Community Service – TechSoup Asia Pacific

Digi-monetization of India

In November 2016, India announced a complete ban on the 1000 and 500 rupee notes, as part of the government’s efforts to crack down on the counterfeit economy.

Operating on a 95% cash transaction basis, the sudden move to a sudden cashless economy left the majority of Indians in a panic – vendors who mostly dealt in cash, households with savings in cash, were lost.

While on a macro level, these changes were being hailed as positive and transformative, the direct impact on the economy and the citizens of India was too large to be ignored.

The government’s think tank comprising The NITI Aayog (earlier called Planning Commission of India), The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, nationalized and private banks, NASSCOM and NASSCOM Foundation, were tasked to contain this crisis. The team quickly developed an action plan to handhold citizens switch to cashless transactions.

Large scale DigiDhan Melas (translated as Digital Money Fairs) were organized across more than 100 cities with all banks and digital transaction players coming forward and showcasing their cashless solutions.

NASSCOM Foundation, provided volunteers from the IT-BPM industry through its MyKartavya (Meaning: My Duty) program to help the citizens visiting these fairs adopt at least one of the available solutions.

In its attempt to further amplify this initiative, NASSCOM Foundation created its own step-by-step, easy to understand curriculum for all categories of digital transactions including eWallets, Unified Payment gateways (UPI – Mobile app based payment solutions for direct bank account transactions), debit cards, Aadhar (India’s Unique ID equivalent to Social Security Number in USA) enabled payment system and USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) and organized volunteer drives under ‘Each One Teach Ten’ pedagogy across various cities.

The Foundation engaged with more than 2000 volunteers who in turn were able to train over 18,000 people on different cashless modes of transactions.

The Ministry of Electronics and IT also launched a free TV channel called ‘DigiShala’ (The classroom of Digital Learning and cashless financial transactions) and ‘Cashless India’ website to help the citizens get hands-on practice with cashless transaction tools. In partnership with NASSCOM, the Ministry also set up a free helpline service with a toll free number to help people complete their cashless transactions with ease. This helpline was able to resolve more than 300,000 queries from across the country.

Owing to these efforts, by March 2017, the digital transactions had grown 23 times to 6.4 million amounting for INR 24.25 billion. Today, despite cash being the single largest mode of transaction in India, people are much less dependent on it with the most underserved of the citizens having basic knowledge of how to use an e-wallet or a debit card or a UPI app or similar digital transaction tools – a massive win for a country who is not just witnessing but living a digital revolution.

Technology for Good Day 2017

The “Technology for Good Day” event, formerly known as “NGO Day”, has established itself as a key platform for non-governmental organizations (NGOs), public and private sectors to exchange experience, develop partnership and explore new ICT and strategies in meeting social needs of all kinds. It also signifies the 13^th year collaboration between Microsoft Hong Kong Limited and The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) in enhancing the ICT capability of NGOs.

The theme of this year is “The Complete Cloud for Modern Nonprofits – Achieve More for Social Good”. Fruitful programmes include conferences, break-out workshops, exhibition on cloud solutions, case sharing by NGO speakers, and 1:1 Ask the Expert professional consultation service. The details are as follows:

Date: 21st March 2017 (Tue)

Time: 10:00am – 5:30pm

Venue: Microsoft Hong Kong Office @ Cyberport

Details and Free Registration: https://aka.ms/j59hl6

Taiwan: 2016 NGO Connection Day

Every year, we tour in different cities around Taiwan to explore new ICT innovation and trends with NGOs. In 2016, we hosted six events around Taiwan with topics covered “Office 365: Sharings and Experiences of NPO”, “Powerful Tool for Social Workers: Visio with Powerful Pedigree Stencil” and strategy of social media contents. 499 attendees, representing 309 local nonprofits. Those event was co-sponsored by the local MS office.

For more details, please visit our blog.

Hong Kong: ITRC Forum 2016 – Computing Everywhere

In December 2016, Hong Kong’s I.T Resource Center (ITRC) organized the ITRC Forum 2016 themed Computing Everywhere.

The forum served as a platform for nonprofits and ICT solution providers to meet and share relevant technology trends and development.

The main objective of the forum was to encourage the adoption of ICT applications among nonprofits, which in turn contribute to a better service delivery to the needy in our community.

Over the years, the world has witnessed breakthrough developments for mobile devices and rapid advances in communication technologies, alongside a remarkable penetration rate of smart mobile devices.

The technology environment has urged nonprofits to re-design their services, incorporating mobile technologies, to engage and serve their clients, and to streamline their operations.

ITRC will present research findings as part of helping the nonprofit organizations plan their mobile endeavors.

For more details, please visit http://itrcforum.hkcss.org.hk.

Hong Kong: Macau ICT Forum 2016

The Macau ICT Forum 2016, co-organized by HKCSS and the Social Work Bureau of Macau Government, is held at Macau on December 14, 2016. The aim of the Forum is to facilitate the understanding of ICT trends and the role of ICT in delivering and advancing social services for NGO coworkers. The Forum includes keynotes, system demonstrations and ICT workshops, and is well-attended by 140 NGO coworkers in Macau.

Hong Kong: SocTech

SocTech is the abbreviation of Social Tech(nology), a new initiative of the Information Technology Resource Centre (ITRC). SocTech promotes inter-sectoral collaboration between the social and technology sectors, emphasizing the power of technology as a society shaper.

In the mid to long-term, SocTech targets to foster a vibrant and dynamic culture in the Hong Kong community, where grassroot activists, industry leaders, as well as the general public can engage in fruitful discussions to find practical solutions for social challenges.

Hong Kong: HKCSS – DBS Social Innovators 2016 Final Pitch

Earlier this year, DBS Foundation kicked off the inaugural DBS Social Innovators 2016. The HK$2 million program provides funding and incubation support to social innovators to solve various problems through social entrepreneurship.

Over the past three years, DBS Foundation has promoted the development of social enterprises in Hong Kong amounting to HK$6 million. The Foundation works with social enterprises and innovators in Singapore, India, Indonesia, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong on programs ranging from venture challenges, learning forums, intensive incubation, grant support, financing and skilled volunteer mentoring.

The goal of the DBS Social Innovator program is to solve social issues using innovative ideas and technology, a reflection of DBS Foundation’s commitment to support the creative industry.

The DBS Social Incubators Program is divided into three phases, as outlined below:

Phase 1 Programme Milestones:

Selected from 150 entries, 20 shortlisted teams were invited to participate in Pitchathon
20 shortlisted teams introduced their ideas or solutions to 100 sector representatives and Judges
The Judging Panel and participating audience voted to select 10 Finalists entering the 2nd stage

Phase 2 Programme Milestones:

10 Finalists received HKD 20,000 Acceleration Fund and 3 months of incubation support for kick-starting the initial stage of development e.g. prototyping, market research and product test etc.
10 Finalists participated in the Final Pitch on 28 July; competed for four Champion Prizes with a HKD450, 000 start-up fund and one year incubation support each.

Phase 3 Programme Milestones:

To implement the awarded innovative projects

About DBS Foundation

As a corporate foundation in Asia solely dedicated to championing social entrepreneurship, DBS Foundation contributes towards building a more inclusive society so that those at society’s margins can enjoy productive and rewarding lives. The Foundation is an endeavor from DBS Bank to make an even greater impact in addressing Asia’s evolving social needs. Visit us at: www.dbs.com/dbsfoundation

Hong Kong: Technology for Good 2016 Events

The Technology for Good Day, formerly known as NGO Day, was a grand success this year. Sixty-two senior executives attended the executive breakfast, and 87 IT managers and front line officers attended the half-day conference.

Fifty-one NGO coworkers attended the two technical workshops. The theme of the event was Cloud Technology – From Theory to Practice.

It served as a good platform for nonprofits to exchange ideas, share best practices and new insights into how to take full advantage of cloud technology.

Microsoft Philanthropies also announced a USD$1 billion donation globally in providing cloud computing resources to nonprofits and university researchers over the next three years.

Information Technology Resource Centre, a limited company wholly owned by HKCSS, will continue to work with Microsoft Hong Kong in the coming months, organizing workshops and trainings to facilitate the utilization of this donation in the nonprofit sector.

For further information, please visit the event webpage (Chinese only).

Hong Kong - Technology for Good 2016 Events — Hong Kong – Technology for Good 2016 Events

Salam E-Initiative

Malaysia partner Yayasan Salam has established 23 centers across Malaysia to provide ICT training and refurbished computers for those who are in need.

Tohoku Disaster Relief

Since 2011, TechSoup APAC partner Japan NPO Center (JNPOC) has been focused on Tohoku (area severely affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami) disaster relief support and development, promoting citizen-led support for disaster relief.

JNPOC has established multiple disaster relief funds/programs, including their fund, Japan Earthquake Local NPO Support Fund, in partnership with major corporations such as Takeda Pharmaceutical, Daiwa Securities, Japan Tobacco and Shinkin Central Bank.

JNPOC has also co-developed multiple disaster relief funds and programs for the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami with various corporations such as Takeda Pharmaceutical, Nissan and Johnson & Johnson with different thematic focus like the maintenance of livelihood, children and community empowerment in the affected areas, as well as with nonprofits like World Vision Japan, which resulted in a series of mentorship workshops for civic group leaders and NPOs of Tohoku for their capacity building.

You can also learn about the current situation of Tohoku here: Stories from Tohoku.