Computer Training & Digital Literacy - a Path to a Brighter Future
Sitamaya comes from a family where men are the providers and decision makers. When her father died suddenly just after she graduated high school, it felt like a nightmare as he was her biggest champion. He had been the only breadwinner of the family and his demise made the family financially unstable. Anjali, her mother and brother were taken under the wings of her uncle. They had to depend on their uncle for every need and defer to his decisions as their mother was not financially independent. This change came in with many restrictions for Anjali. The uncle began talking about getting her ‘married off’ but she wanted to pursue her career in Accountancy. After constant persuasion, Sitamaya was allowed to complete college, but she knew that it would not be enough for her to get a job that would enable her to support herself and her mother.
Sitamaya decided to join our Computer training program. After completing the course, she got selected for Bongujj Traders LLP – a BPO with headquarters in New Zealand. Still, she was not allowed by her uncle to do the night shift, which the company offered. She was heartbroken but didn’t want to lose this opportunity. She had to negotiate her way with her uncle and the company but she prevailed. Now Sitamaya is doing an early morning shift and preparing herself for Chartered Accountant exams. We salute her fighting spirit which inspires every girl in her community.
Nalini cannot remember a time when sexual violence was not a part of her life. She grew up in a red light area, and her mother and older sisters were trafficked. Due to the chaos and, often, violence of her home life, Shanti did not regularly attend school. She left school for good at age 9, and by age 13, she was being exploited on the streets alongside her mother and sisters. When she began coming to our Center, Nalini was always in motion. She felt deeply uncomfortable in her own body, and needed to be in constant motion to keep her anxiety at bay.
Nalini joined the bakery training program, and with the stipend and confidence she got from that, she was able to stop seeing customers in the brothels. When shei had the opportunity to take basic computer classes, she jumped at the chance. She attended every class and applied herself enthusiastically. She discovered that she was an unusually fast learner. The powers of observation and mental flexibility that helped her survive as a small child growing up in a dangerous environment, gave her an advantage in learning new digital skills.. She also began taking out children’s books from the library. Now Nalini is able to use a computer, and is reading and writing for the first time. Shanti says that before joining this program, she had never been treated with kindness and respect. In the program, for the first time in her life, her birthday was celebrated. She was moved to tears by the experience, for it was the first time she believed that she had value as a person, worthy to be celebrated. After the training, Nalini got a job at a social purpose catering business.
Sitamaya and Shanila are recent graduates of HFC’s computer training programs, which are proving to be some of the most successful and popular offerings at our Resource Centers in Kolkata.
The data we collected last year on the computer courses showed promising results:
- 89% of the students who completed the training and were eligible to work (not in full time college), were able to increase their earnings, either through a job or through self employment.
- A high percentage of trainees showed significant improvements in Life Skills (91%), Financial Literacy (76%), and Social-Emotional Wellness (84%).
- 94% of trainees completed the course
Program Details:
Our computer training programs are operated in partnership with Uddami India Foundation. The six month, full time course includes Job- Oriented Computer Applications (Microsoft Office, Google and Adobe tools), Touch Typing, Spoken English, and Life Skills Training.
The curriculum is designed to meet the demand of the local job market and to match the skills and background of the students. Additional English language training is offered by Tanya —– through our Felix Fellowship. For women and girls who do not have the education necessary for the intensive course, we offer basic digital literacy courses.
Partners:
Her Future has been working alongside Uddami India Foundation since 2008, when they were teaching computers to children in the Kidderpore red light district, at a center where we also worked. During the pandemic, Uddami reached out to ask for support for their computer training programs in South Kolkata. We partnered with them on that and then invited them to set up a new location in our Learning Center. Together we are offering full time training to over 100 women and youth, and leadership training and basic digital literacy to another 100 girls.
We are so thankful to the Guru Krupa Foundation for partnering for the third year to support our computer training programs in Kolkata. Their support was instrumental in getting the program up and running in our Learning Center, and to purchase the equipment. Guru Krupa Foundation’s philosophy and guiding principles are: to help those less fortunate, to support causes related to the acquisition of knowledge, and to preserve the heritage and knowledge that has already been acquired. This philosophy is perfectly aligned with our goals and vision for IT training for survivors and vulnerable girls in Kolkata.