Microsoft ‘Innovation for Impact’ empowers Sri Lankan Non-Profits
View(s):Microsoft Sri Lanka under a YouthSpark grant together with World Bank and Fusion, the ICT arm of Sarvodaya, conducted ‘Innovation for Impact’, a 2-day workshop designed to educate and provide ICT solutions to improve the local NGO sector with skills that will touch the lives of rural youth.
The workshop which brought together representatives from 23 non-profit organisations (NGOs) from across the island, was held with the intention of educating and building awareness amongst them on the importance and proper use of ICT and how it can enhance their community projects thus being able to train and reach youth with IT skills, Microsoft said in a media release.
All of the NGOs were involved in projects that concentrated mainly on the empowerment of women which was a key focus area of the workshop.
Rolande Pryce, Operations Advisor – World Bank Sri Lanka and the Maldives, said Sri Lanka has made some strides to improve access to Information Communications Technologies (ICT), creating opportunities for development.
However, she says that much more remains to be done. While successful on several development indicators, Sri Lanka is ranked 20th in the labour force participation gender gap. This is a significant challenge to the country’s goals for growth and equity.
Microsoft which works with a number of NGOs to improve the quality of life amongst Sri Lanka’s rural communities has had an ongoing partnership with both the World Bank and Sarvodaya Fusion.