The Sri Lanka Telecentre (Nenasala) Project, a cornerstone of the national e-Sri Lanka Initiative, was a significant national endeavor that ran from 2004 to 2016. Its primary goal was to bridge the digital divide and empower rural communities that were isolated from the benefits of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

The project established a network of community-based ICT centers, known as Nenasalas (Wisdom Outlets), strategically located across rural areas in the South, North, and East of Sri Lanka. The scope involved setting up 1,000 of these telecentres, equipping them with essential infrastructure like computers, high-speed internet, printers, and other tools to provide affordable community access.

The main objective was to use these centers as hubs for personal and professional development, specifically targeting underserved groups such as farmers, students, women, youth, and small business owners. By offering training programs and a conducive learning environment, the project successfully improved ICT literacy and led to increased adoption of digital technologies like computers and the internet within these communities.

While advanced services like e-commerce and e-banking saw limited use, the Nenasala Project successfully laid a crucial foundation for digital inclusion. It demonstrated the community’s recognition of ICT’s value and created a platform for poverty reduction, social and economic development, and peace-building in rural Sri Lanka.