Malaysia
The Cybercare Project
Cybercare aims to form an electronic community by connecting orphanages, Home administrators, the private and public sectors and NGOs. Their mission is to empower underprivileged children and the Homes through the use of information and communications technology to improve their quality of life. Funding has enabled the orphans and Home staff to be trained in computer applications with assistance from volunteers. Programmes already initiated are Young to Care (Y2Care) to nurture leaders among the children and e-Mentoring which allows volunteers to electronically guide, coach and counsel a child. The Putting Orphanages Online (POOL) programme has linked 33 homes and currently benefits over 1600 children, with 600 of them already trained in computer usage. The completion of the project has seen both tangible and intangible benefits for the orphans. Besides ICT skills, the orphans have also gained self-confidence, personal acceptance and social skills.
E-Pek@k: Helping the deaf bridge the digital divide
At present, about 18,000 aurally impaired people are registered with the Social Welfare Department of Malaysia. The limited means of communication available to them can be both frustrating and crippling, especially when it comes to finding employment. Being visually-based, ICTs can provide the aurally impaired with a platform for their voice to be heard, to be able to network with peers, access online services and obtain moral support. e-Pek@k facilitates these usages, currently benefiting the deaf and hard of hearing from three NGOs and six special schools for the deaf, many of whom have even learnt to build and maintain their own websites.