the disabled inputs
- Touch sensitive screens
- The Internet
-ICT4D PwDs can help in many
areas, including word
recognition, math, spelling
and even social skills.
-Communication: E-mail,
Internet, Mobile Phones, SMS
-Compensation: Movies, Music,
Games, Special Services.
-Competence: E-Learning
Systems, Special Training.
-Cognition: Rehabilitating
Programs – IT Persons training
of brain injured, Alarm system
Students with Hearing Disabilities
ICT given Deaf and Hearing
Disability the opportunity to
improve their chances at finding
employment and also to enhance
their current careers
The present indications are that an “Information Society for
All".

24. Three Syrian Telecentre (Salamieh, Zabadani and CTC Damascus )have been selected as
access points in the project of Knowledge Networks Through ICT Access Points for
Disadvantaged Communities, KN4DC Project –UN-ESCWA
The (KN4DC) is a project that was launched in late 2006 and funded by the United
Nations Development Account. The five UN regional commissions ECA, ESCAP, ECE,
ECLAC and ESCWA partnered to implement this project on a global level
Objective the project
The main objective of the project is to empower disadvantaged communities by
transforming selected ICT access points/Telecentres into knowledge hubs that are
networked at the regional and global levels.
This objective will be reached by providing, developing, organizing, sharing and
disseminating knowledge pertinent to targeted communities in key areas of sustainable
development such as employment, education, gender and health. the project will improve
the living standards of the targeted communities.
Salamieh Telecentre Transformation to Knowledge Centre
http://www.knowledgenets.net/salamieh/.
knowledge means: Force for Development of Disadvantaged Communities

25. Achievements of Salamieh knowledge hub in relation to the main objectives of
KN4DC
Salamieh knowledge hub/center put two main objectives:
The first accomplishment is specifically concerned with transforming Salamieh Telecentre
from conventional to smart knowledge hubs. " Salamieh Knowledge Hub"
 Secondly, Salamieh Telecentre intended to empower the poor and disadvantaged
communities in rural areas of Salamieh through further conversion of this knowledge hub
into
regional/global knowledge networks.
Salamieh Knowledge Hub organize and disseminate knowledge directly related to socio-
economic development.
The main successes of the project
Promoting sustainable Telecentres and Knowledge Center.
Knowledge sharing - sharing experiences, skills and expertise.
Implementation - lessons learnt and best practices, and sharing knowledge on
methodologies and tools used for telecentre assessment and evaluation.
Work towards knowledge sharing and knowledge fusion.
Work with local and national organization and NGO's to identify specific projects for
donor funding in partnership.

26. Rural Women's & Youth Empowerment
Salamieh Telecentre Transformation to Knowledge Centre

27. Children's Empowerment
Salamieh Telecentre Transformation to Knowledge Centre

28. Empowerment of the Elderly
Salamieh Telecentre Transformation to Knowledge Centre

29. Increasing Knowledge, and Raising Awareness of Local Community
Salamieh Telecentre Transformation to Knowledge Centre

30. •Economies of scale and scope attracting more number of users and offering
wider range of services.
•Keeping costs – capital as well recurrent, low is one of the keys to economic
sustainability.
•Generating revenue from diverse fees and services.
•Revenue from core communication applications.
•Gradual growth of other revenue sources.
•Identification of information and communication needs of the users.
•Guarding against potential negative externalities – making sure that every
Telecentre benefits from the development of such services.
•Designing appropriate policies.
•Building local capability – ensuring proper technical training of the operators.
Challenges Ahead

31. The Syrian Telecentre Project is continuing with a new vision and new future plan to invest
in human development and infrastructure.
The project is continuing in developing industrial development policies and promoting
environmental sustainability and improving rural / urban areas through the use of ICTs.
The mission of the Syrian Telecentre Project is to build sustainability not only in the
telecentres served, but also in the local communities served by telecentres and improve the
way of life for people living in Syria.
The Road Ahead

32. Next Steps:
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