Centers give Aceh youth access to computers

Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Lhokseumawe, Aceh

The only thing that 14-year-old Erlina knows about computers are what they look like.

"We could ... draw with them?" the junior high school student in Syamtalira Aron in North Aceh, said with a puzzled look when asked what computers could do.

Erlina was surprised to learn that with computers, people could read news from faraway lands and send letters in a matter of seconds.

Soon Erlina and her friends will get a chance to click online and find out more about their favorite actress -- television soap star Marshanda -- or research their school projects at a community learning center (CLC). The center was opened at the Murtadha Mosque by Minister for Communications and Information Sofyan Djalil last week.

The center is equipped with 10 computers connected through a server and a dial-up connection for the internet. Three other CLCs were also opened simultaneously in Matang Kuli, Tanah Luas, and Lhok Sukon districts in the same regency, sponsored by Microsoft Indonesia and ExxonMobil Oil Indonesia and operated by the Pakta foundation.

All of the CLCs are built within or close to mosques, regarded as the ideal place for new ideas to bloom.

"What the Acehnese lack of is not rice, but information," said Faizullah, a local Muslim youth leader who heads the CLC in Matang Kuli. Faizullah admitted to knowing little about the computers himself before being trained in computers Medan.

"That way, should there be any problem in the future, they can try to fix the computers themselves," said Syahril Amir, Pakta foundation's CLC program director.

Although young people, as first-time users, may initially only use the world wide web to chat or read the news, organizers are hoping that the centers will contribute more than this.

"We're building a website called 'pustaka tani' (the farmers' library) which will include data on the weather, agricultural prices, research and farmer success stories," Syahril said.

As the CLCs are expected to be operate independently within two years at the latest when they would start charging for certain services. Internet usage in the "information hour" -- about two hours every afternoon -- would be free of charge, but night time chatting would eventually cost users some money.

Another expected source of income is videotaping local events and then disseminating them on the internet. Every center also gets a video camera along with video editing software. "We have already received an order for the farewell party of an army officer here," said Syahril.

The CLCs also plans to train people in Microsoft Office and other basic programs.

For selected groups, the training will be free of charge, but others would have to pay.

They will also cater the needs of schools, which are yet to have such facilities.

Apart from the online resources, there is also a decent physical library and Erlina says she is happy with the service.

"Our headmaster told us to come here," she said as she flipped the pages of the book she was reading. "We don't have a library in our school. I'd like to come here on other days if I could."