Kalat discovers a wealth of information at SDNP's workshop

June 8, 2001

SDNP Quetta conducted a workshop on 'The use of Internet and Email' at Kalat, a remote district of Balochistan, on June 8th 2001. It was held in collaboration with the Water Environment & Sanitation Society (WESS) and GEF/UNDP's Small Grants Programme. Thirty participates representing different NGO's, CBO's, teachers and students attended the event.

Mr. Agha Jehangir elaborated upon the role of WESS in the region. The UNDP/GEF Small Grants Program, Coordinator, Mr. Karim Nawaz presented the GEF-SGP funding mechanisms for NGO's and CBO's. Mr. Jan Muhammad, City Coordinator SDNP Quetta introduced IUCN/SDNP and its activities in the field of sustainable development information. He went on to explain the basic usage and significance of the Internet and email as tools of effective communication and learning. Comprehensive and practical information was provided on the origin, structure, mechanics and method of using the Internet through a multimedia presentation.

The hands-on session consisted of connecting to the Web, opening an email account online and sending an email message; browsing different websites related to Balochistan province like Kech, Gwadar, and the Balochistan Conservation Strategy; newspapers like daily Jang and Dawn and effective searching techniques through popular search engines.

In the end, the participants posed different queries regarding the concepts they had learned. Everyone was excited to use the Internet practically, and found it intriguing that a wealth of information and fast communication was just a mouse click away. Mr. Karim Nawaz thanked the participants and the organizers for making the workshop a complete success.