Bengaluru, 17^th August 2022:  Digitisation has become a necessity in today’s world to accomplish day-today activities, while offering a better future and better access to learning. Keeping this in mind, SOS Children’s Villages India, the largest self-implementing childcare NGO of the country, has set-up a Digital Village at Kannur, Bengaluru to impart digital literacy skills to children, youth, and caregivers.

Dr. Shivakumar Nagaranavile, State President, Karnataka Press Club Council, Bangalore expressed, “I seen the work by SOS Children’s Village India since many years, and have great respect for the same. The Digital Village is a very important and essential initiative, since it will create awareness among children and caregivers. Besides this, it is a great opportunity to train youth with digital skills that will ensure productive employment.”

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Sumanta Kar, Secretary General, SOS Children’s Villages India, said: “Digital literacy is very important in today’s time and age, and this has become even more clear post the pandemic. In fact, digital education helped sustain the continuum of education in the challenging times the pandemic had brought forth. So, whether it is children, youth, caregivers or co-workers, training in IT skills is imperative. This is what we aim to do through this Digital Village set-up in Kannur, Bangalore.”

Digital literacy programmes will be initiated in Kannur, as a part of the Digital Village, which aims at providing digital literacy skills to minimum 240 children and youth, and 600 caregivers from the community, whose digital literacy skills be honed over a period of a year. Apart from digital literacy skills, the Digital Village will also b empowered with English communication and social skills aimed at enhancing capacities of children and youth. The Digital Village is equipped with computers, internet facility and well-structured digital skills courses.

Most of the families in the concerned village are engaged in low paying jobs, in nearby factories, and in domestic work. Through the Family Strengthening Programme of SOS Children’s Villages implemented in Bangalore, caregivers are empowered so that they can ensure wholesome development of children, and thereby minimise child abandonment. At present, 1040 children and 658 families from Kannur Gram Panchayat and nearby areas are being supported under the programme.

“I am very happy about the Digital Village being set-up near my house. For the first time, I will attend computer classes. I am so excited that I will make a drawing on a computer, among other things that I will get to learn. My mom also informed that I will be getting a certificate, if I complete the course and attend regular classes”, says Sindrela, a member of the Bal panchayat, Byarathi Bande, Kannur, Bangalore.