The Second Gyanmela (Knowledge Fair) took over through enthusiasm and spontaneous participation in Sreefoltola, a remote village at the Southern part of Bangladesh, where in altogether twelve schools from various villages of Rampal participated through puting up stalls that could successfully uphold their knowledge and skill in using the ICTs.
The Fair was organized on January 20-21, 2006 by Amader Gram ICT4D Project in Sreefoltola village under Rampal Upzila (sub-district) of Bagerhat district. Dr. Dora Rapold, the Ambassador of Switzerland in Bangladesh, inaugurated the Fair as Chief Guest. Amader Gram project stall could draw the attention of the most by showing how the schools can be brought under a wireless network. A demonstration was made by a student of tenth grade, to show how the schools under the inter-school wireless network would be able to share/exchange of various information such as their lesson plan, result, success as well as the students' opportunity to communicating regarding their studies, a web based project named e-Village Rampal was also exhibited in this stall. Besides local schools, some NGOs and Government institutions participated. The competition events included Math Test, Chess, Keram, painting, music, dance, poetry recitation where the students of various schools of the area took part. The fair was kept open from 10 am to 5 pm for both the days. The uniqueness of the knowledge fair lies with the vendors who participate with the source of the knowledge that also exhibits the power of technology that helps to fight poverty and achieve development. Here technology blended well with the simple and fun full components of the local fair as the vendors were the inhabitants where the hurdles of illiteracy, gender, veil or poverty was not a bar at all.
