Salvadoran Cybercafe Connects People, Provides Information & Training Services

La Coordinadora's Mangrove Cybercafe, set up in San Nicolás in August of 2004, allows hundreds of community members to access the internet for the first time. Lisandro Hernándrez, a young farmer and community leader, works as a service assistant at the cybercafe.

Are you married? Do you have children?

I'm single.

Why did you choose to participate in this project, and when did you do it?

I've been working on the cybercafe since its inception, about four months ago. I chose to participate in this project because I've always wanted to learn something different. Now, through the cybercafe, I can help people; people who know nothing about the Internet and computers. Through training and meetings, I've learned what I need to run the cybercafe and to teach other people how to use the internet. When I learn something in my life, I like to share it with others.

How does the cybercafe work? And what services does it offer?

We have two people who manage the cybercafe every day. One assigns visitors to a computer and keeps track of the time that each one spends web surfing and how much it will cost. The other person assists and helps visitors who need help with the computer. Five people currently make up the team that works for the cybercafe. The goal is to always have someone at the cybercafe during its hours of operation, which are 8am to 5pm (without closing during lunch time) from Monday to Saturday. All of the workers have been trained to run the cybercafe, and we started the project with the help of Gary, a volunteer.

The cybercafe's workers have different responsibilities; for instance, one worker coordinates the group in general (Chepe); someone else sells the candies; another one creates the marketing strategy and publicity; also someone takes care of fund administration; and also one coordinates the logistics of each working day (we rotate this last task). The entire group takes care of general maintenance of the place. If a major computer problem occurs, Chepe, the supervisor, fixes it since he knows the most about repairs. The group meets on Fridays to talk about the different issues that have come up during the week and how we can solve them. We ask Chepe for advice.

Who uses the cybercafe and how important is it for the communities?

Visitors to the cybercafe range from 10 to 35 years old. Between 5 and 15 people visit daily. We have had some problems with the satellite and that has caused some people to leave, but we hope to solve the problem soon so we can provide better service.The community benefits from the cybercafe because students can do assignments using the Internet. In fact, thanks to an informal survey, we realized the impact it has on students from different schools. Students who need to do their homework, or type an assignment on the computer use the cybercafe.

Many people visit to communicate with relatives in the United States because the Internet represents a fast, easy and cheap way to communicate when compared to using regular mail or making a phone call. People who need information also come to the cybercafe. It is important to note that Mangrove Cybercafe is the closest cybercafe to San Nicolás, and that it is open to the public. Jiquilisco and Zacatecoluca have cybercafes but these places are 20 minutes away from San Nicolás. Some people who come to the cybercafe spend 2 or even 3 hours on the Internet. Some chat with or write to their relatives and others do research for their school assignments.

What has the cybercafe achieved since it opened?

We have a plan for basic and advanced computer and Internet courses. This proposal will be presented to schools and cooperatives. We expect to charge $50 for the 160-hour course. In the next meeting we will decide who will be in charge of advertising the courses. These classes will be facilitated by all the members of the cybercafe working group on a rotating schedule. Each member will prepare and facilitate a topic, which will provide us with teaching experience.

Would you like to add any comments or share an experience about your work or the project?

I have realized the strong impact that online communication has had. For instance, on one occasion a young person came to chat through Instant Messenger and while he surfed he bumped into a friend from Spain with whom he had lost contact and didn't know how to look for her. He was so happy that he set up an appointment with his friend so they could meet to chat in the future but this time also using the web camera, which allows the users to see each other.

Since the web camera is relatively new, many people remain unaware of this service, which is very useful for people who have not seen their relatives and friends in a long time. Once this service becomes more widely known, I think many people will want to use it since they'll want to communicate with the many people who have migrated to the United States and have not been able to come back. I believe any of these people would be willing to pay for one or two or three hours to see a loved one that they have not seen in a while. The $1.00/hour web surfing charge includes the web camera service.