Hello World secured a Small Charities Challenge Fund grant back in 2020 to bring five solar-powered outdoor internet Hubs to five isolated and rural Himalayan communities in Nepal.
The objective? To help connect the hardest to reach, and provide opportunities to these communities for self-directed learning, communication, and participation in the global community.
One year on - despite the challenges of COVID-19, Monsoon season, and unprecedented levels of rainfall making access to the mountain sites treacherous at times - all five Hubs are now live, thriving, and seeing between 200 and 600 visitors a month - which in remote locations like these is impressive!
Under guidance, each of one of these Hubs was built by the community, with all the components designed so they can be packed down and transported on foot if necessary, to their chosen location, giving flexibility and reducing the impact of transporting them in the process.
The Hubs now serve as training centres, providing free access to an open-source educational library of learning programmes, books, and skills training to community members to improve their employability. They are also providing free, unrestricted Internet access to hundreds of marginalised people.
The communities are empowered to build the Hubs that will supply them with unlimited access and educational software. They do this under the initial guidance of Project Hello World engineers. This way, if a part breaks or the Hub needs to be moved and rebuilt - due to a potential landslide or the encroaching annual Monsoon season - the community have the knowledge to quickly adapt. They also have help from an assigned, community support officer, living locally within the community.
Members of the community learn how to wire solar panels to the batteries, supplying not only a light source for their Hubs, but also enough power to charge the Hub tablets, provide Wi-Fi access, and charge as many personal phones and devices as they need.
Women in the communities often arrive at the building of the Hubs in the afternoon after they have finished their work at home, but the turnout is great, and they are invested in learning to use the facilities it has to offer.
The design of each Hub is down to the individual community. Here at Dhapsung, the children are painting the wall of their Hub with pictures and messages to create a personal stamp of ownership and better welcome the new technology into their community.
How lives have been changed
Within each Hub, tablets are loaded with educational software as well as access to the internet, so people are accessing health information, getting advice on sustainable farming techniques, and communicating with friends and family who have travelled abroad for work, for example. Before this, due to the rural locations, communities were cut off from the world and progress, therefore, hampered.
All community members can use the Hub in some way, so education in its use is very important.
Here Kajal, the community leader, is spending time teaching community members how to use the tablets, from the youngest to the oldest.
For most women, it is their first ever time using a tablet. These women are getting onto the internet for the first time. One of the grandmothers of this community was able to call her daughter working in Oman for the first time by video call through the Hub’s Wi-Fi.
Saugat, an engineer on the project, holds specific sessions with community members including school children on using the tablets. They then go on to use applications like Khan Academy, Curious Learning and others on literacy and numeracy to support their learning.
Image alt text: Children smiling using the tablets in the Hub.
These children are using an educational resource called Masha and the Bear. The app hosts puzzles, colouring, counting and even xylophones to learn and play on.
The Hello World project places community members at the centre of decision-making.
Because of this, future generations are using the technology to become autodidacts and this will help ensure the gap between the digital divide becomes one step closer.
This is Dalli Maya from Majuwa, in Kakani, Nepal. Taken early 2019, she is digging a trench connecting a Hello World Internet Hub to solar panels and batteries needed to power it. Dalli Maya is also learning skills needed to maintain and repair her Hub. We have been granted kind permission to use Dalli’s image as our lead UK Aid Direct image for our website and social channels. Thank you Dalli and Hello World!
To find out more about Hello World’s work, visit their website.
Funded by the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the Small Charities Challenge Fund supported projects of up to two years, for UK-registered organisations working towards addressing the Global Goals to improve the lives of the most vulnerable and marginalised.
Credits:
Photography by Johnny Fenn and Hello World