IT Skills Training Will Enhance Economic Conditions for Over 100,000 People

in Trafficking 'Hot Spots' Over the Next Three Years

    SINGAPORE, June 16 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp. has awarded
 over $US 1 million through its Unlimited Potential grants to
 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across six Asian countries. The
 latest round of grants will deliver IT training courses specifically for
 people in human-trafficking hot spots across the region -- often women and
 children. Human trafficking has been described as "the emerging human
 rights issue of the 21st century" by the US State Department.*
     ( http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/wetf/us_assessment.pdf )
     The Unlimited Potential grants to help combat human trafficking were
 distributed in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and
 Thailand and will deliver IT skills through training that enhance the
 employment prospects and economic conditions of people most vulnerable to,
 or already victimised by, human traffickers. The outreach efforts and
 grants will expand the network to over 40 NGOs, including several in Sri
 Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Vietnam. Over 130 new Community Technology
 Learning Centers (CTLCs) will be supported, and more than 100,000 new
 people will receive the benefits of technology through these grants over
 the next three years.
     "Only the concerted and coordinated partnership of governments, NGOs
 and private companies can hope to make a dent, let alone end, the tragedy
 of human trafficking, said Ms Lori Forman, Community Affairs Regional
 Director at Microsoft Asia Pacific. "The NGO partners we're supporting
 share a long term commitment to creating better economic conditions for
 people -- thereby reducing their risk of being victimized. They bring
 different strengths to the effort to combat human trafficking. By sharing
 those strengths, and through leveraging the benefits and strength of IT
 skills and technology, we can more rapidly advance the battle against human
 trafficking."
     This round of the Unlimited Potential grants is one of a few elements
 of Microsoft's efforts to counter human trafficking in Asia -- the
 technology centres set up through the UP grants help provide opportunities
 for people vulnerable or victimised by trafficking. Microsoft also address
 enforcement efforts through capacity-building and law enforcement training
 programs on cybercrimes, and through technology solution such as the Child
 Exploitation Tracking System (CETS prounounced "KETS"), a global tool aimed
 to combat online child exploitation. The system allows police agencies
 internationally to share and analyze information for tracking online child
 predators.
     This latest round of grants, takes the company's 2006 commitment in
 Asia to $US9.2 million.
     Partners and highlights of the Unlimited Potential grants to fight
 human trafficking include:
     Cambodia
     Pact Inc. and Microsoft will work to both increase the computer skills
 of NGOs and their staff that work with at-risk women, as well as train
 at-risk women, many of whom are illiterate, in basic computer skills. With
 staff that have IT degrees Pact Inc. expects to train 3255 people in three
 years in over 150 peer organisations.
     India
     The Child and Police Project (CAP) works with NGOs across India to
 provide holistic education and livelihood planning. Microsoft supports the
 strength and expansion of the IT training component, which focuses on basic
 computer skills and productivity applications. The project will help 13,750
 people over the next three years from some of the most impoverished
 provinces find gainful employment.
     CAP will also conduct a cybersafe program with internet cafe owners to
 prevent online trafficking of persons.
     Indonesia
     YMKK and Microsoft are focusing efforts on the training and
 re-integration of trafficked people on the islands of Batam and Tanjung
 Pinang -- many of whom are already high school educated. They will work
 with local factories and businesses to identify in-demand IT skills and
 will focus training in these areas to 19,000 people over three years.
     Philippines
     With a network of nine sub grant owners, The Visayan Foundation and
 Microsoft plan to train over 18,000 people in the first three years --
 especially those working in the invisible and informal sectors, like
 domestic workers, and trafficked women and children. In addition the
 Visayan Foundation will provide job search skills to graduates and match
 them with business groups for possible job placements.
     Singapore
     The Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME) and
 Microsoft aims to reach 4,000 unskilled and semi-skilled migrant workers
 and their families in three years. Graduates of the training will have
 gained skills in Microsoft(R) Office, internet applications and IT hardware
 maintenance, repair and assembly -- increasing their chances of gaining
 employment when they return to their home countries.
     Thailand
     The Mirror Foundation and Microsoft will support a coalition of
 organizations in areas of high trafficking that are working towards
 sustainable development in rural Thailand IT skills in basic computing,
 office productivity, network administration and hardware repair will be
 focused on at-risk children and those affected by the 2004 Asian Tsunami.
 13,000 vulnerable people are expected to be reached in the first three
 years.
     "This project is very important in our fight against trafficking
 because it is an answer to the major gap in the one major cause of
 trafficking which is the lack of opportunity and skills of our women and
 children that eventually resulted to a perpetual cycle of poverty, which
 became the fertile grounds of trafficking," said Cecilia Flores-Oebanda,
 President of the Visayan Forum Foundation, Inc in Philippines.
     About Microsoft
     Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq:   MSFT) is the worldwide leader in
 software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise
 their full potential.
     About Microsoft Unlimited Potential program
     Microsoft Unlimited Potential (UP) aids global workforce development by
 providing technology skills training through Community-Based Technology and
 Learning Centers (CTLCs). Unlimited Potential promotes digital literacy
 through four critical components: Unlimited Potential Grants, Software
 Donations, Unlimited Potential Curricula, and Community Technology Support
 Network. For more information, visit www.microsoft.com/citizenship .
     Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United
 States and/or other countries.
     The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
 trademarks of their respective owners.
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 information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft(R) Web page at
 http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft's corporate information
 pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of
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     For more information, press only:
 
      Charlene Chian
      Microsoft Asia Pacific
      Direct: +65-6882-8672
      Mobile: +65-9677-2562
      Email:  Charlene.chian@microsoft.com
 
 

SOURCE Microsoft Corp.

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