An interesting article from IANS on a ‘Story Bank’ project in rural India by an NGO called Voices, in collaboration with the University if Surrey. Apparently, they’re using ‘villager friendly’ software to overcome what would be an otherwise complex (for a villager) interface on a Nokia N80: Text is replaced by icons – allowing villagers to record small video clips with audio.
The NGO is also considering linking the Internet with radio, wherein villagers will ask for information, and someone searches the Internet for it and reads information out over the local radio station. This is part of a larger project called ‘Bridging the Global Digital Divide’ in Karnataka.
In terms of content, men in villages search for information on governance, legal awareness, agriculture, health. Women search for career information for their children, profiles of self-help groups, and options for financial loans, while children search for info on sports events, film stars, science etc. More here.
Related:
– @Digital Summit: Cross Media Promotions; Rural VAS Adoption; The Rural Consumer
– Microsoft Survey: Kiosk Usage In Rural India
– Rural Broadband Connectivity Initiatives – BSNL and Microsoft
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