Golden Grove gets ICT Hub, neighbouring residents to benefit
The Golden Grove Community is the first on the East Bank of Demerara to be connected, following the commissioning of an Information Communication Technology (ICT) Hub, at the Grove Craft Centre. Apart from the aforementioned community, the communities of Diamond and Craig will also benefit from the ICT Hub.
Director of the National Data Management Authority (NDMA), Phillip Walcott noted that in establishing an ICT Hub, the eGovernment Agency pays attention to a number of factors including the availability of devices in households and training of individuals to utilise the computers.
Walcott told the residents that soon government services will be available to them online. He noted that providing free internet access and devices to a community “is a means to an end and the end is bringing government services closer to the people of the country”.
Parents were extremely relieved since the hub will assist them financially in terms of their children’s homework and assignments.
Bibi Khan from Grove told the Department of Public Information (DPI), “I have a daughter who is in secondary school and I am very happy because she comes home with lots of homework and assignment, some of which I don’t have answers too. But I know that she will be able to come here and get the information”.
Dawn Pellew, a mother and another resident from Grove, echoed similar sentiments, noting that “this hub will take some of the pressure off us as parents in finding money to give our children to go use the internet cafe”.
Dian Oselmo, who also reside in the same community, said that she is currently unemployed and have been searching for a job. “This hub will help to search to see if there are any vacancies at places so that I can get a job.”
Two of the students of the Grove Craft Production Centre who are currently involved in a programme at the centre shared their impressions.
Norette Griffith: “I am happy to have free internet access it will help me in a good way to complete my assignments and homework”, while Shundell Isaacs opined that the internet will help her research craft ideas and designs for her production.
Chairperson of the Management team for the Hub, Sonia Boston said she was delighted to manage the team for the Hub, and feels it will add to the positive image of the community.
The hub currently has 14 computers with 10 volunteers and will be open Mondays to Saturdays from 16:30hrs to 20:30hrs, and on Sundays from 17:00hrs to 20:30hrs.
Regional Chairman of Region Four, Genevieve Allen encouraged these gathered to take full advantage of the hub, pointing out that they should “be more proactive and zealous for information, especially the school children”. She also encouraged adults to utilise the hub explaining that parents can visit the hub and access information in order to their child with homework or assignments.
Services offered at the Golden Grove ICT Hub include business advertising, typing services, computer classes and typing classes among others.
To date, fifty-eight (58) ICT Hubs have been connected across the country. The hubs are partnerships with the National Data Management Authority (NDMA), the Ministry of Public Communications and the eGovernemnt Programme.
By: Gabreila Patram
