Kanpur: Youth road show

Under the regional activity of the WSIS YC, the Indian campaign toward awareness generation among the youth on the importance of ICTs was held first in Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) on 8th November 2005. Datamation staff were able to mobilize about 250 participants for the event. These participants were in the age group of 16-30 yrs., a mix of both boys and girls. Under the event a rally started at about 9:30 a.m from Datamation’s ICT center at ‘Rail Bazaar’ and went till its other ICT center at Bas Mandi which is about 3 kms. away from the first one. From Bas Mandi the bus went to Bithur (where another ICT center of Datamation is functioning), which is about 20 kms. away. Bithur was the final destination where in a park all the youth (participants) gathered and were sensitized by Datamation’s ICT experts about the importance of computers and the role they could play in the income generation of the participants. A bus was hired for this purpose and banners and posters were put up for awareness generation. On the way, posters and handouts were distributed in large numbers. In Bithur our research team visited lot of shops and homes to give away these posters and hand outs. A gathering of about 250 youth at the final destination Bithur, was only reflective of the fact that the youth are interested in learning and learning specially from computers. Most of them showed keen interest in joining our ICT center. As these people were also familiarized with various CD based modules on vocational and life skills, these people showed keen interest in learning from these and trying to use them for income generation purpose. Lunch was organized for the participants at Bithur. The rally came to a close at about 7:00 p.m. The will and determination on the faces of these youth highlighted that the rally was successful in making these people aware of the potential of ICTs.