Information Communication Technology for Poor


The digital divide in accessing and using information and communication technology (ICT) between urban and rural, rich and poor, for profits and charities is ever increasing. DHAN Foundation has taken up 'ICT for the poor' as a theme to experiment, develop and implement socially-relevant ICT programmes through ICT based people’s organisations built at the grassroots. It has become a cross-cutting theme to complement the microfinance, water, rainfed farming themes of DHAN.


The programme is involved in the following activities:


  • Establishing ICT Enabled Community Resource Centers in Rural, Tribal, Coastal and Urban eco-System and providing wide range of e-Services for the Poor People.
  • The ICT Enabled Community Resource Centers aims to bring Digital Literacy including Internet Knowledge among Rural poor women. There by creating employment opportunity for the rural poor women.
  • Facilitating the rural poor to get connected with the resources and expertise located distantly through online consultations for health, education, agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, and on legal issues.
  • Developing Multimedia Content in Local Language for educational use and developing software for agriculture and animal husbandry services, which are now being used by farmers in Community Resource Centers.
  • DHAN –ICT Programme also supports Community Radio Stations to design and deploy community needed Radio Programmes.
  • Promoting User Groups to provide ICT-based livelihoods, in rural areas as well as urban slums, so to provide various e-services such as e-mail, computer-aided school education, e-Governance, etc.
  • Promoting Partnership with the other stakeholders such as ICT-based academic, research and business organisations to channelize resources and expertise to the grassroots.
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