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who we are Uddami started in 1999 with a simple idea - teach practical computer skills that would lead to a good job and therefore a better life. Sounds easy. But these are the difficulties - Calcutta is a teeming city of over 16 million people with an infrastructure meant for about a quarter of its present population. The majority struggle every day just to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. And although India is touted as the "world's biggest democracy" the idea of equality exists mainly as words in the Indian constitution without any real connection to everyday life. In reality there still exists a hierarchical system where everything works on connections, mainly family connections. If you have a "good name" and come from a "good family", you will almost certainly achieve much and many doors will be opened to you. If not, you will be automatically excluded from almost all possibilities and opportunities. Youth from low-income communities in Calcutta have few economic opportunities. To have an edge in the overcrowded mainstream job market they must develop skills that set them apart because the applicants they are competing with have better education, more resources and connections. Everyone knows that ICT has taken a firm hold in India. What most people don't realize is that this technological revolution has affected only a very small percentage of the population.
Mr. Abdul Kalam, President of India, told the BBC that nearly a quarter of the country's population could be moved out of poverty if the government continued to back technology as the source of growth. Uddami believes that youth from low-income communities should have an equal chance to partipate in and benefit from this growth. Uddami Computer Training Centre provides free computer access and practical skill training to increase the capacity of our students so they can develop sustainable livelihoods in the ICT sector. Brought up in America, the founders (Alison Saracena and Bryan Forst) have a strong belief in equal opportunity. In the Uddami computer centre they created an inclusive place where everyone is treated the same no matter what their religion, color, gender, ability or disability. A place where the students respect teachers not out of habit but out of admiration of their knowledge and fairness. Where both students and teachers aren't afraid to say "I don't know" because this is the first step to learning. Where students are encouraged to think, question and dream. Uddami's philosophy is that every individual deserves the chance to reach their full potential. |
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___________________________________ Board of Directors
Alison Saracena Julia Lopez
Janis Wilkins |
