Power Plant for Batuwangala Maha Vidyalaya..

Potential benefits to the community from the E Village
1. Promote cooperation and networking among local CBOs
Although several Community Based Organizations (CBOs) exist in the Batuwangala village they are rather weak due to poor communication and organizational capacity. However, CBOs are an integral part of village life and often play a role in everyday lives of people as well as during major events in the community. The E village concept could initiate networking among the different CBOs in order to share resources and also improve communication between each other.
2. Strengthen local livelihood strategies
Agriculture and tea are the main sources of livelihood in the area. The E village could be a source of information to the community that would enable them to gain access to useful information such as current market prices, new technology and to developments in the sector. Lack of information and knowledge is one of the main reasons why agriculture small holders are disempowered and lack the capacity to negotiate better terms and conditions. The E Village could be a means by which this issue is addressed.

3. Creating career opportunities for youth
Youth unemployment is a pressing problem in Sri Lanka, particularly among rural youth. The E Village presents an opportunity for introducing youth to potential career and job opportunities in a range of areas. Our intention is not to merely train youth in ICT and send them off to seek jobs outside, but also to encourage youth to use ICT and technology to generate opportunities and to initiate activities within the community as well. For example, there are many services that are needed within the area if ICT accessibility in rural areas is to be truly a reality; the E village could be the source of skilled personnel for such services to be initiated and developed.
Proposed activities:
1.

Constraints:
The major problem we face currently are on going costs for electricity and internet connection. While the E Village intends to eventually financially sustainable, this is not immediately possible. We propose the following:
1. Generation of a mini hydro power plant
A member of the community has a mini hydro power plant which he is willing to share with the E Village. We propose to link this power plant to the school which would generate enough electricity for the entire school as well as the computer lab. If we are successful with this we would be able to use the funds saved by the school for electricity to be used for paying the internet costs. Students could also contribute to the internet costs.
Approximate Cost : Rs 800,000
We would like every body to join with us.please contact us for more information.