Overview

The e-Bario project has successfully demonstrated the opportunities of ICTs in one of the most remote areas of Malaysia. E-bario has generated infrastructure development and opened new opportunities for the inhabitants of the Bario area to generate trade and to keep in touch with relatives abroad. The project has also made it more attractive for those who once migrated to return to Bario.

The idea of bringing the Internet to Bario was conceived as a research project to determine opportunities for social development available from the deployment of information and communication technologies within remote communities in Sarawak. Desirable results from pilot studies in other developing countries have encouraged the team to work among those communities in Sarawak to have equal access to ICTs, specifically the Internet that could precipitate significant improvements in their lives.

It began when a team of researchers from University Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) in cooperation with the Bario community established a computer laboratory equipped with 16 brand new computers in the secondary school and another laboratory with 10 computers in the primary school. After the success of the pilot project, the project is now moving forward towards establishing a new telecentre, which is currently under construction not far from the schools. Presently a temporary telecentre has bee set up at the Tarawe Guest Lodge. It presently operates four computers, a copier and a fax machine. Once the new telecentre is completed, the number of computers available will increase to seven. The new telecentre is strategically placed close to the market place to ensure maximum participation from the community.

The Primary beneficiaries of the e-Bario project is the Kelabit community in Bario, a remote area is Sarawak state. There are about 1,800 Kelabit living in the highlands and estimated twice that number living outside the highlands. Most of the Kelabit families in the highlands cultivate the famous, fine and fragrant Bario rice, which is well known for its sweet aroma and pleasant taste. Besides cultivating rice, they also grow citrus fruits for domestic consumption. Their main income of the community comes from comes salt, rice, government projects and gifts from relatives living outside of Bario.

e-Bario was set up as an attempt to do something about the underdeveloped infrastructure in Sarawak. All houses in the area have tap water and some facilitates generators to give light in the When the e-Bario project was started, a survey among the heads of household showed that 99 percent of the respondents have never heard about the Internet. 91 percent had never used a computer though 74 percent have heard about computers.

The project strategy is based upon implementation in 3 areas: The school, the community and communications.
" The School. A computer laboratory with 10 computers has been installed. Access to the Internet will be introduced via VSAT satellite.

" The community. A study of the community's information needs has been used to design appropriate applications of ICTs which can be delivered via a Community Telecentre connected to the Internet. The Telecentre has been set up.

" Communications. Satellite technologies for providing improved telephone access as well as Internet connectivity are being tested. Electricity is generated locally on diesel generators, augmented by solar power. Cisco systems are supporting the networking.

The communication infrastructure in Bario includes four very small aperture terminals (VSAT) from Telekom Malaysia, which is linked to the Measat satellite. The use of VSAT technology for the project was a pioneering proposal in Malaysia. As an effect of the project, one of the newer telecommunications operators, Maxis Berhad, had announced its intention to provide VSAT connectivity to rural communities in Sarawak, as well as providing VSAT connections at petrol stations for customers wishing to use credit and debit cards to pay bills. It is expected that wider deployment of the technology will bring VSAT costs down to those comparable with neighboring countries.

The benefits for the remote Bario community are immediate. Electricity and telecommunications infrastructure makes it highly beneficial for the Kelabits to be served by electricity and a telecommunications infrastructure, which allows them to communicate with their families, friends and business partners. The community also aspires for the return of Kelabits to visit or repopulate Bario. In one coincident a previous Bario resident came back in 1998 to take up the principal post at the secondary school. Many in Bario hope that others will follow in her footsteps.

The project has shown considerable potential for improving quality of life within remote rural communities in Sarawak by providing ICTs and Internet connectivity. The limited knowledge, which existed in the area about such technology, has not inhibited the population of taking advantage of it. The capacity building that arose from the Pan-Asia Telecentre Learning and Evaluation Group (PANTLEG), and other IDRC affiliations, makes it possible to sustain the momentum established and to broaden the initial impact onto a wider audience

The wider Kelabit community has also been alerted to the progress and potential of the project. Consisting generally of more educated individuals, the Kelabit Diaspora is a latent resource whose contribution to development in Bario is expected to be mobilized to considerable effect when the connectivity is achieved. This would ensure that the rich traditions would be safeguarded for future generations. It is the hope from the initiative takers that Bario embraces ICT to further its aspirations - to connect to the Kelabits all over the world so that more would know where Bario is, how special Bario rice is; to get their people into telework; to safeguard their rich tradition of the bird dance, of telling stories from one generation to the next; to keep the Kelabit community intact.

" Additional references:
R.Harris http://rogharris.org
http://www.panasia.org.sg/grants/awards/98232fr.htm
Cordelia Lee - New Straits Times, February 6th, 2002
http://www.bellanet.org/leap/pantleg/index.cfm
http://www.bellanet.org/leap/docs/Bario_final_report.doc
http://www.unimas.my/ebario
http://www.ebario.com
http://dagsclub.org.my/projects/projects.php

The team's mission is to provide community access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) through community information and communication centers for independent and self-directed learning from local and global electronic sources. Additionally, the initiative seeks to establish and test a sustainable and replicable rural smart school model. The provision of learning and networking opportunities provided by the initiative will stimulate local capacities for informed decision-making to enhance personal, institutional and community development in the areas of agriculture, education, health, culture and economy.

Roger Harris

We have established what we call a steering committee, consisting of community leaders and project team members. The committee will make all important decisions relating to the conduct of the project. In addition, some community members have assisted the team in gathering data as well as participating in brainstorming sessions to help generate ideas.
E-Bario Project team.