One Global Economy and Pratham InfoTech Foundation
February 12, 2010. Hotel Le Royce, Pune
The website engagement session started with the introduction of Beehive, their work around the world, and how they change lives through their network. The session gradually spoke about Pune, the development possibilities in the underserved areas. Through the talk, there came to light about various communities that still do not have access to basic amenities-- this state despite Pune known for its IT successes. The discussion moved to how Pune Beehive, with its easy language and simple navigation, could inform and educate those with average education and relatively low knowledge of computers and internet. Attendees also watched slides of Beehive-related work in Korea, Rwanda. One such impactful instance was of a rice farmer telling his story about finding connection into the rice market through The Beehive. Mustafa Murad, President One Global Economy, then invited participants from varied backgrounds to come and present their ideas about what the website should have.
Attendees included doctors, healthcare officials, counselors in rehab centres; principals of slum schools, teachers, Govt. education officials, NGOs; corporates, consultancies, vocational counselors; bankers, agriculturists etc. The participants first pooled in their thoughts about their respective areas, essential for Pune Beehive. A good 20-minute discussion, and few charts, and notes later they presented their ideas in a systematic fashion. For example, a doctor in Pune, Rebecca Gorde, gave in depth details about various areas of healthcare. Topics included home remedies, first aid and spiritual health. The money group suggested information about micro financing among various other details about saving, investing, etc. Similarly, jobs, the group suggested how Pune Beehive could be a fruitful link between job seekers from underserved communities and employers from various companies. The discussion saw a positive approach from attendees, who seemed to look forward to reaching out to the underserved; they firmly believed in Mustafa Murad’s ideology, which he mentioned in the very beginning: only because someone is from a backward sector –it doesn’t mean he or she cannot contribute to the economy, on the contrary we the informed must take measures for them to contribute – thereby enabling them to better their lives.