{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\fswiss\fcharset0 Arial;}} \viewkind4\uc1\pard\sb100\sa100\f0\fs24 TakingITGlobal the inspire, information and involve network of organizations and young people working together in their locals to take IT local and to enlighten, educate and improve on the lives of the people they find around them.\line\line To take IT local means bringing Information Technology to the people and rural people at grassroots. It means bringing them together to take advantage of the benefits of IT and belong to our vast moving world of opportunities and take full part in issues and policy talks, be fulfilled at what technology offers, take their views and opinions global after all and also take their works and cultures global. You tell them the great benefits and gains associated with Information Technology, they will not but go for the skills and agree with you and thereby promote themselves and their tradition and culture which make a people to feel involved, belonged, accepted and also unique!\line\line\line\line I came to join TakingITGlobal some years back, I became inspired, informed and also involved with possibilities, and then I come to realize and understand the very great thing it will be if I raise a team and take IT local while bringing their cultures and the people\rquote s voices and visions global. Then, I came across the great idea, with the help of some student (Volunteers) team, who identified with my dream and vision. I saw motivation and acquired a computer and hired one other, then we moved into a rural community in Abia State named \ldblquote Umualo\rdblquote , the people are inert and do not know yet IT and have not power supply (light), so we hired a generating set and thought them how to use the computer, email sending and receiving, we discussed issues and themes(even politics) and we were surprised at what they have got to say to our questions and how they managed to learn fast, their views and opinions on issues, they were just great geniuses yet to discover.\line\line\line\line They spoke in their local languages and we translate into English language. They loved the computer and were excited when we told them, we will take their vices global and they appreciated our coming. The programme which was designed to enlighten and to take pictures of the rural populace of our communities, their views and opinions, their cultures and the people global while teaching and educating them on the basics of the computer and the internet was the first of its kind in my location and in fact yet to be heard! \line\line\ldblquote Ezi okwu, ihe a adi mma\rdblquote meaning \ldblquote it is great experience\rdblquote said one of the beneficiaries of the project who shouted after we finished teaching them. \ldblquote They told us that they will now be going from their town to the cities to use the internet and computer to send and receive messages from their friends and relatives in Nigeria major cities and in Diaspora. Some of them confessed to their lack of knowledge about the internet and it\rquote s benefits which they described as infinite and encouraged us to go to other communities and do more, they also were surprised and amazed at some of the actions we put to them on what we can do with the internet and the computer\rdblquote . They begged us to help them bring computers and internet for them, so that they too can laugh! They were also happy and we were fulfilled at their reception!\line\par \line The project which we initiated to bridge the digital gap which has been existing between the people who have already a digital gap in the cities of out country with the world, talk of the local people who are now further marginalized and divided to the highest, because they have never benefited from any of the relevance or benefits of Information and communications Technology like Telephone and computer, even postal services are not in their locations. You can find only radio that hardly works. \line\line\line\line We become the only light in the dark tunnel to make them see! But with all these our success stories, it became imperative that we must move to other communities in our locals with the project of knowledge and further enable them be inspired, informed and involved as we have already been, but financial impediments are always an obstacle to our work and also we face the challenge of a people yet to understand what the youths can do and a cultural barrier to development and emancipation. It becomes more challenging to us when we face all these and still make out time to go to school in our different institutions!\line\line\line\line Nevertheless, \ldblquote challenges must be\rdblquote , we all agreed and it is forging ahead and making the difference our motto became, but yet, we face the challenges of finance to purchase some computers (notebook), Generating set and transportation to villages of project and also get digital camera for coverage of programmes.\line\line\line\line We have been managing to escape the illiteracy barrier and that of cultures because we speak the local languages, when we use the local language to educate and teach them and also collect their words also, but it has not been easy! Yet we must move on, life is all about trying and trying to make a difference, where things seems not viable are done! \line\line\line\line You can dig it, you can help us, and you can do the project in you locals. \line\line God bless!!!\line\line\par \pard\f1\fs20 Sincerely,\par Henry Ekwuruke\par Team Leader and Coordinator\par TakingITLocal Project.\par }