eCARE COMMISSIONS NORTHERN SECTOR PROJECT ROLLOUT AT CHUCHULIGA

The Northern Sector eCARE project rollout which was commissioned on June 21, 2007 by the Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Awudu Yeremia and supported by the District Chief Executive, Hon. Thomas Kofi Alonsi at Chuchuliga a small farming community, 9 km from Navrongo in the Builsa district of the Upper East was the first in the region

Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Awudu Yeremia giving his address

The CEO of Ghana Telecom Mr. Dickson Oduro Nyaning in his address read for him by the Upper East Regional Director of Ghana Telecom, said, the project has successfully established 52 centres in 8 regions of Ghana and is adding 17 more to bring the number to 69 by close of June 2007 to cover all 10 regions of Ghana.

Mr. Musa Awudu Upper East Regional Director of Ghana Telecom giving address on behalf of Mr. Dickson Oduro Nyaning, the CEO of Ghana Telecom.

A typical building of Chuchuliga. Solar installations before the eCARE commissioning at chchuliga

Mr. Joseph Abanyin, the eCARE Project Manager addressing the gathering, said, eCommerce eCARE is addressing developmental and economic needs in Ghana’s rural and peri urban communities where purely commercial oriented organizations have neglected over the years. He said, the first batch of the 2007 eCARE project rollout has received close collaboration between eCARE, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Ghana Investment Fund for Telecommunication (GIFTEL) of the Ministry of Communication leading to the sponsorship of 5 centres by UNDP as part of her efforts to meet some developmental needs in Ghana through eCARE. Mr. Abanyin also emphasized that, Provision of internet to the remote centres which was a major problem has become a thing of the past with new technology deployed by Ghana Telecom, and making Chuchuliga the first eCARE centre to commercially use the new technology. eCARE project facilitates the extension of telecommunication and renewable energy services powered by solar energy to underprivileged rural and peri urban communities using furnished shipping containers equipped with telephones, multimedia computers, printers, scanners, copiers and internet.

Browsing the internet & testing the new phone lines before commissioning

The Assembly Woman of Chuchuliga & others dancing to the occasion

Hon. Kofi Asanti, the CEO of GIFTEL addressing the gathering during the commissioning.

The project is a collaborative effort between Ghana Telecom (GT), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Foundation (UNF), Kumasi Institute of Technology and Environment (KITE), UNDP and GIFTEL.