Tech Helps Communities Connect to the National Conversation
Source: Flickr.com
The centers in Aweil, Torit, Wau, and Yambio have become technology hubs for the local communities.
Through local Civic Engagement Centers (CECs), Policy LINK is deploying technology platforms to mobilize communities in rural and often vulnerable counties of South Sudan.
As virtual engagement in the Covid-19 era has upstaged in-person work and social gatherings, the CECs in Aweil, Torit, Wau, and Yambio have become technology hubs for the local communities. The centers offer a hybrid platform composed of physical interaction -- governed by stringent COVID-19 protocols -- and digital spaces like Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
Policy LINK’s Area Program Managers, who travel to South Sudan’s remote project locations, have played an instrumental role in imparting digital literacy training and skills to advance communities’ access to the tech-driven systems and facilitate a smooth transition between physical and digital interactions.
A CEC User Committee Member noted: “Policy LINK has added a lot of value to our work and enriched our existing resources at the center. Through web-based platforms, the project has made us a part of the national, regional, and global audience simultaneously.”
That kind of leapfrogging, say Policy LINK’s Area Program Managers, has helped transform physical distancing barriers into wider collaboration and networking, bringing local voices into the national conversation around South Sudan’s future.