Acessa São Paulo Program ' Sharing Knowledge for Development

Author : Fernando Guarnieri
Date added : 2002-04-12

Brief Project Background

The "Acessa Sao Paulo" project started in November 2000. The first "Infocentro", giving free access to the Internet, was installed in Jd. Sao Luis, a district in the Sao Paulo city outskirts. After that, we have installed over 50 "Infocentros" in different underprivileged regions of the state of Sao Paulo.

São Paulo is the largest and richest state in Brazil. With a population of approximately 37 million people, São Paulo is responsible for 35% of the Brazilian GNP. But the state also concentrates the biggest number of poor people in Brazil (around 7 million). Since 1995 the state government is developing a strategy to deploy electronic services and transactions to all citizens . Among others related issues this government has been concerned about the Digital Divide.
To address this issue the government developed a strategy called “Acessa São Paulo”. This strategy is based upon the collective use of ICT and partnerships with local communities, NGOs and the private sector. The program aims to empower communities trough the use of ICTs.
The strategy is divided in 3 steps: Access, Training and Content Creation (by and for the community).
The Access step begins with the selection of community buildings were 10 microcomputers will be installed. The buildings are repaired and equipment is deployed (10 workstations, 1 server, 1 printer, 1 web cam, 1 ADSL modem). This structure is called “Infocentro”. The communities’ associations (or the local government) will then choose two of its members to be trained: the “monitores”.
The training is given by the Future School of USP (São Paulo State University). During the training the “monitores” learn how to teach others to use the ICTs (focusing on the Internet), how to address community problems, how to use the ICTs to communicate community matters and how to manage the “Infocentro”, among others tasks.
The Content Creation step begins with the identification of the principal issues faced by the communities (education, health, unemployment, safety, etc.). The “monitores” or other people in the community will then search for information in the Internet that can possibly help them to address these issues. They are also stimulated to use the ICT to discuss these issues with others “Infocentros” and to send e-mails to authorities demanding solutions. The “Acessa São Paulo” program stimulates and helps communities to rescue their history, map their knowledge and develop web sites with their own news and agendas. Due to this close relation with the communities the government has the opportunity to gather information and offer services that best suit their needs.

Results

At the present moment the government has already installed 55 “Infocentros”: 45 in the outskirts of the Capital (São Paulo) and 11 inland. 116 “monitores” have been trained.
Every Infocentro is open daily from 08:00 AM to 07:00 PM and each person is allowed to use the computer for 30 minutes. We have had already 450.000 accesses.
The “Infocentros” are open for all people. Some “Infocentros” develop specific works with special users, such as the blind and the elderly.

Lessons

One obstacle to the Program was illiteracy. Some people in the communities wanted to use the “Infocentros” but couldn’t read. The solution was to use the ICT to teach these people how to read. But the greatest obstacle was that people don’t know the importance of have access to information. Most of our users are young people that use the “Infocentros” as “online game centres”. The majority thinks technology is only a toy, a job tool or an entertainment device. People that don’t know how to read or don’t use to read are less prepared to deal with information, to transform information into knowledge. If people can see how information can change their lives they will understand the importance of the “Infocentros” for their community. The government is making an effort to show people the importance of information.
During the development of the “Acessa São Paulo” there were a problem related with the ADSL technology. The ADSL was donated by the local carrier (Telefonica). ADSL is a relatively new technology in Brazil and some regions don’t have the appropriate infrastructure. Some of the Infocentros demanded the use of other kinds of technology.
In dealing with these problems we have learned some valuable lessons:
We have learned the importance of partnerships between the government and the civil society to develop Digital Divide strategies. The Digital Divide is not only about access or knowing how to use ICTs. It is also about knowing why to use them. Working with communities’ associations helped us to understand what really matters and how the ICT best suits the communities’ needs.
If communities associations are important to better understand communities, we have learned that NGOs are important to understand and work with communities’ association. NGOs often have the necessary skill, knowledge and methodology.
We have also understood the importance of the “monitores”. He or she is the link between the community and the “Infocentro”. The “monitores” have to be very well prepared in order to understand the community goals and how to use the ICT to achieve them.
Another important issue is public financing. Although the private sector can help (and is helping) with investments the costs are very high and the “”maturation time” is long.

Development Impacts

With the help of the communities we have identified 5 major problems: Employment, Health, Education, Safety and Support to Small and Medium Enterprises. Some of the users of the “Infocentros” have already found jobs with the help of the Internet. Some SMEs have sold products online using our facilities. We have built a “”knowledge tree” (“Arbres de Connaiscences”) of one of our communities and that helped us to link supply and demand for skills and to develop skills that are demanded but not supplied by the community. We have developed a web site that teaches, among others things, how to create a CV, how to look for a job, etc.
But we are still in the beginnings of our project. We believe that in the future the “Infocentros“ will be “knowledge centres” for the communities, helping people to deal with their problems in a much more effective way by accessing knowledge created by them and by others.

Project Information

Organisation : Sao Paulo State Government
URL : http://www.acessa.sp.gov.br
Total budget in US$ : 5.200.000,00
Country of activity: Brazil [BR]

Are there any partners involved : yes
What is partners role?: Telefonica - Donation of the ADSL
Microsoft - donation of the software Office 2000
Nexans - network cables
Santander Banespa - donation of computers

Contact Information

Fernando Guarnieri
fguarnieri@sp.gov.br

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