Microsoft and Foundation of Goodness to increase digital literacy in Sri Lanka’s underserved communities

Source:Island

A joint initiative between Microsoft and Foundation of Goodness (FoG) will allow women in the underserved communities of Sri Lanka to increase their digital literacy and employability. FoG will help these women explore Microsoft’s curated digital skills resources from digital literacy courses to computer science tutorials in a bid to improve their productivity and earning power.

Over 800 women across 12 Village Heartbeat Empowerment Centres located islandwide as well as FoG’s flagship venue, the OYOB Centre of Excellence in Seenigama, are expected to benefit from this initiative. FoG’s Women’s Enterprise and Empowerment programs help women develop their fiscal strength by providing them with the necessary foundation and skills for employment. To help increase their digital literacy, FoG will incorporate Microsoft Digital Literacy courses into the program curricula.

“Often caught between family obligations and being independent, many women never have the chance to develop the necessary skills for employment,” said Rashmini de Silva, Chief Operating Officer, Foundation of Goodness. “This holds true for rural Sri Lankan women, who find themselves pigeonholed into being homemakers, pressured by family, society and cultural norms. Foundation of Goodness seeks to change this, by offering an array of empowerment courses, free of charge, to rural women.”

“We believe every person in Sri Lanka deserves the same access to opportunity,” said Hasitha Abeywardena, Country Manager, Microsoft Sri Lanka. “Technological advances now permeate every aspect of our lives. Employers expect their workforce to have the skills needed to live, work, and thrive in a digital society. So, when preparing pupils for the world of work, digital literacy is essential. We believe we can help create economic opportunity for every member of the Sri Lankan workforce by creating a skills-based approach to opportunity.”