Telecentre Users as Mediators of Empowerment of Rural Communities in Malawi

For over three decades telecentres have been promoted as a means of reducing digital exclusion. However, their relevance is inconclusive. In this paper we investigate how telecentre users empower rural communities in Malawi. We adopt a qualitative approach and report preliminary findings from users and indirect beneficiaries of one telecentre. The findings indicate that empowerment effects of telecentres go beyond users. Specifically, when users use the telecentres, they get empowered and, eventually, empower other community members by, for example, teaching ICT, sharing knowledge, and raising awareness of problems and providing solutions within communities, thus generating collective empowerment. The study further indicates that community empowerment is influenced by such factors as social connections, self-growth, and beneficiaries' willingness to receive help. However, empowerment was also beset with a series of constraints such as limited resources.