Info Minister Mussa
By Linda Likomwa
Youths and communities around Chiradzulu East Constituency now have easy access to information through internet services following the opening of Thumbwe Telecommunication Centre in their area.
Speaking during the official opening of the telecentre on Thursday at Thumbwe in Chiradzulu, Minister of Information and Communications Technology Henry Mussa said the opening of the centre was a development milestone to the people in the area in Information Communication Technology (ICT).
“The nation is transformed into digital communication and we are now linked to nation and beyond since communities would be able to access agriculture, education and health information through internet services provided at the centre,” he said.
He said communities would be able to access both local and international markets and be able to find out selling prices of their farm produce.
The Minister said the youth would also be able to find jobs in town with the computer skills they will learn at the centre through computer lessons offered.
Mussa, who is also Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, asked the communities to manage and take care of the facility adding that another telecentre would be constructed at Mwanje.
Director of Telecommunication Services at Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra), Henry Silika said his office has a mandate to provide universal access to ICT in the country and Thumbwe was one of the centres.
Silika said an entrepreneur has been identified to operate the telecentre for sustainability.
One of the learners at Masalani Community Day Secondary School, Mphatso Chimbalanga said the opening of the telecentre will assist her in her education as she will be able to browse information about any subject.
She added that since she had little knowledge on computer use, it will also give her an opportunity to learn how to operate a computer.
Government has plans to construct telecentres in all 193 constituencies.