The Bus Station
Enter the main bus terminal on the outskirts of town. It is a busy station, but not overwhelmingly crowded or noisy. The amic@ is located above the main floor, away from the hub of activity below but still close enough for convenient access. The amic@ itself is small; the computers stand side by side against one wall, and a large window lets in plenty of light and fresh air. Most of the visitors are young people who, at any given time, are at the computers exploring the internet, doing math exercises on CD-ROM, or chatting with friends around the world. A facilitator works nearby, ready to answer questions, offer assistance, or provide group training.

This amic@ also attracts the attention of the children at CalleEscuela, an informal school and shelter for street children located around the corner. On one occasion, a group of 10- to 12-year-old boys and girls who sell sundries and shine shoes in the bus station visited the amic@, where they were introduced to the World Wide Web. After about an hour of “surfing,” they held a cyberconference with Asunción Mayor Martín Burt using Netmeeting software. An exclusive chat channel was opened simultaneously, where messages and questions were posted. Focusing on issues of public concern, the hour-long conference included discussions of city-wide preparations for the impact of El Niño, traffic problems, municipal projects and plans for additional amic@s. The children were excited to be speaking to the city’s top officials, though when he asked whom they would like to videoconference with in the future, the unanimous reply was Chilavert, Paraguay’s top soccer player. read more..