Telecentres are set up to work in support of grassroots organisations, ideally staffed with members trained to act as intermediaries for the general population. It would be a mistake for Africa to imitate the consumer society model of individual use. Don't fall into the Western trap of aiming for a computer on every desk, he warns. A joint project between ITU, the British Council, Uganda Public Libraries and UTL, the Nakaseke Telecentre is located about 50 km north of Kampala, Uganda. The project provides telephone lines, internet access and computers, serving and training the community in IT and internet.
Participation is high, says a discussant, but there are some problems.
There was a resounding 'yes' from at least one discussant. A participant proposed that the ECA use the Nakeseke project as a practical prototype or case study for the future. Another remarked that telecentres are cheap to fund and high status for donors. The intent is for the WIDE initiative to represent a best practice use of the electronic venue. There IS a history of rural and urban grassroots efforts to make use of ICTs by those whom the top-down efforts are intending to help.