Reaching out to rural Sri Lanka through technology
Technology has embraced the globe and Sri Lanka is no exception, particularly in enlisting young hidden talent from the rural areas and to fulfill this task a platform has been created by an organisation called ‘Road to Rights’ a vehicle to carry ‘ Gamata Technology’ and through it empower communities through technology.
This initiative is led by youth-tech entrepreneurs covering the entire Sri Lanka headed by its co-chair Dr Ashan Perera, UN Sustainable Development Goals Action Award Winner 2018 it was announced at a media briefing was held in Colombo last week.
Dr. Perera revealing the key objectives said that the initiative would build the capacity of rural communities, companies, local government and young people, empower and build required capacities among people at grassroots level communities focusing on various sectors; create an inclusive platform for all to empower communities through digital technologies irrespective of the geographical and other boundaries.
It promotes ICT for peace and development in grassroots rural communities; encourage and create platforms for private sector to invest in advancing the tech- education, tech-entrepreneurship and basic infrastructure for digitalization and create an inclusive society to achieve sustainable development through techno based approaches.
He said that the main aim of ‘ Gamata Technology’ is to provide people with a comfortable platform to engage with the rapidly growing and changing technology landscape and helping communities to realize the value of what technology builds. He indicated that they are working towards bringing the concept of ‘digitalization’ to Sri Lanka. This will help the government on its way to digitalizing the public and other sectors.
Digitalization, he indicated, opens up new opportunities to transform various fields in a country such as business models, organisational patterns, legal and policy measures, economical structures and most importantly cultural barriers. But he said these are confined to the urban society and their attempts are to take them to the rural areas where technology cannot reach there due to various reasons.
On the sidelines of the media briefing, he told the Business Times that he developed an interest in the social work when he was going to school and in 2009 in Sri Lanka he initiated youth- led ‘Road to Rights’ to empower young people, young girls and children to promote the concept of human rights, peace, etc.
He said that his organisation is now spread not only in Sri Lanka but overseas in 18 different countries, including Holland and Germany aiming to achieve the same objectives and also work on the UN Sustainable Development Action Goals along with 125 other countries. He said that after gaining experience working with the people at grassroots level they have designed the concept ‘Gamata Technology’.
After working for three years, he said that they were able to establish in 19 districts in the country, specifically for the project and on Sunday (today) were getting 1,000 young entrepreneurs to Colombo from rural areas for a meeting. (QP)