We, Horizon Lanka are doing many projects like Microscholarships, Horizon Lanka Academy, Digital Butterflies, Digital Ambassadors and Model eVillage to develop our village. Now Mahavilachchiya is developing up through ICT. There are about more than 50 computers in the village. Not only computers but there are also a lot of people with computer literacy. It seems that Mahavilachchiya is becoming an e-village. We are proud to say that during last few years we were able to bring ICT to village under the guidance of Mr. Nandasiri Wanninayaka, the founder of Horizon Lanka Foundation.
Mahavilachchiya is a rural village surrounded by Vilpaththu National Park from three sides. But what I am going to say will make you surprised. We have twenty four hour internet connection here. I think this is the only village with such a facility. Actually that is what should happen: we should serve where the needs are great rather than where the means are great.
We, Horizon Lanka did not stop with that. We distributed Internet connection to students’ houses freely. That was one of our dreams. Most of Horizon dreams came true as we worked hard and this one also came true. In 2004 we started this project with Enterprise Technology (Pvt) Ltd. This system is called mesh. This is the only mesh system in Sri Lankan rural village. I am proud to say that, we created history with it. Mahavilachchiya is already ‘meshed up.’ 30 students’ households including a public school have got the internet access at their places.
This Mesh system is a kind of wireless internet distribution system. For this project we had to build six, sixty feet towers in the village. Every tower has an access point. Main Internet connection is transmitted by the Horizon Lanka tower to the nearest access point.
Then it distributes connection to the next nearest access point and it keeps on distributing the connection from tower to tower till the last access point. The houses which are situated very closed to the tower can have internet from a wireless card directly. Others in the close proximity have to build up an antenna and the antenna is connected to the wireless card of the computer. This is how the system runs.
Now students are getting benefits out of their internet project. They are using internet for their school works and others works. Not only students of Horizon Lanka but also other villages also getting benefits out of this.
Finally, however much Mahavilachchiya has marched forward by way of technology the road to Horizon from Oyamaduwa junction is in a bad condition. If this can be repaired it will benefit not only Horizon but also the whole Mahavilachchiya area and also people will find easy road access to the Mahavilachchiya, the model e-village. Without a decent road access, creating an e-village will be ridiculous. So, we need the government to help us by developing the roads in Mahavilachchiya.
