Joda (Odisha): In the pandemic era, the world is gradually taking to digital platforms. And, all kind of meetings, seminars, conferences and other kind of gatherings are taking place digitally. To ensure that women from tribal areas match up to the digital world, the Joda unit of Tata Steel Foundation have started an initiative to train women on accessing internet in their smartphones.
Workshops on learning digital literacy are being conducted in small groups for women on Khondbond area. Few selected women are chosen who in turn teach the nuances to other women in their areas. Groups are divided in hamlet to ensure maximum reach. A WhatsApp groups has also been created to keep them updated and answer queries as and when required. This initiative aims to help them attend various kind of meetings, workshop, trainings and others for learning new things and enhance their skillset.
In first phase, 100 women platform have been targeted and the aim is to reach out to every household in the area.
Basanti Munda from Khondbond who attended one of the sessions, said, “I am very happy to learn new technology now through digital video conferencing so that I can keep in touch with her distant family and school friends, before she was only able to talk to them but now, she can see them and have lot of fun through video conferencing.”
Padmini Naik is from Khondbond she said learning digital Video conferencing help them for safe discussion staying at home and can attend meeting without disturbing their daily household activities at covid period. Through video conferencing she would get lot of opportunities like connecting to different SHG members and also share the knowledge and how other SHG groups could learn various activities for growth. “I even made friends from different area through video conferencing,” she said.
This training will empower women with access to the infinite platform of information readily available over internet. It will also teach them about the various apps that are extremely useful and provide various facilities on the user’s fingertips.
Under this training, importance on productive ways of using smartphones for accessing various search engines, YouTube, social media will also be given for a better understating of internet. This training will empower women with access to the infinite plethora of information readily available over internet. It will also teach them about the various apps that are extremely useful and provide various facilities on the user’s fingertips. Training on using Arogya Setu and doing online transactions will also be provided.
