Fusion is the ICT (Information and Communications Technology) for Development (ICT4D) movement of Sarvodaya, Sri Lanka, the leading NGO, serving over 15,000 villages. The name Sarvodaya is taken from the Sanskrit meaning of 'awakening (udaya) of all (sarva)', and roots back to the Gandhian ideals. Fusion, as implied by the true meaning of the word, envisages the fusion of the vision and mission of Sarvodaya into the broader development scenario, using Information and Communication technologies (ICT) as a common fabric. Thus, Fusion is identified as the ICT for Development (ICT4D) movement of Sarvodaya.[1]
Fusion primarily, but not exclusively, works with the villages that have already been socially and economically uplifted through diverse community development programs carried out over a period of time. Thus they are better prepared to connect with the Information Age. For instance a community having a registered society, with a healthy track record of micro-finance activities is recognized as better prepared to interact with digital technologies.
Fusion partners with multiple institutions including the State (Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka), corporate, academic and civil organizations.
The project's vision is the e-Empowerment of rural poor communities.
Fusion's broader mission is founded on the following three pillars;
The program builds on the pioneering telecenter, that has been trialled by the Social Empowerment Program of Sarvodaya, in 1997, at a remote township (Kahawatta) of Ratnapura District, Sri Lanka.
Since it started it has progressed through a remarkable learning curve;
Village Information Centers are simple community based libraries. Their unique features include:
VICs are initiated by the youth leaders (volunteers) of rural villages. They are housed within low cost rural buildings, donated by the community. Some are maintained adjoining Sarvodaya Village Banks.
VICs accumulate and manage basic livelihood information related to health, transport, agriculture, education and governance.
There are VICs having enormous indigenous resources such as Traditional Medical Recipes (on Ola leaves), Indigenous crop harvest equipment, Storage systems, Traditional songs and books. Some VICs gather information related to local bio-diversity (birds, plant species etc.).
Telecentres are small units having a few computers and other ICT equipment located in rural districts. They provide internet access, ICT education and other IT services to rural communities.
The majority of the telecentres with which Fusion partners are owned by rural communities, (mostly sponsored by the State sponsored eSriLanka program). Fusion maintains a small network of telecentres to carry out pilot projects, the knowledge obtained from which can finally be adopted by the wider community.