Gicumbi District residents are thronging ICT centres seeking computer knowledge.

According to statistics from Rwanda Development Board’s Business Development Centre in the district, over 300 residents have been trained in ICT since last year.

A trainer at the district’s telecentre, Jean Aime Seruturo, acknowledged that residents are attending the two-month training in basic computer use.

"The rural people here now know the importance of ICT in their day to day lives, we are registering many more,” said Seruturo.

A beneficiary, Felix Maniraguha, 40, said his life now depends on what he learnt from the training.

"I now own an internet café in Kigali and I set it up after the ICT training. This was just like a dream to me, I never thought I would get access to a computer,” he said.

Another beneficiary, Robert Nkurunziza, who works as an ICT technician at a wheat factory, said: "I attribute all that I have achieved to the ICT knowledge I got from this tele-centre.”

For John Bosco Habiyandemye, a farmer, the knowledge he attained from the ICT training has helped him to access information on farming.

"I visit several farming sites looking for more knowledge on how to improve on my farming and this has paid off,” he said.

The acting Executive Secretary of Gicumbi District, Fidele Byiringiro, said more ICT centres in the district are needed to meet the growing demand.

"The government wants to have its population ICT literate, to attain this goal, more centres are needed,” Byiringiro pointed out.  

"There is only one telecentre in the district and it is always congested”.

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