Microsoft 'Connecting Communities' to empower children and youth

Microsoft Sri Lanka with the State Ministry of Child Affairs and Sri Lanka Anti Narcotics Association (SLANA), held a workshop titled 'Connecting Communities' to assist children and youth to take the lead in driving change in their lives and that of their communities through technology.

State Minister for Child Affairs, Rosy Senanayake brought together Civil Society Organisations, NGOs, Government and the Private Sector together to discuss issues faced by children and youth, dangers of cyber security and how all stakeholders can work together to provide a safer, healthier environment for children in an age where technology plays a critical role in connecting people and communities.

Minister Senanayake said that her Ministry is currently engaged in setting up more child friendly spaces at their Child Secretariat and hopes to set up a child-friendly phone line that would enable children to have direct access to the Secretariat. Children could discuss their problems and issues with Ministry personnel trained and geared to help provide the solutions the children need.

"As the first step we hope to create a strong child-friendly society and some of you can take on maybe a district or a province in looking after these child friendly societies and doing advocacy programs to create a healthy future generation in the country."

Manager, Community Affairs, Microsoft Sri Lanka, Janakie Karunaratne said that Microsoft has always partnered with not for profit organisations, likeminded private sector organisations and the government to reach a wider section of the Sri Lankan populace to educate and enable social economic change.

"We have worked with the Education Ministry to educate teachers so that they can impart knowledge to young people on the importance of IT," she said.

"The Minister is appealing to all of us to work jointly towards a greater national plan. This way we can avoid any replication of projects and the private sector can drive transformative programs," Karunaratne said.