Ambedkar Community Computing Center (AC3) is a centre set up in the slum area of Sudharshan Layout by members of Ambedkar Youth Sanga, Stree Jagruthi Samithi (a women’s organization fighting for women’s rights and child rights, for increasing the wages of house maids, et cetra), volunteers from AID (Association for India’s Development) and by volunteers of the free software movement.

Mani, a student at the Ambedkar computer centre

More information on AC3 can be found here.

The idea of setting up the centre was to equip the children in the nearby areas with the basic computer skills, using quality software which is available at low cost and which is shareable. The center uses Free Software tools on GNU/Linux to teach and impart computer knowledge to children. The effort is now showing results and the children have shown enormous improvement.

Mani’s creation using GIMP

One of the children, Mani, a 9th standard student, has created beautiful art using the Free Software tool "GIMP". His pictures got a huge response from the exhibition conducted during the Free Software National Conference held in Cochin, this November.

Richard M. Stallman who is the founder of the Free Software Foundation will be visiting Bangalore after taking part in the Free Software International Conference in Kerala. Amazed by Mani’s picture art, Stallman agreed to visit AC3 and interact with the children for a few minutes.

Stallman’s visit to the centre is scheduled for Saturday, 13th December 2008. He will inaugurate Mani’s painting exhibition and will release a book written by the children of AC3 based on their experiences at the Centre. For more information, please visit this link.

Time : 2.30 PM, Saturday, 13th December 2008.
Venue : Sudharshan Layout, Behind IBM, Bannerghatta Road
Contact: Senthil Sundaram at +91 99002 62828

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