By Geetanjali | Manager
Dear friends,
Greetings from IDEA!
We are so grateful for your continued contribution to this project! Because of your contribution, we could conduct digital literacy classes for hundreds of underprivileged girls in India. In these classes, girls who had not even seen a computer have learned basics of computer, they have learned how to use applications like MS Word, MS Paint etc. They have been taught how to use the internet, how to search for information on the internet, they have also learned how to operate a smartphone, make video calls, and pay bills online.
Due to the spread of Coronavirus in March, we had to stop our field operations and regular digital literacy classes as the lockdown was announced in the country. Since we run many educational and skilling initiatives at different locations in India, we were a little apprehensive about how these initiatives would translate if we took them online. But our digital literacy class girls surprised us!
We began by connecting to them through WhatsApp. Our digital literacy instructors shared many small tutorials on the group. How to create email accounts – step by step guide, How to make a video call, how to connect to a group through video conferring and conference-calls, how to shoot and save videos etc. These tutorials were designed keeping in mind the need for these skills during the lockdown.
The girls were really happy to learn these skills as they proved to be very handy during this isolation period. They were happy to send us screenshots of their video conferences and conference calls. Some ladies from the digital literacy class are also students of our Home chefs cooking and catering course. These ladies went a step further and combined the learnings of the two courses!
Their instructor suggested that since they are also such good cooks, we should hold a cooking competition online in which all participants shot videos of them preparing the dish and then uploaded on the group. A Poll was conducted and the best dish prizes were announced. Even though one couldn’t taste the dishes, this activity - a combination of culinary and digital skills - was enjoyed by all.
Young girls from the digital literacy class are making awareness videos and photo collages while many girls are using their free time searching for information and learning from videos. Since they can even pay bills online, the girls are very happy that they got an opportunity to learn these very important digital skills in time before the lockdown.
Friends, help us provide many such online tutorials for the girls! PLEASE DONATE TO THIS PROJECT!
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