Human trafficking: Microsoft gives Rs 2.2 cr to CAP

Bangalore, May 31: Microsoft Corporation India Pvt Ltd today announced a grant of about Rs 2.2 crore to CAP (Child and Police project), a Hyderabad-based NGO, to provide IT skills training to victims of human trafficking as well as vulnerable communities under its Project Jyoti programme.

CAP, along with Delhi-based Prayas and other NGO partners, would engage with these communities to set up a network of 95 Community Technology Learning Centres (CTLCs) across key urban and semi-urban centres in the country, besides strategic locations in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Vietnam, a company release here said.

Through this programme, Microsoft aimed at extending the benefits of IT to 38,590 people over the next three years. Additionally with support from the QUEST Alliance, CAP's well-proven life skills training curriculum would be digitised to ensure wider distribution.

Training would also be provided to cyber cafe owners to ensure online safety of children and safe internet usage, the release said.

Elaborating on the partnership, Microsoft Managing Director Neelam Dhawan said ''At Microsoft, we are committed to extend the benefits of technology to the grassroot level and thereby help build a digitally inclusive India. Our special focus is on the underserved vast majority which risks being on the fringes in terms of IT access...We are confident this skills enhancement will be vital in equipping these individuals to explore sustainable livelihood options.'' CAP Chairperson Nalini Gangadharan said ''At CAP, we strongly believe that economic development and providing the right avenues for employment can help in reducing the risk of human trafficking.

The Government and voluntary organisations alone cannot provide such opportunities to the underserved sections of the community. It is excellent that companies like Microsoft are coming forward to provide such avenues for growth and development.'' The CAP project, which would begin to roll out in India from June, was part of a larger regional initiative wherein Microsoft was giving out grants to NGOs to combat human trafficking across six countries in Asia, namely Indonesia, Cambodia, Philippines, Thailand and Singapore, besides India. Designed to enhance local and international efforts to end trafficking in persons, the initiative worked in conjunction with governmental, NGO and other corporate partners and included support for awareness, prevention, enforcement and re-integration programmes, the release added.

UNI