Page 20 - SPiCE Magazine (January 2019)

20 The SPiCE Magazine • January 2019
TECHNOLOGY WITH A HEART
Working With Communities Towards a Brighter Future
By Mathew Walters E – HR India
We, at SPi, strive for social obligation and
involvement for the betterment of society.
In keeping with this goal, SPi Global India held
its CSR Day on March 17, 2018 in Chennai and
Pondicherry, conducting various activities that
involved approximately 988 employee
volunteers. This equates to 7,858 man hours.
Education
As part of our thrust in imparting education to
public school pupils through technology, we
provided 58 Smart Boards in primary, middle and
highschools in Pondicherry and Karaikal. This was
inaugurated by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of
Pondicherry, Mr V. Narayanasamy.
To ensure maximum utilization, SPi Global India
collaborated with the State Resource Center (SRC),
SSA Puducherry, and the Pondicherry Directorate
of Education in training non-tech savvy teachers
on Smart Board education until November 2018.
Twenty-eight SPi employees volunteered to con-
duct training for 300 teachers. The training
sessions involved two batches per day and were
held in six centers. The instructions were
well-recieved by teachers, who attended the
classes eagerly even on holidays.
The use of Smart Boards in the schools revealed
an improvement in the students’ performance
and enthusiasm for learning, and a decrease in
absenteeism. It also saw an improvement in
learning ability due to the Smart Board’s
innovative audio and video features, which
helped students better comprehend and grasp
lessons compared to traditional learning
methods. It also boosted their confidence in
learning English as a second language.
Lighting of Lamp by Pondy CM at the launch of Smart Classrooms in
Government Schools
With ease of use and interactive features, the
Smart Boards in the schools have led to an
increase in enrollment, and even inspired a few
Government schools to purchase additional
Smart Boards on their own.
In 2018, SPi Global India also funded the education
of 63 children through non-government organi-
zation Sevalaya Trust. Our employees visited the
children to interact with and motivate them.
As well, we funded a National Digital Literacy
Mission (NDLM) Center, which aims to empower
and foster independence in Indians through digital
literacy. It provides trainings on computer usage,
MS Word, online transactions, and basic internet.
Established through the NASSCOM Foundation in
Villianur, Pondicherry, the Center has 885 enrollees
ranging from 18 to 60 years old. The Center has
recently extended its services to almost 35 villages
in order to reach unemployed youth, home makers,
and rural women entrepreneurs.
Environmental Responsibility
We joined hands with the Nature Conservancy in
Chennai for the restoration of the 150-acre