Recipient Institution:
Jhai Foundation
921 France Avenue
San Francisco CA 94112
United States of America

Project Leader: Vorasone Dengkayaphichith, and Lee Thorn (Chair)

Amount and Duration: USD $ 30,000 / 17 months

Abstract of Project

To meet the needs of villagers in the Hin Heup District of Lao PDR, Jhai Foundation has designed a network of sustainable wireless IT centres. Off-the-shelf components are integrated to create a computer with low-power requirement, linked to the Internet via a high-bandwidth, low-cost wireless (802.11b specification). The interface will be a graphical Linux desktop (KDE) offering essential tools that they are localizing for the Lao language.

People in five remote villages will use the Jhai IT Centres to access telephone services (voice-over- Internet and LAN-based telephony as well as wireless access to land-based Lao telephone lines), the Internet, and business planning and management tools. Villagers have stated that they will use these tools to: establish a valley-wide local market, build businesses supplying the town of Hin Heup, Phon Hong, and Vientiane, and communicate with family members and business associates in Lao PDR and overseas.

Centres will be staffed by "youth IT entrepreneurs", trained by PADECT, a rural enterprise training NGO, and employed by the village governments. Project management and support will be provided by Jhai's experienced Lao personnel. Project evaluation, using instruments adpated from IDRC's Acacia Project, will be performed by a Lao consultant. Jhai foundation is requesting funds for these activities as well as localization of the software and initial installation of the WAN.

The Jhai IT Centres and innovative 802.11b wireless networks will enable villagers in the Hin Heup District to communicate inexpensively with Lao people around the world and improve the operations and sustainability of their small-hold farms and other businesses. The Jhai IT Centres also have the potential to serve as a model for rural access, scalable within Lao PDR and replicable in other remote and impoverished areas in Asia and the rest of the world.