Mozilla Hello Web – Inspiring Minds, Enriching Lives

Hello Web is an initiative to take Mozilla’s aim of making the world web literate a step closer to reality. Mozillians went across India spreading the message of the necessity of being better Web citizens and providing internet connectivity to institutions. Web literacy sessions to teach people about the Internet and fundamentals of computers were held in various orphanages and educational institutions across India.

We had conducted Hello Web in December 2015. Then we went to various schools and coaching institutions to spread web literacy. Mozilla web literacy campaigns took place across five cities in India namely, Kolkata, Surat, Navi Mumbai, Jaipur and Rewa. This summer, we decided to do it differently because if you do not break new grounds and improve upon what you have done before, the job loses its value. When the idea of conducting sessions in orphanages was proposed, everybody agreed. We collaborated with The Hope Foundation, Kolkata and requested them to permit us to conduct a web literacy campaign at orphanages. Hello Web was not intended to be a one-time session programme, the team wanted it to be the starting point of a long-term initiative. So, it was decided that campaigners would bring to the orphanage homes internet connectivity. If these children have access to the internet, they would be able to explore its benefits on their own as no theoretical explanation can be better than a practical experience. Mozilla Clubs have been set up in these places so that we can provide proper kits and teaching materials to those in charge. Volunteers could also monitor the progress of the children.

Shreenath, Ashun, Rayan, Debol, Sourath, Rohit, Kalyan, Tamoghna, Ayan, Farag who volunteered for Hello Web. We received invaluable support from our partners Kolkata Bloggers, Mio Amore, Sourcekart and we are grateful to them for the same. A lot of young bloggers from the Kolkata Bloggers network, from different schools and colleges in the city who volunteered for the initiative, came up with blog posts on the events, on the importance of web literacy in general and on the impact the campaign has made on them. They have set an example that other youngsters are now keen to follow, leading to a better ecosystem which encourages an environment conducive for web learning. In short, Hello Web was nothing but an initiative to initiate a change we all wish to see.