Digital Empowerment And Women In The Jungle

My vision for 2017 is empowering the women from country side. The city girls are very close to the latest technologies. I don’t think it’s hidden from them.

In my city, a number of younger women are engaging in the construction sector. They are not owners of the huge construction, but daily laborers. They carry mortar, bricks, stones or a bag of cement to the builders. Carrying big loads is not good for a woman. I don’t like carrying even small bags, let alone stone and cement. When I go work, I carry my lunch box, umbrella my cell phones and wallets. You never know how fast I walk to work, just to dump my bag on the shelf.

Those girls who work on construction are from rural areas. They immigrate to the capital city to be a house girl. When they get tired of working in the house, they become daily laborers. There are more dangers when you work around constructions. Anything can hit you, or you can fall from a floor.

To make these women or girls productive, or to help them earn their living another way, digital empowerment is the best option.

When we come to learn digital skills, most of the time, we have to read and understand English. These women are English illiterates. I’ve a computer; some of them can have mobile phones. I can start giving them training anytime after I do some lobbying. Anyone is willing to see changes in her life.

Before we start teaching computer skills, we should give English classes. Girls are immigrating to try the city life. Some gets rape and end up in being single mother. If they’ve relatives who’ll take care of the child in the up country, they keep the kid there and come back for a second chance. Some of them marry a man with law life and suffer in their marriages. The man will treat the wife until she gives birth. The cry of the baby, the smell of the urine, the business of his wife with the child makes the man to be busy outdoor. He will come drunk. He refused to give money to the wife then they start arguing. Some divorce, and the child will be left to the mother. The women I plan to support have very complicated lives. I’ve to give classes to prepare them for a change.

I can imagine that, there are many countries who share this idea. If we go to any country in the jungle, we meet people who can’t speak English. I went to Cairo years ago and it’s difficult to find a person who speaks English. I went with some families, and we’re close to Suez Canal, there’s a see behind the house. I asked everyone,” What’s the name of the sea?” There was nobody who would tell me. I guess it’s Red sea, but I still don’t know. If one of our Egyptian sisters wants to bring the change there, how can she communicate with World Pulse?

Let’s say we teach them English. From where are we getting the digital tools? In my country, 85-95% of the population is living in farming. They’re far from the city lives. They can’t get formal education unless they move to the nearby towns. How can we reach many people in these kinds of situations?

If we go to their communities, and give them trainings, we can stop the immigration from rural to urban. The girls are safe if they stay with their people. When I think of digital empowerment, there are a lot of works we should do. The journey is not simple as we’re writing stories and posting it. I want to train these women in dress making, leather bags, beads, …etc. I can give them materials to start small business. I want them to sell their products online. Where are the digital tools, computers, internet, net works in the rural areas?

Are we going to discuss the issues with the government? We must see things. We should know where to begin first. Language class, computers, mobile phones…it depends on the country, or the capacity of the women we plan to train.

Tell me how you see it? Tell me where to begin…

How to Get Involved

Lending a hand to support the project:

teaching English

Introducing them to digital tools

Volunteering or supporting them materially or giving anything you can offer