Girls use computers in a pilot project near Delhi, India
Seelampur is a densely populated, low-income area in the Northeastern sector of Delhi, India's capital city. The average family has eight members and monthly family income is $60-$80 USD. Within Seelampur the area of Zaffarabad is a pocket of extreme urban poverty and poor living conditions. Open drains are clogged with sewage, there are frequent power breakdowns, the houses are dilapidated and the people live in overcrowded lanes.
While formal education has become quite common, many children -- especially girls -- drop out before high school graduation, leaving white-collar jobs a distant reality. Common occupations are unskilled work in factories, handwork in cloth, etc.
The towering minarets of numerous mosques in the area are indicators of the role played by religion and the clergy in the lives of the community. Traditional customs still play a powerful role especially with respect to gender. Women are expected to be good housewives, look after their husbands and in-laws, procreate and take care of children and the house. Education is not a priority. They are not encouraged to move out of the locality independently and the 'Burqa' (veil) system is prevalent. Other religious communities in India also maintain strong gender-related norms on mobility, marriage and education.
Recently the Datamation Foundation initiated some work in the area with women and at about the same time, UNESCO launched a pilot to put ICTs in the hands of the poor. An ICT center was planned at Zaffarabad to address urban poverty and to empower the women of Seelampur.
A collaboration was formed with the Babool-Uloom Madrasa. It is a Madrasa (a place of learning) and Masjid (the place where prayer is offered and is also the center of other religious activities) headed by the Maulana (a leader of prayer, the Muslim caliph). The Babool-Uloom Madrasa is a religious residential school providing learning to about 200 boys from humble backgrounds. A majority of students aspire to take up advanced religious studies so as to become Imams (teachers). They lead simple frugal lives, living in dormitories that double as classrooms. The parents are happy in their circumstances of extreme poverty as the basic needs of the child are taken care of and the child is likely to become an Imam in the future.
The Babool- Uloom is also a mosque, where the devout gather five times a day to offer prayers to Allah. Women are not allowed entry into the mosque. However they do come to the Maulana for advice. He arbitrates on social disputes and religious matters.
When permission was sought to obtain space for the ICT center at the Madrasa, key people did not in the beginning view ICTs as important, but they felt a strong need to create some opportunities for women in the area.
The decision to set up the ICT center in the annex of the Madrasa gave it immediate legitimacy. Appreciating the socio-cultural scenario and the importance of the Masjid and Maulana in the lives of the community helped to harmonize the community with the technological tools.
The Center
The ICT center provides an open learning center for girls and women. They receive training on computers and Internet and also obtain information on
varied topics. Interactive multimedia content is developed and used to support vocational and life-skills training and provide rights-based information on various areas to poor girls and women. The marginalized women use ICTs to learn marketable skills and build their awareness of health issues, their rights and livelihood opportunities.
In an ideal world, universal access to information would create a global information society, yet the mode of interpretation will depend on the culture and traditions of the people and societies. Computers are a product of industrialized civilization not from this particular cultural context. Yet the endeavor in community-based interventions has been to be sensitive to cultural differences, which was the point of departure for the present initiative.
Response to Cultural Issues
In addition to lack of computers and Internet access in developing regions, barriers of culture and language can likewise provide barriers. There are fears that the global media is fast promoting a global monoculture that denies diverse socio-cultural realities. It is felt that this process of globalization and the prevalence of English may erode local cultures, so the tendency is to further isolation. The Madrasa has its own philosophy: movement of the students is restricted; there is no radio and no television.
Added to this is the fear of the "anti-social" elements that prohibits parents and husbands in Seelampur from sending women from their homes outside Seelampur. Sexual harassment of girls is quite common in the area and one hears of such cases frequently.
It was felt necessary to embed the project in the community taking into account the existing cultural values. Concrete actions are being taken to preserve the local oral culture and propagate the same. For culture to grow, it must be active, contextual and social. ICTs such as videos, TV and multi-media computer software that combine text, sound and colorful images, are used to provide media for expression acting as facilitator.
Research revealed that the women spend a considerable time at home watching soap operas and Hindi movies on television. Seeing the glamorous people on screen, they too are keen to dress well, dance, sing and act. The ICT Center provided them a platform and an opportunity to express their talents. At the Madrasa, singing is taboo. So the girls sing 'Naaths' (odes to God), with their heads covered in reverence. These along with stories, comic skits and plays have been recorded at the ICT center.
Digital photography, downloading on the computer and sound recording are some of the skills learned in the process. Elderly women are encouraged to record old songs, lullabies, recipes and home-remedies for illnesses. This initiative is named 'Seelampur Voice'. CD-based programs of this nature are cablecast for wider viewing by the community. The endeavor is not only to preserve the local culture by recording but also to encourage others to come forward to share their experiences, talent and learning.
The girls bring local traditional designs and patterns of embroidery to the center. These are computerized through the process of scanning or digital photography. Then these pictures are modified, improved and more innovative designs are developed with various color combinations. Some of the participants download various patterns from the Internet and then evolve their own designs using traditional and modern tools as base. It is the same with the application of intricate Mehendi patterns traditionally made on the hands and feet of women.
CD-based vocational skills learning packages were developed in-house where the participants have been actively involved. The packages, with a voice-over option in both English and Hindi, include candle making, liquid soap and phenyl making, henna application and designs, making of soft toys and rag dolls, tailoring etc. Also, based on their traditional skills (such as handicrafts) many new avenues are being explored to provide a means for an independent income. Many
of the girls eagerly desire to have an independent source of income after coming to the center and also, to be able to support or help their families financially.
The Internet and eNRICH -- a local Web-based browser -- is being used imaginatively to record and showcase local talent and cultural heritage. At the same time the participants are getting an exposure to other cultures and ideas as well. E-mail has opened an avenue to have exchanges with people of the same religion, living in different countries. Images from the Internet coupled with e-mail exchanges are making the participants aware about the cultural differences and similarities amongst Muslims living in countries like Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, West-Asia and the West. Looking at cultural aspects with a sense of enquiry and respect has been a big gain from the ICTs.
Some computer based learning programs in the form of Vocational CDs have been developed with voice over and content in Hindi as well as English. This was done for easy comprehension and for the realization of the importance of English as a link language (especially for using the Internet). Above all there is an informality of atmosphere so that the staff and project team members are open to approach.
The Community ICT Center has gradually emerged as a "nodal" point of social contact in Seelampur as this is perceived as a safe place. Many women state that they feel very happy coming here and want to stay here for longer periods. Some women have profusely thanked the team at the center for providing them an opportunity to "constructively" interact and socialize. Now, older women and men in these families also support them in this interest. Several opportunities have been created such as picnics and other visits to facilitate their mobility even outside the area.
During the month of Ramadan, the Maulana wanted the center to be closed down. All through the month of Ramadan devout Muslims keep strict fast. Only before sunrise and after sunset do they take food. Early morning as the call for prayer is heard from the mosques, the boys and men set off to offer Namaz (prayers). Women stay at home and recite the Koran. Fasting during the days of Ramadan normally does not affect their daily routine and they go on with their daily chores.
The girls were not happy with the decision that the center be closed down for the month of Ramadan. They were enjoying the learning experience at the center. They were encouraged by the project staff to go through the relevant Web sites to understand the significance and meaning behind the rituals and why Ramadan is observed. They gathered courage and went to the Maulana to plead their case to keep the center functioning. They did that convincingly and successfully. The compromise arrived at was that the center would close down at 4 p.m. instead of at the usual closing time of 5 p.m. Only a few months ago such a dialogue between the Maulana and the girls would have been unthinkable.
Some Issues Remain
There are occasions when traditional values are too strong and play a decisive role. In such situations, the women may raise a voice or submit to tradition. The center was to be formally inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Delhi on 26 June, 2003. The girls were enthusiastic and so were guided to organize the center, make arrangements to receive the honorable guest and present themselves appropriately. The Maulana was the chief coordinator. It had been planned that after the formal inauguration of the center, the Chief Minister would be escorted to a hall that serves as the Madrasa and also the Masjid, where she was to be welcomed publicly. After that she was to address the gathering. Yet despite their efforts because of tradition
the girls were not permitted entry into the hall.
Recently in Seelainput, girls are being rejected in the process of spouse selection in arranged marriages on the ground that they know computers so will not 'adjust' to their marital family. Similar instances have also come to light about the boy's kin making greater demands for dowry from the girl's family if she is computer literate.
Conclusion
Culture is how we view the events, how we think, how we perceive events, how we react and respond. Culture consists of social norms, group behavior, respect and authority of decision-makers. This experience shows that while every effort is being made to respect the local culture, the project is also impinging on the participants and the stakeholders, making them think and act a little differently. Earlier there were doubts as to whether the space would continue to be provided by the Madrasa or the center would have to move. However, now there is a commitment to give the space for the center for many years to come and an extra room has also been provided for the center.
The initiative has shown that ICTs can be utilized to understand, preserve and share cultural heritage apart from enhancing cultural values. Local culture can be shared with people of different cultures with mutual understanding and respect. The exposure builds confidence in the women due to which they are able to articulate their opinions better.
