ICT Hub commissioned in Rose Hall Town

DPI, Guyana, Thursday, November 7, 2019

As the government continues to make internet access available to all Guyanese, a brand-new ICT hub was officially commissioned in Rose Hall Town, East Berbice-Corentyne on Wednesday.

The ICT hub marks the 58th such facility in Region 6 and over 200th nationwide including over 70 to hinterland communities that never had internet access before.

The building that will host the new ICT Hub.

Students of Rose Hall Nursery cut the ceremonial ribbon to declare the facility opened. Also, in the photograph, members of Root and Friends of Rose Hall, Town Clerk Natasha Griffith [far right] and Edison Jefford, Manager for Community Development and Social Management [left].

Students making use of the computers and internet access provided.

The venture was a collaboration between Roots and Friends of Rose Hall Town and the Ministry of Public Telecommunications through the National Data Management Authority (NDMA).

The building is housed at Williamsburg, Rose Hall Town and is equipped with nine computers and another 12 more will be added soon. The building and stations were provided by the Roots and Friends of Rose Hall Town, USA chapter while the internet access is being provided by NDMA free of cost.

Speaking on behalf the NDMA, Manager for Community Development and Social Management, Edison Jefford said the project is in keeping with the government’s thrust to bridge the digital divide and making internet accessible to all Guyanese. He noted that “while the older generation would have resorted to browsing through books in libraries for research, today it is difficult to do much research without accessing the internet and having recognized this, the government decided to provide internet access free of cost through these hubs so that every child and resident can have an equal opportunity.”

In her remarks, Vice President of Roots and Friends of Rose Hall Town, Tessa Fraser described the initiative a substantive investment by the organisation and the government and implored encouraged the students and residents alike to make full use of the facility. Fraser also charged them to “…care and manage the resource so you can continue to benefit because technology is our future, it is an element of the 21st century; we cannot move into the 21st century and beyond without the use of technology.”

Roots and Friends of Rose Hall Town began in 1998, and its mission is to be involved in projects to enhance and improve the lives of residents of the town in the areas of Education, Health and Social Issues. The organisation recently held a medical outreach where a team of 28 doctors from the Guyana Medical Mission saw over 600 residents.

Also, a number of books and stationery was handed over to the local chapter of the organisation that will be the custodians of the facility.