India is a diverse country with multiple cultures, traditions, languages and religions. We like to call ourselves an inclusive society, a society which looks beyond differences and is equal to all. However, we don’t take into account the differently-abled population. India is home to nearly 27 million differently abled people; they constitute 2.21% of the…
As the world is turning more digital every passing day, the problem of e-waste also increases. The increasing use of electronic devices and rapid development in these devices means there is more electronic waste lying outside the cities especially in the developing world. The number of new digital goods sold annually worldwide is over six billion, and it is increasing at a rapid pace.
Despite being considered a cornerstone of democracies, media, has also played an active role in stoking ethnic killings, and genocide. Indian media is mirroring behavioural patterns under the garb of freedom of speech by stoking hatred against minorities as evident in the recent past. This complex dilemma of freedom of speech and abuse of power needs to be addressed on a large platform like RightsCon to ideate solutions.
Osama Manzar travels by road through the coasts of Chirala in Andhra Pradesh and makes visits to several digital interventions of Digital Empowerment Foundation that are making a difference in the lives of weavers, village folks and fishermen of Chirala. Here is the diary…
Jakhopur or as DEF likes to say ‘Jakhopur Smart Village’ is a typical rural village in Rajasthan with narrow lanes that turn into narrower lanes that lead to people’s houses. I entered one such lane and was greeted by a cow and three goats. A couple was sitting with their two children and I approached…
Bhagyalata runs a SoochnaPreneuer centre (digital service centre) in Chinna Kondur. With one laptop, one printer and one biometric machine she serves the community by providing digital skills that would have been inaccessible to them. Most of the people in the village and some people from neighbouring villages as well visit the centre to apply…
Seema Devi a woman entrepreneur from Khunti, Jharkhand who is engaged in lacquer bangle business, designs attractive and colourful bangles and sells them in the nearby market and contributes to her family income. She lives with her husband and two children. The main source of income for the family is by farming. The COVID-19 pandemic…
“My brother thought I was making a children’s diaper” said Shreemati Devi, a digital entrepreneur involved in the production of Smartpads. Smartpad is a re-usable sanitary pad. As Shreemati explained the benefits of using it a group of young boys stood around us listening to her. However, as they realized what she was talking about…
Located about 50 kilometers from Lucknow, Saidanpur is nowhere close to the capital in terms of development and education. The entrance into the village is with the ruins of various havelis that are about 150 to 200 years old. DEF’s digital center is located in one such dilapidated but refurbished ruins of a haveli. Noori…
Schools in India have finally re-opened after a long break because of the COVID-19 pandemic. To fight the pandemic and the deep digital divide that has come about and become obvious because of it, DEF set up a digital literacy classroom, Digigyan in a government senior secondary school in Karnawas, Haryana. DEF’s team from Delhi…
