- To establish Rural Knowledge Centre(RKC)through Networking member

Rural Knowledge Centre (RKC).

For fostering the rural prosperity, all over the developing world a new concept of Rural Knowledge Centers (RKC) has been emerged through which villagers can proceed towards poverty alleviation by increasing their household income. BNNRC is operating 10 such kinds of centers.

RKC is an information and communication technology (ICT) based service centre in the remote parts of the country where Computer, Phone, Mobile phone, Lamination Machine, Digital Camera, Internet etc. are available. The village people can use these facilities according to their localized demands.

The RKCs have effectively introduced computers and ICTs to local community, where there were previously no facilities or access points. Among the services/facilities computer education, Internet browsing, e-mail, mobile phone having Internet connection,laminating and photocopy facilities etc were included. The RKCs have attracted great attention in the community within a short period of time. About 14 thousand community people received direct services and facilities from a total of ten BNNRC assisted RKCs, where 20% of them were female. The rural knowledge centres provide the community
with free access to a range of resource materials including educational posters, journals,periodic and books.

The impacts of Rural Knowledge Centre (RKC) to the community are now visible. RKCs are the only local media and the first accessible information and communication facility in a poor and otherwise disconnected and marginalized area. The RKCs credited with concrete new benefits for the local community. People are economically benefited by these RKCs. They can collect easily materials like Govt. forms and formats from RKCs with low cost. Earlier, they had to go to the district headquarter. Students receive computer education by sharing minimum cost. After completing computer training from RKC, they can search jobs using Internet and some of them got jobs. The proximity of telephone, Internet and photocopying services has helped the rural people in the immediate vicinity of the RKC to easily and promptly communicate to their relatives. Finally, people use them as business centres, to look for business opportunities, to advertise services, to develop marketing materials etc.

Rural Knowledge Centre (RKC) is a information and knowledge hub in the out-reach coastal and rural areas.This center aim to reduce digital and knowledge divide between urban and rural areas.BNNRC established total 11 (Eleven) RKCs through 7(Seven)networking members and one is not a network member as pilot basis in the coastal rural areas of Bangladesh.

Equipments and Services provided to each network member's RKC

Name of Equipments
1 Computer- 03
2. Printer- 01
3. Mobile Phone with internet connection -01
4. Lamination Machine-01

Some Network member organizations are providing Photocopy Machine, Digital Camera, Spiral Machine,Scanner Machine

Services Offered

1. Information Services
2. Computer education
3. Internet & e-mail service
4. ICT for Development Education
5. Phone facilities
6. Laminating services
7. Photocopy facilities
8. Photo services

Social Achievement

1. Local community have been introduced with ICTs, who have not
accessibility and affordability to these technologies.

2. The proximity of telephone and internet services connect rural
people and facilitate their communication with others.

3. Community people are benefited with free access to resource
materials provided from RKC including educational posters,
periodic, magazine and books.

4. Students get their S.S.C and H.S.C results and marks
certificates from RKC very quickly.


Economic Achievement

1. Students receive computer education by sharing minimum cost as
common access point

2. Upon training completion learners can use RKC services like internet for job searching.


Increased Earning

1. Trained persons get involved with the Govt’s Voter ID
Registration program and earning daily up to Taka 400.

2. People can download different government form, around 59 types,
and can apply for required services


Environmental Impact

People could get advanced information on cyclone from RKC and could take measures for disaster risk reduction


Voter Registrationand ID Card Program

Skill persons for Voter Registration and ID Card Program

A total of 95 rural youth, both male and female, trained from Rural Knowledge Centers have been included as Data Operator in the Voter Registration for preparing a fresh voter list with photographs and National Identity Card (NID) program, taken by the Bangladesh Election Commission. This is the ever first of such initiate in Bangladesh.



Future Plan

1. Radio listening and watching
2. Education people on essential health services through ICT
3. Educating people on primarily health care and
4. Awareness raising on the preventive measures of HIV/AIDS
5. Establish Community Radio
6. Radio Listener Club
7. Livelihood Skill
8. Lifelong education centre
9. Language Centre
10. RKC Library
11. Civic education

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