The children were scared of computers at first

Kamal Prasad Sharma, aged 12, a student at Saraswati Secondary

School in a small village not far from Kathmandu, was afraid when he
saw a computer for the first time.

He didn't dare enter the room, thinking the computer would harm him.

"I was really scared when I saw the computer," he says.

"I didn't go near it. I was worried it might explode and kill me.

"It was only when the teacher called me saying it was harmless that I went into the room, but I still hesitated."

Things have changed now, he adds.

Games and fun

"I'm feeling much better. The E-library has helped with my studies.

"We can see the periodic table of science, and also maps and
other geography things in a pictorial way that is easy to understand.
It's not only that - we can also play games and have fun."

Kamal says his parents were very excited when he told them about the computer and came to watch the very next day.

It was not only Kamal. His computer teacher, Shankar Prajapati, says all the pupils were afraid.

"They all worried they would catch some virus and fall ill or even die. But now they are familiar with computers," he says.

"Even we teachers are gaining knowledge from the E-library. It's really helpful for us, too.

"The students can see science experiments carried out on screen and search for whatever they want in the encyclopaedia."

E-libraries use audio, video and text technology. Their digital
"books" cover various topics of the school syllabus, ranging from
social science to literature and from mathematics to science.

Computer awareness

The E-library concept was initiated by Help Nepal Network (HeNN), a non-governmental organisation.

Its goals are to provide literacy and awareness about the use of
computer and information technology, and to set up one E-library in
each of Nepal's 75 districts, which range from the high Himalayas to
the hot plains.

The Help Nepal Network hopes to reach all 75 districts in time

Much of the country is remote and accessible only on
foot, and many of its people have never glimpsed a computer, let alone
touched one.

Working with other organisations, including Save the
Children-Norway, HeNN is setting up the libraries with the use of what
is called the Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP).

This is a free and open-source (accessible to everyone) package
which connects one powerful central server in the school, using the
Linux operating system, to a number of diskless low-end computers. When
linked to the server, each computer receives a full Linux desktop.

LTSP is seen as a cost-effective, power-saving and durable
technology, not only in schools but also in other sectors. What's more,
it is also virtually free of tampering and computer viruses - and the
Linux software developed by Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya, a charitable
educational library based in Kathmandu, is being provided free of cost.

And its appeal is growing. In front of the little shops on the
rough village streets, men gather to play cards and drink tea. But even
they have developed a fascination for the computer. So the school has
arranged some computer classes for them, too.

"It's really useful for us to get to know about this technology
which we didn't see when we were younger," says Sahakul Puri, a
35-year-old farmer.

"Getting to learn and know about it is a great opportunity for
our children. I can't afford to send my child to computer classes an
hour's drive from here. So we're grateful for this project."

Of the books scanned in the E-library, one of the most popular among the villagers is called "where there is no doctor".

It is like a first-aid manual, giving the information necessary
for the treatment of wounds or illnesses – including traditional
remedies such as chewing burnt ginger or brewing ginger soup with honey
for a cough.

The school has even attracted lots of villagers to its campaign known as "Leave Your Playing Cards - Learn Computers".

Reaching remote areas

I also visited a much more remote school where the E-library
project has just been set up. Villagers and students carried the
computers up and down the steep hills and valleys to the Shree Koldung
Devi secondary school, nearly two hours' walk from the main road.

Before this, anyone wanting access to computers or sizeable
shops would have to walk two hours and drive two more, so the system
has proved highly significant for local pupils. Most of the places
where E-libraries have been set up so far are in the hills.

Sudarshan Shrestha, information and marketing director for Save
the Children-Norway, says the system has been very helpful but notes
that there are challenges.

He says students tend to get only about two hours' access per
week "because there are not more than 10 computers for several hundred
students".

For the library, Save The Children-Norway has developed
awareness materials on subjects such as children's rights and child
abuses.

Roshendra Dhoj Khadka of Help Nepal Network is very optimistic about the E-library project.

"I believe this information and communication technology project
is essential. It may not be a basic requirement, but it's a tool to
uplift the health and education sectors. And we're taking it forward. I
hope we'll be able to cover all 75 districts some day."

So far it has reached six.