The Indian government on Thursday launched the Pan-African e- Network project which will serve as an extended support for African Union (AU) States.

The launck took place at Kigali Institute of Education (K.I.E) in Kimironko in the presence of the Indian Ambassador to Rwanda Mr. Niraj Srivastava, and the Minister of Education, Daphrose Gahakwa.

The Pan-African e-Network project provides citizens with adequate Educational facilities and affordable healthcare, which are the two prominent challenges encountered by many developing countries.

India will fully finance the establishment of three centres for all AU States including; a learning centre for tele- education, patient- end for tele-medicine and VVIP centre which is a private communication network for all Heads of state.

Gahakwa  said that the Government of Rwanda signed up to be part of the Pan-African e-Network project and a team from Telecommunications Consultants India Limited(TCIL) travelled to Kigali to start the project in May 2008.

"The three project sites have been established in Rwanda. Telemedicine will be taken to King Faysal Hospital (KFH), tele-education at (KIE) and VVIP at the office of the President” said Gahakwa.

The IT installation at all the three sites has been completed; the classroom at KIE has been prepared but for the patient –end at KFH,the medical equipment is not yet in place pending completion of construction works.

She said that one engineer from India has arrived and will stay in Rwanda for one year to train local personnel, and ensure transfer of know-how in the maintenance and support for the system.

"This engineer will work with RITA/RDB staff and one staff from new Artel and technical personnel from the various host institutions for transfer of knowledge”, Gahakwa added.

She thanked the Indian Ambassador and praised cooperation between India to Rwanda in the field of teaching, commerce and industry.

Ambassador Srivastava said that the basic objective of the Pan-African e-Network project is to help Africa in capacity building by imparting quality education from some of the best Indian educational institutions.

"It will provide tele-medicine services by way of on line medicine consultation to the medical practitioners in the patient-end locations, from Indian medical specialists and other services provided by the Indian Universities to the participating countries in different courses; Post- graduate, under-graduate, certificate and diploma courses selected by the AU” said Srivastava.

10,000 students in Africa will be trained in the courses over a period of five years.

"This project was funded by the Government of India and the budgeted cost is 5429 million Rupees, equivalent to over US $125 million. It will be implemented in a phased manner in all 53 African nations over 18 months”, Srivastava added.

Of the 53 member states of the AU, 33 have signed up for the Pan-African e- Network.

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