Goodwill social work centre, an Indian NGO based at Madurai,India has been declared as one of the four winners of “Panda IT Aid”, Panda Software International, Spain(http://www.pandasoftware.com). The other organisations are Save the Children (with a pan-European project),Spain, Fundación Braille (Uruguay) and Paideia (Paraguay).These four winning projects were selected from 15 finalists through a vote held among all the employees of the Panda Group across 56 countries. In a previous phase, the selection committee had selected the fifteen finalist initiatives from the more than 130 projects presented in this first edition of Panda IT Aid. GOODWILL has received a cash award and Panda Software solutions for the Community Technology centres created in Madurai,India.

The award has been given to GOODWILL for setting up Community Technology Centres for children and young women in low and middle income families in and around Madurai, India. The aim of the project is to create Community Technology centres in Madurai, India, to teach women and children in low to middle income families about new information technologies. It aims to train young women and children, so that they can be incorporated in the labor market in local organizations or even set up new businesses and computer centres.

Around 1500 children and young women will benefit from the project within a span of THREE years. The Centre has established two Community Technology centres in two locations within the project areas catering to the needs of many poor and disadvantaged rural children and young women in Madurai East and West village Panchayat union blocks,Madurai,Tamilnadu,South India. In the first phase, 500 children and young women have successfully completed their digital training in two Rural Community Technology centres .

 You can view our web album containing the photos on CTC activities at

 http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisdangswc/GOODWILLPANDAITAIDPROJECT2006

This is a multi-stakeholder partnership involving three actors namely business, nonprofit and government. The business partnership is offered by Panda Software through the award of grants, monitoring and evaluation of the project while the govt partnership is provided by Jan Shikshan Sansthan{Madurai},Ministry of Human resources development, Government of India through accreditation and certification of the digital learning courses, performance management and award of certificates to successful candidates. Nonprofit partnership involves GOODWILL’s role in project implementation, performance management, reporting and documentation.

In recognition of our achievements in providing digital opportunities for children and young adults in low and moderate income communities through our Community Technology Centres, supported by Panda Software International(Panda Security)Spain, the INFOSYS BPO Limited,(www.infosys.com/bpo) ,a global IT company,Bangalore,India has selected our organisation for the donation of 10 computer systems under the CSR-computer donation program 2010.

Under the Panda IT Aid project 2006, GOODWILL has established two Community Technology centres in two locations within the project areas catering to the needs of many poor and disadvantaged rural children and young women in Madurai East and West village Panchayat union blocks,Madurai,Tamilnadu,South India. During the period 2006-2009 as nearly as 1511 children and young women have successfully completed their digital training in our Community Technology centres.  

The computers donated by INFOSYS BPO Ltd have been added to our Community Technology Centres located in three places within our project area,which are being used by children and youth under our 'Non-formal Employment Training project'.It is indeed a feather in GOODWILL's cap! We are really proud of this achievement! We invite you to view our web album containing photographs of the donated computers and the use of computers by children and young adults at our various Community Technology centres in and around Madurai,Tamilnadi,India at: 

http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisdangswc/GoodwillSocialWorkCentreReceivesDonationOfComputersFromINFOSYSBPOLimitedBangaloreIndia?

feat=directlink

BECOME A PARTNER OF THIS INNOVATIVE PROJECT:

The Centre is looking for grant help from potential funders,corporates,and funding organisations for setting up five more Community Technology Centres for the poor children and women in low and middle income Indian communities in and around Madurai and its neighbouring villages,Tamilnadu,South India.

I invite you to be a project partner of the Goodwill Social Work Centre and extend your valuable financial assistance for establishing more Community Technology Centres for the children and young adults in villages and backward areas in Madurai, India.Your funds will be utilized for basic infrastructure requirements such as computer systems and accessories, internet connection, furniture, rent, electricity, books and computer learning materials, salary to staff etc. Become a partner of  this innovative project!

Prof.Dr.J.Christopher Daniel, M.A., Ph.D
Executive Director|
Goodwill Social Work Centre
No: 5,South street Extension
Singarayar colony
MADURAI-625002
INDIA
Email: chriskan@satyam.net.in
Website:http://www.goodwillsocialworkcentre.org