MANSEHRA: The Sungi Development Foundation with the financial assistance of Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) has established two digital hubs in remote union council of Balakot to impart online education to the local people and provide other services to them.

“Now youth, sitting in such remote area, can apply online for jobs not only in the county but also abroad. It would also facilitate women to showcase their handicrafts nationally and internationally,” said Shazia Mehmood, the director programmes of SDF, while speaking at the inaugural meeting of the digital hub in Ghanool the other day.

Besides others, SDF programme manager Shabana Bibi, Umer Raza and newly elected district and tehisl councillors also spoke on the occasion.

Ms Mehmood said that two digital hubs were established in Karnool and Ghanool and three more would soon be inaugurated in remoter union councils of Balakot.

She said that the digital hubs were established under livelihood programme to enhance the income resources of the communities in far off union councils of Balakot. Under the programme, animals and grants were provided to needy people in the first phase to establish small business, she said, adding that the digital hubs were set up in the third phase of the programme.

“The community now can lodge their complaints regarding civic services, health and education issues in their respective union councils and tehisl,” said Ms Mehmood.

Speaking on the occasion, Shabana Bibi said that the programme would bring a revolution in lives of ordinary people. It was happening for the first time in the district and most probably in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, she added.

“These hubs could also be used as a tool to address the poverty issues through imparting compute education to youth without any distinction of gender,” she said.

Ms Bibi said that senior citizens could also learn Quran and Islamic teachings through those digital hubs.

Mohammad Farooq, a community member, who talked on the behalf of youth, said that local youth would be benefited from those digital hubs. It was a dream for the people of such remote areas, he added.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2015

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