A 105 -year -old Eman in Kerala’s Ernakulam district is the largest of over 2.1 million people who have been “digital literate” as part of the ongoing campaign in the state.
Ma Abdullah Maulvi Bakafi is in the uneven panchayat from Odakali. He is almost blind in one eye, may barely walk around his house, and suffer from kidney related diseases. However, their curiosity and desire to embrace technology like smartphone remain uncontrolled by these obstacles.
Influenced by his resolve, Jaya, the literacy teacher of the panchayat (or “inspirational”) spent a few days last year, plans to educate them, as part of the “Digi Keralam” campaign of the local self-government (LSG) department, to help those who struggle with smartphones to get digital literacy.
Certainly, Bakafi proved a quick learner and passed a three-part module with flying colors. On Thursday, he will be in online presence from home as Chief Minister Pinaray Vijayan has declared the state completely digitally literate at an event to be held in Thiruvananthapuram.
In an interview on the phone, Faisal Ali, Bakali’s son said, “Today, LSG Minister MB Rajesh visited our house and congratulated my father for becoming digital literate. The minister also gifted him a brand-new Sammung smartphone. He was very happy, and even to show up the minister to showcase you.
Faisal said that his father, who had earlier used a keypad phone, had expressed interest in handling the smartphone for the first time during the Kovid -19 epidemic. He said, “During the lockdown, the newspapers were difficult to come and missed them. So my daughter showed them how she could see the news on YouTube. This is how her interest increased,” she said.
“Motivational”, who trained Bakafi, said that his advanced age, health issues and religious duties performed some challenges during the training, even appreciated the desire of the old man to learn.
He said, “He was very cooperative and he showed interest to learn. I taught him how to use and do video-coals such as Google Search and YouTube. He loved to video-collect with his granddaughter in Sharjah,” he said.
Digital literacy teacher said that the central government has set a three-part module to achieve digital literacy- in which the smartphone is turned on and closing, saving contacts and calling people, using voice messages on WhatsApp, using apps like YouTube, operating apps, conducting Google Searches and making online payments for uses like LPG and electricity.
Although the age limit nominated by the Center was between 14 and 65, he said that the department opted to survey people above 65. Kerala is one of the most elderly population in the country.
According to a statement by the LSG department, more than 257,000 volunteers, including literacy “motivational”, Kudumbashree and Magragga workers, members of the NSS and Library Council participated in the survey and later digital literacy program. The statement said that more than 8 million houses were surveyed across the state to identify “digitally illiterate” persons.
In the survey, 21,88,298 individuals were identified, of which 99.98% have been trained and the evaluation has been passed, stating in the statement, saying that the age of 15,000 of the trained was over 90 years of age.
