UgaBYTES Initiative founded in 1999 is a nonprofit telecenter network organization that seeks to promote and nurture the effective use and integration of Information and Communication Technologies for sustainable rural development in East Africa. As a catalytic organization, UgaBYTES focus is towards rural and disadvantaged community groups through the provision of quality support services and mentoring. UgaBYTES operates through a combination of face-to-face and online platform. The head office is in Kampala, Uganda.

Telecenters encompass all social investments, initiatives or projects that promote universal access and utility of ICT tools for disadvantaged rural communities in the East African region. This includes applications such as in agriculture, health, education, and information sharing.

The Telecenter Support Center combines telephone with physical visits to provide telecenter operators and managers with technical support, M&E and management support. Telecenters are also assisted in proposal and business plan development. Technical support is done on a quarterly basis for member Telecenters. The most fascinating of the online strategy was the one month long E-conference on Telecenter sustainability in developing countries. Over 15 countries participated in the conference.

UgaBYTES also delivers tailored skills development training programs and workshops in a wide range of telecenter management and planning basics. The Telecenter Start-up Advisory Services is aimed at those who wish to start telecenters whether in the private or public sector.

Since 1999, a number of resources have been developed on telecenter planning, development and management to support sustainability. In October 2005 the first of the modules was launched at Kamuli MCT. 13 Telecenter content managers were certified.


Links: http://www.ugabytes.org

UgaBYTES Initiative (UG) was established in 1999 as a pressure group that aimed at teaching communities the appropriation and appreciation of the telecenters. At that time the goal was to developed local content and package it in the most appropriate format at the telecenters. At the same time other telecenters were equally preoccupied by the same challenges, with some centers registering success. There was a change of vision in 2000, the focus since then is on knowledge sharing and common learning. Up until last year the Network was self-financing and self-sustaining without any donor money. Today the Organization is sponsored by IDRC, Microsoft and SDC.