Doha: A delegation from Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) a member of Qatar Foundation for Education Science and Community Development (QF) has officially opened two community centres in Nepal.

The ongoing project launched in 2014 aims to empower youth and provide information and communications technology (ICT) facilities to help eliminate ICT barriers.

The project developed in partnership with READ Global and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will serve an estimated 100000 people including 35000 from four rural districts in the central and western Terai. With a focus on ICT skills the project aims to establish and upgrade 11 community centres creating educational social and economic opportunities for communities with a focus on youth. It aligns with QF’s ambition to help unlock human potential by providing opportunities for young people. The delegation led by Abdulla Al Abdulla Director Quality Impact & Strategy ROTA opened the Deukhuri Community Library and Resource Centre (CLRC) in the Dang District and the Kalika CLRC Centre in the Bardiya District.

“Through the project ROTA aims to expand living and educational resources for communities and youth in particular in line with our mission to engage young people and community members to address educational and developmental challenges at home and abroad” Al Abdulla said.

The centres are owned and operated by the local communities they benefit and provide free access to resources including a library ICT tools educational toys sports and books for children and young people. Each centre has formed a youth leadership subcommittee so that the local young people can have a say in the programmes and resources the centres offer.

The Deukhuri CLRC was built in 2015 in Gadhawa village in the Rapti Zone of the mid-western region of Nepal. Some 68 percent of the population of 12453 are literate. In partnership with READ Global ROTA has provided financial aid of about QR455000 to support the four-year programme from 2014 to 2017.

The Kalika CLRC is in Kalika village in the Bheri Zone in the mid-western region. It has a population of 15910 and has a literacy rate of 86 percent. ROTA has provided QR601606 to improve local infrastructure provide training enhance education support ICT development build the centre’s capacity and create alternative energy power resources.

The project budget is for two components. The first features an infrastructural scale-up and includes enterprise management and building construction. The second is reserved for ICT equipment and technology improvements including the operation and training of the library management committee.

Funds are allocated to elevating computer literacy enhancing professional development influencing women’s empowerment raising health awareness and facilitating other requests based on the needs of the local community.

Tina Sciabica Executive Director READ Global said: “Through our partnership with ROTA we seek to facilitate sustainable enterprises that address community needs and offer training programmes in livelihood skills literacy health and technology to serve local communities.” The centres will focus on creating livelihood opportunities for youth and women through vocational and life skills training and hold leadership development and sports programmes.The Peninsula