Digital Literacy Course for Women and Adolescent Girls in Bundelkhand Region

Bundelkhand region in India is known to be one of the most backward regions of the country. The female literacy rate is only 48% in rural areas. The lack of infrastructure has affected the quality of education. Computer literacy, a vital tool for today’s world, is also scarcely available to students. 

Adolescent girls and women in the region want to seek employment to be financially independent. The lack of computer skills has made it difficult for them to fill out online applications, give online examinations, or take up jobs outside the agricultural sector. 

In 2015, Sahjani Shiksha Kendra came across the issue and decided to address it by introducing a 6-month digital literacy program for adolescent girls and women who have completed their middle-school education (Class 8). The participants are chosen based on their performance in a pre-test to determine their ability to grasp the technical details of the computer. 

This computer course is designed to be :

●    Time duration: 6 months, 6 days a week, 2 hours/day

●    Batches: 4 / day

●    Batch size: Up to 6 girls/batch

●    Content: Basics including Typing, Microsoft Office, billing software and the internet. 

Through this 6-month course, based on their level, they are awarded a certificate in ‘Course on Computer Concepts (CCC)’ or a Diploma in Computer Applications (DCA). 

Sahjani Shiksha Kendra wants to expand this program to 100 women from rural communities. . To do so, the organization wants to raise funds to: 

●    Provide necessary infrastructure - four computer systems are required, costing Rs.25,000 each

●    Provide a free digital literacy program for 100 women - Cost of the 6-month digital literacy program is Rs. 2000/participant. This includes the 6-month DCA course along with all reading materials.

The program has been functioning effectively since its inception in 2015. In the last 1 year, through the digital literacy program, the organization has achieved the following: 

●    48 women have completed the 6-month digital literacy training program.

●    About 60% of them have found jobs as school computer teachers, clerical / billing jobs in local gas agencies, supermarkets, pharmacies, etc with an average income of Rs.4500/month

●    Among the 48 women who completed the digital literacy program, 21 of them did the course free of cost due to their financial position. 

The organization aims to continue creating impact by empowering more women and adolescent girls. Meena and her team believe that it is through skill training and employment, a chance to be financially independent is sought. Confidence and the ability to make decisions are added bonuses.