Institut Darul Ridzuan (IDR) has organised a series of courses on Digital Technology for NGOs. The first course on digital literacy was conducted by trainers from Microsoft and they outlined the development of digital technology and how NGOs can apply new technology in their activities.
Tips and shortcuts were given for using programmes such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Guidelines were given on how to prepare an effective PowerPoint presentation.
This was a hands-on programme and each participant was provided with a Microsoft Surface Tablet. The participants could carry out the instructions on their own and have the feel of it.
As part of their CSR programme, Microsoft and other tech companies are donating software like Office 365, Google Drive and others to eligible NGOs. NGOs interested in getting free and discounted software can log on to www.techsoup.asia to get further information.
The second course on Digital Marketing was conducted by Suhaimee Saahar, a lecturer from UITM who is on study leave. He also gave a hands-on course and guided the participants to create their own web page and set up of a Facebook page for marketing purposes. NGOs may not have a product to sell, but they can use the marketing strategy to publicise their activities, solicit for funding and seek sponsors. This was a practical course which can be put to use by NGOs and in fact a few participants had set up their own web page. NGOs can use modern technology to publicise their activities.
A. Jeyaraj
