TSTT helps NGOs better Internet skills
Thursday, June 8 2006
The TSTT Foundation has begun a six-week webpage design training programme for 17 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community-based organisations (CBOs). The course “Web Page Designing with FrontPage XP” is being conducted at the University of the West Indies.
This is the fourth year that the company has hosted this free training programme to promote the use of the Internet as a means for NGOs and CBOs to more effectively reach and serve their clients. "TSTT is facilitating this programme at no cost to the participants, because we recognise that it is a way, not only to bring people together, but to pave the road towards becoming a fully developed nation,” says Amoy Van Lowe, head of Marketing Communications.
“TSTT is still number one and as the company makes technological advances, we want the people to move forward with us.” The benefits are enormous to the participants. An online presence aids development by enhancing an organisation’s brand identity, providing worldwide exposure and creating opportunities for sharing with like-minded organisations.
This year’s list of participants includes men against violence against women, sad for Toco, south aids support and Credo centre for socially displaced children. The “Web Designing with Frontpage XP” programme is teaching participants how to plan, design and build e-secured webpages. TSTT is not only helping to teach a skillset but is also helping to design the future of young people, who are the most avid users of the Internet.
Chat rooms, blogs and instant messaging are the new meeting places for young people so organisations that serve them need to effectively communicate with them in those spaces, the company said.
Carol Juggernauth, a participant from MOMS for Literacy praised TSTT for hosting the programme and enabling her organisation to participate. “TSTT’s generosity in supporting our youth literacy programmes and this training has left a lasting impression on us and the benefits to the youths we serve will be reaped for many years to come,” Juggernauth said.
Tutor Sophia Persad of UWI’s Social Sciences Computer Lab said “TSTT has done this outreach programme for a number of years, giving back to the community and making this technology more accessible. Now, participants will be able to harness the power of the Internet to reach out to young people in ways they had not been able to do before.”
