BIS # 1020 EMPOWERMENT THROUGH COMPUTER LITERACY

Janet D’Souza

WADALA, JULY 16, 2008: July 14, 2008, marked an important date in the social outreach programme of Dolours Centre for Empowerment (DCE), Wadala, when 20 marginalized youth - both girls and boys from the neighbourhood bastis, knowing little or no English and most never having touched a computer before - got started on a Basic Computer Course. The classes will be held for two hours every evening, five days a week, for the next three months, in the St. Joseph’s High School Computer Lab. Two computer teachers, Ms. Heena Khan and Ms. Dilnawaz Mehta, have volunteered their services for this project. Speaking to the group during the inaugural session, Mr. Sam Francis of the DCE Core Team said that India is known the world over for its computer prowess but unfortunately a huge percentage of our population continues to be computer illiterate. While young people adept with computer skills are assured of good careers, those on the wrong side of the digital divide have to struggle to find employment since computer literacy has become a clinching factor in the job market today. The computer course initiative of the DCE aims at addressing this problem. Mr. Sam assured the students that by the end of three months they would be endowed both, with sufficient computer knowledge as well as the required self confidence to manage a computer related job. The recently established DCE is already making its presence felt in the neighbourhood through its out-reach programmes. This course that aims at helping poor and disadvantaged youth become computer savvy is definitely another right step towards empowering the marginalized people in the neighbourhood.