We are a community of individuals who believe ICT skills are vital in the present world and in the future. ICT skills unlock chests of knowledge and skills that will help you achieve what you want in life.
Our community forms a network which acts as a broker for knowledge, funds and other resources. We connect individuals and organizations who have similar or complementary knowledge, resources or goals.
At the individual level
We are a community of learners, who actively seek to expand our knowledge and skills in order to achieve more and better results in personal, business and community development.
We are a community of change makers. We actively seek to improve our own lives and living conditions, our income, our ability to provide for our families, our chances to have a job, or drive a successful business. In short, we are just people, living our lives, but we do so consciously and by actively giving direction to it.
We care about our fellowmen, close by and far away. Rural web helps people to change their own communities by stimulating and helping people with setting up community development programs. To do so, we do not need to be nearby. Because we are a virtual community and (almost)everything goes via the internet, we can help each other, even if we find ourselves in completely different parts of the world. Having said that, personal interaction and real-life encounters still play a major role in staying connected.
We come from developed and developing countries. In general, people with more knowledge and skills help their peers with acquiring more knowledge and skills and realizing dreams. But even for the most skilled or knowledgeable person there is always something new to learn. And one learns most by teaching someone else.
Most of Rural Web’s content is directed to people from developing countries, but anybody can participate and will benefit from Rural Web’s philosophies and resources. Rural Web is directed at people from developing countries because they can benefit most from Rural Web and they are most affected by the adverse effects of not having access to ICT and not having ICT skills. Read more about this in our section WHY.
Partners
Organizations can also participate in and benefit from Rural Web. We call them partners and have special services, content and support for them, as they can reach out to more people than Rural Web could on its own. All partners are stakeholders of Rural Web and in time can become true partners/owners of Rural Web, deciding on its future course, managing its content and services and finally securing its future.
Rural Web is of interest to certain organizations in particular:
ICT- & telecenters provide access to ICT to people who do not have so at home and are therefore key players and beneficiaries of Rural web. We help existing ICT- and telecenters to earn more income by helping them set up learning circles and other courses and finding ways to make money with Rural Web’s resources. We also help to start new ICT-centres by helping with funding amongst others. In turn ICT centres provide content to Rural Web, facilitate Learning Circles and in time become true partners/owners of Rural Web.
Ngos working in the area of community development, or which are involved in ICT projects can benefit from Rural Web. They can use our resources and we can help to create and deliver new resources and courses. As with ICT centres, we can help to find funding for projects, but also coaching . NGO’s can also become partners of Rural Web.