Adolph Furtado sdb
KURLA, JUNE 13, 2008: It may seem like an ordinary announcement to state that 17 women recently became adept at working with computers. But the women are residents of Mumbai’s poorest tenements and have had no prior exposure, experience, or even education, before they became so computer savvy. Their determination to rise above their ranks, and their resulting empowerment, marks this as an extraordinary achievement. The Don Bosco Institute of Technology (DBIT) is so intent on addressing marginalized sections of society, that when a women’s self-help group expressed interest in their computer classes, they made it easily available. More importantly, they encouraged and supported their students to continue until they were certified. The fact that all 17 of them completed the course, and that there are numerous other women waiting to enrol in future batches, signifies a small but significant accomplishment. The students plan to use their new skills in making pitches and presentations, writing reports, and planning other activities. The certification programme was attended by Assistant Commissioner A. Khoje and Community Development Officer Mrs. Shubha Benurwar from the Bombay Municipal Corporation (BMC), as well as senior executives, educators, and priests from the institute. The programme was coordinated by Mr. Royal D’Souza, out reach programme officer.