The Chanderi Weavers’ ICT Resource Centre and the Chanderi Integrated ICT for Development Program are intimately linked with each other. The CWICTRC will be the facilitator for the implementation of the CIIDP.
The CWICTRC endeavours to incorporate the whole weaver community into its fold, by bridging the gap between the weavers’ and the market, thereby eliminating profit mongering middlemen and middle level agencies. The weavers will be able to correspond directly with showroom owners through this initiative.
The main objective of this initiative is to make the weaver community self – sufficient and self – reliant by training at least hundred weavers by using ICT tools in textile and apparel design, out of which a core group of five weavers would be trained as master designers. This will eliminate the role of middle level agencies and enable the weavers to produce finished products for markets world over, through the e-commerce portal. The centre would also function as an outlet for buying and selling textile products.
The Centre would therefore work as an internal production, training and marketing platform for local weavers, their families and children. Separate weaving Self Help Groups (SHG) would be created to avail training in production and marketing. Research and Development on latest textile and apparel designs as well as prevailing market trends will also be undertaken. Consequently, sub-centers on training and skill enhancement could be developed to cater to the local populace in vicinity.
The categorization and organization of traditional and new designs will be achieved by making a digital library of all the designs through the process of digital documentation, enabling quick and easy accessibility. The digital library would therefore function as a ready reckoner.
The centre will also impart education to the youths of Chanderi. Training in basic English skills will be achieved through the English Relay Programme (ERP). Computing skills will be taught in addition to English, so that the youth of Chanderi can be at par with their contemporaries in big cities.
The CWICTRC will also function as a facilitator of rural tourism along with providing commercial services like the internet, email, fax, scanning and printing.
The CWICTRC will therefore facilitate the process of value addition at all levels. It will help in enhancing the existing skills in weaving and textile designing, thereby increasing the weavers’ earning capacity. It will also aid in acquainting them with market demands and trends. The production of readymade garments and other utility items will benefit the weavers’ in more ways than one, by decreasing their dependency and making them self – reliant.
The Chanderi Integrated ICT for Development Program (CIIDP) will facilitate the permeation of ICT in the sectors of Education, Healthcare, Tourism and Social Entrepreneurship.
A micro – computer lab with minimum two PCs will be installed in 10 government Schools and 3 Madrassas. This will be connected to the gyanpedia.in portal and Sahayika education application, thereby facilitating the delivery of quality education.
Existing public health clinics in Chanderi will be installed with telemedicine facilities and a health hotline which will be connected to an institution of repute either in Bhopal or Ashok Nagar. Also, 5 Health Resource persons will be trained in ICT Health Service delivery.
Apart from this, it will involve the digitization of each and every aspect of Chanderi’s ecosystem enabling the creation of a comprehensive community portal. The Chanderi Community portal will be connected to all the public institutions in Chanderi public including schools and local administration bodies. The digitization of Chanderi’s social, cultural and historical fabric will facilitate the fruition of tourism to a large extent by the creation of a Virtual Museum on the Chanderi Community Portal.
The CIIDP also endeavours to train minimum 50 entrepreneurs of Chanderi in ICT social enterprises. The women of Chanderi will benefit immensely from this program by acquiring training in basic ICT skills.