Immediate next Phase Work: Pilot Phase II

Background

SMILES is a rural based project managed by an NGO called Help Himalaya (http://www.helphimalaya.org.np/). The main objective of SMILES is to introduce and implement the combination of technology and socio-economical interventions that may lead to an increased living standard for the people in the rural villages of Nepal. It is a pleasure to let you know that SMILES has been selected to be featured at the Clinton Global Initiative University Annual General Meeting, 2010.

The pilot phase of SMILES was launched in September 2009. Though a small budget, it was a landmark in the field of energy development and sanitation. 40 watts solar panels were installed in two different schools and a toilet was built in the remote village, Kalimati, Sindhuli District, Nepal. It has given us profound results. Specially, the weak students who are residing around the school utilize their leisure evening time (after their day of schooling and household job) for tutoring in the classroom, under the bright light we donated. The adult literacy classes at night will also be using it. The single toilet that we built is assisting three households. The areas that were seen filled with stools some months ago are now turning grassy green and fresh. This change has obviously left other villagers thoughtful, calculating on the difference in having a toilet. With this positive and inspiring feedback, we wish to move to next phase. This would be called Pilot Phase II. In this phase, we will be focusing on computers and computer education. We want to provide the schools with computer labs and computers. The school teachers, students and the villagers will be given basic computer courses. We will develop two standard softwares for the use of the school children and the villagers. One of the softwares will be aimed at helping the students to read and write English words and sentences. The other one would help to train the villagers who are illiterate to write in Roman (writing Nepali words in the English alphabet). This is because initially it would be easier for the villagers to learn the English letters only rather than the words and use these letters to write Nepali words. This will be useful in e-mail correspondence with relatives living far away.

Specification

The computer education program will be initiated in two different schools, Binayak School of Kalimati and Chilaunekharka School of Chilaunedada. Both of the schools were each supplied with a 40 watt solar panel during the Pilot Phase I. A computer lab will be constructed in each of the schools. Each school will have two desktop computers with LCD monitors consuming less energy, and two 85-watts solar panels to run the computers.

A teacher form each school will be given basic computer training by SMILES and when comprehensible assigned to spread the gained knowledge to colleagues, students and villagers.

The softwares will be chosen from a competition SMILES will organize inviting various engineering colleges in Pokhara. The winners will have a grant. The winning softwares will be selected as standard device of SMILES for giving computer classes to the students and the local villagers in the rural villages of Nepal.

Estimated Budget for Pilot Phase II

Items	Quantity	Rate (NPR)	amount (NPR)
Computer lab room (4*6 m2 )	2	50,000	100,000
Equipment
Desktop computer	4	35,000	140,000
Computer table	4	1,000	4,000
Solar panels, 85 watts each	4	57,000	228,000
Software competition program
Award amount	2	5,000	10,000
Program organization	-	-	5000
Computer training
Training	2	1,500	3,000
Miscellanoeous Expenses	-	-	10,000
TOTAL AMOUNT			500,000

Note: Rates can be changed according to the current market price.