Orange Internet Fund provides extended training workshops in the Kingdom’s governorates

As part of the recently launched Orange Internet Fund – one of the largest CSR programs launched in the Kingdom with the objective of increasing internet awareness and penetration beyond the Capital – Orange Jordan signed a partnership agreement with the non-profit association Shabakat Al Ordon to train 24,000 citizens in a number of governorates around the Kingdom on essential internet and PC skills.
This program, which extends over a period of ten months, is geared toward building the capacities of local communities  by helping them harness the full power of the internet and other IT applications to increase their chances of attracting viable career opportunities.      
Under this partnership agreement, Shbakat Al Ordon, in cooperation with Orange Jordan’s CSR volunteers, will implement a training program for a number of locals who, upon completing their assigned modules, will pass their training on to other groups within their respective communities. Trainees will receive accreditation certificates from Microsoft  after passing an internet based examination.  
The agreement, signed by Orange Jordan's CEO Nayla Khawam and the CEO of Shabakat Al Ordon Rami Al-Karmi, signals the launch of  the second phase of the Orange Internet Fund project. The first phase, announced last week, saw the company offer a JD 5 monthly waiver on broadband internet subscription fees to residents of the Kingdom’s governorates irrespective of their internet service providers. The waiver was introduced to both new subscribers and existing ones who wish to upgrade their connections to speeds beyond 128Kbps.

This initiative falls in line with the royal vision that calls for promoting the internet culture in the Kingdom and for exceeding the 50 percent internet penetration mark by the year 2012. It also aims at making the internet more accessible to citizens residing beyond the capital and to increase awareness on its importance as a central research and educational tool.

Commenting on the signing of this agreement, Khawam emphasized that the "training program, the dates and locations of which will be announced  in coordination with local organizations in a number of governorates and published in daily newspapers, will contribute substantially to the spreading of the internet culture amongst beneficiaries and will perform as a tool to encourage them to bring the internet into their homes. This will also be facilitated by the JD 5 waiver offered by Orange to all new subscribers, irrespective of their service providers."

"The training sessions will provide a singular opportunity for those with little or no experience with either PCs or the internet to better their skills and discover their inert capabilities. The program will also improve their chances of acquiring job opportunities within the Kingdom and abroad, as the Microsoft certification issued for graduates will lend an element of professionalism to the résumés of those who wish to pass their training on to other members of their community. Last but not least, the collaborative spirit on which this program is based will help reinforce the concept of social responsibility within the community, which in itself will have a lasting positive impact," she added.   

Al-karmi expressed his delight at the signing of this agreement, thanking Orange Jordan for collaborating with Shabakat towards realizing the national vision of making the internet an integral element of our culture and underlining his optimism that the Orange Internet Fund will realize its goals due to its grassroots approach.

Orange Jordan had recently launched its corporate social responsibility strategy for the coming three years, which comprises of two prime projects: the Orange Broadband Fun and the Orange Villages project. The strategy has a projected total investment value of JD 3.5 million.

Orange Jordan was also named Best Wireless Broadband Service Provider during the 2010 SAMENA Awards, in a regional event that brought together more than 40 leading regional operators, two of whom were nominated next to Orange Jordan for the same title. The company received this honor in recognition of its robust 3G+ network, which delivers a host of cutting-edge wireless broadband services to users around the Kingdom.

Shabakat Al Ordon was launched by His Majesty King Abdullah II in 2002. Through its flagship program, “Change through Digital Inclusion,” which is organized under the supervision of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, the association operates in more than 200 authorized locations across Jordan, targeting the Kingdom’s youth with habilitation programs that provide them with the skills, knowledge, and attitude they need to utilize technology in bettering their lives. In return, these young men and women pass their training on to members of their own community by teaching them how to effectively utilize technology and the internet to realize their full potential as integral elements in Jordan’s cultural  and economic progress.


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