It is almost impossible to overstate the importance of information technology in the modern world and since its inception 14 years ago, Sewalanka has made a concerted effort to broaden access to IT facilities and increase computer literacy amongst rurally poor communities in Sri Lanka.

Following the devastating tsunami in 2004, many coastal communities were left homeless, living in temporary camps and shelters where they found themselves isolated with limited access to telephones.

To enable these temporarily displaced people to effectively communicate with the outside world and develop new skills, Sewalanka Foundation, in collaboration with the Japanese non-governmental organisation, Peace Boat, set up a number of IT training centers in post-tsunami camps and shelter sites. Three such centers were established on the south and west coasts, allowing many people to experience computers and the internet for the very first time. The centers offered a number of training programs; an introduction to computers was provided for young children to become comfortable with the basics of computing and more advanced courses in Microsoft Office applications were provided for older children. Weekend and night time training sessions were also held for adults.

The centers were extremely successful with exceptionally high demand for their services yet as resettlement work drew to a close, it became unnecessary to maintain internet and communication centers at the decommissioned camp sites. A decision was made to relocate the centers to permanent locations near completed tsunami resettlement projects.

So far, centers have been opened in Ambalangoda and Habaraduwa, each equipped with four computers. The centres offer training courses as well as email facilities for community members.

It is hoped that the centers will soon be able to stay open outside of course hours to serve the community as a general internet café facility.

To increase the number of facilities offered to community members, Sewalanka is working towards securing broadband internet connections which will provide users with more freedom when surfing the web. Faster internet access will also allow the centers to conduct training in more sophisticated aspects of IT, including web applications and programming.

Sewalanka eventually hopes to increase the number of IT centers on the south coast and then extend the scheme to other parts of the country