Goal:
To foster community participation, ownership and sustainability of the WOUGNET Rural Connectivity Broadband Network (RCBN), while nurturing a comprehensive approach to inclusive internet accessibility, in Apac district, Northern Uganda
Project Overview:
Communities in Northern Uganda especially those in rural areas face significant barriers to access and use digital technologies, due to factors such as, poverty, digital illiteracy, cultural norms and gender stereotypes. To address these challenges, WOUGNET established the Kubere Information Centre (KIC) in 2005 in Northern Uganda, a digital hub that leverages Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to empower women and girls across various sectors. To strengthen the uptake and utilization of ICTs, WOUGNET in partnership with Makerere University NetLabsUG launched projects to enhance women's digital inclusion, focusing on free internet and digital tools accessibility to women, girls and marginalized communities, through the Rural Connectivity Broadband Network (RCBN) initiative. To foster community involvement and participation in the uptake and utilization of the diverse Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), while nurturing a comprehensive approach to inclusive internet accessibility, WOUGNET with support from the Internet Society (ISOC) Foundation established the first technical community in the region to create a pathway for heightened adoption and promote long term sustainability of the diverse ICT initiatives, with a central focus on inclusive internet accessibility at the various network access points and access to the digital tools set up at the Kubere Information Centre (KIC) digital hub. The technical community’s central role is to act as technical focal points for the various free internet access points provided by WOUGNET in the region. The expansion of new network sites created an urgent need to foster the growth and sustainability of this emerging technical community. With valuable support from the Internet Society Foundation, we aim to strengthen the community's foundation, enabling greater knowledge-sharing, resilience, and long-term impact. Together, we are building a network that is not only technically sound but also deeply inclusive and supportive of continuous development.
