Internet for Rural Sri Lanka - "Last Mile Initiative"  
 


 

Under the aegis of USAID initiative, LOLC together with other implementing partners Qualcomm, Dialog Telekom, Microsoft InfoShare and National Development Bank came together to take the "Last Mile Initiative" to Sri Lanka's rural communities. The initiative consists of a series of dedicated cyber-centers that links international and local businesses to bring modern information technology to some of the furthest reaches of Sri Lanka.

The centers provide rural residents a chance to acquire employment skills through online training, search for new jobs, and receive micro-loans and other banking services in addition to calling relatives overseas at low rates.

The project goes beyond charity to value added service. It takes the internet and the world to communities who have no access to technology. Moreover the "Last Mile Initiative" presents itself as a business venture where there is a high demand for the services offered by the implementing partners. In effect the initiative has provided farmers and rural communities with services that they would otherwise not have access to.

Currently 15 "Last Mile" centres are operational across the nation and provide farmers with access to commodity prices, weather patterns and of course required financial assistance for future growth.