DEF welcomes girls from a nearby school to learn about computers in the village of Chandauli. Photo: DEFMinority Cyber Gram Yojana is a national pilot programme implemented by the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF). The programme was launched with support from the Ministry of Minority Affairs of India in Chandauli, a village comprising 1,300 households in the state of Rajasthan. At the launch of the programme, 90% percent of the villagers in Chandauli had never seen a computer. A centre was set up to introduce them to the world of information and communication technology.
The programme has seen positive participation from people all over the village, especially girls. Within a span of three months, the village had 949 registered computer users. The centre is close to a government school, and many girls come to learn about computers in the centre after school hours. Women and girls are expanding their horizons and connecting with the rest of the world thanks to the centre. They are now using Facebook accounts, watching videos on YouTube and sending emails. Although the school has a computer laboratory, it has not been in use for a very long time. The school authorities are now planning to revamp their computer laboratory with help from DEF.