In the last years, one of our activities and programs in South India also supported the digital access for our local kindergarten teachers ( who work as informal health care workers in the tribal villages, too) and for our local NGO partners. Often it is difficult – especially for smaller NGOs – to finance their own team and even more to finance laptops, tablets or Internet flats. Programs and activities the NGOs – or even informal healthcare workers – run on the ground, are financed in many ways and of course also the project management behind – but what about empowering the skills of the NGO members, what about further professional education and about digital devices? And if NGOs do not have the right digital Know-how and lack of devices, how can they empower then communities in that direction? But isn’t digital access a basic needs today and shouldn’t it be available to all?

Often we have realized that lacking digital access means also less information and less exchange and therefore also hindering societal development.

That’s why under the umbrella of the Making More Health Initiative and with the support of employee engagement – we have run several basic digital trainings to use digital devices in the best way, we have supported people living at the poverty line and therefore unable to pay for Internet access – and have distributed several digital devices.

Now also our local NGO partner Vizzughutal can do more for scavenger communities

“On 17th January we were very happy to receive tablets. We gratefully received it. It will be very useful for our work and community. We also express our sincere gratitude and many thanks to you and MMH for providing tab to us,” said Chandra who is a program coordinator and beneficiary at Vizhuthugal.

Vizzughutal helps scavenger families in Coimbatore and surroundings to learn more about health and hygiene, but also human rights and environmental issues. Scavengers are responsible for collecting and disposing of refuse and garbage and therefore within the society a marginalized community, living in very poor conditions. Often the scavenger business is like a destiny – the children take it over from the parents. Poverty, marginalization, lack of skills and rights, the bad conditions, missing self confidence – and also missing digital access do not allow them to do differently.