LAHORE: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Intel Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Thursday committing to use technology to support education and women’s economic empowerment in Pakistan.
USAID Provincial Director Jeffrey Bakken and Intel Pakistan Country Manager Naveed Siraj signed the MOU. Activities for women’s economic empowerment will focus on supporting entrepreneurship, development, training for workforce skills and computer literacy programmes. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Bakken said “It gives me great pleasure to embark on a partnership with Intel. Together, we will explore ways to accelerate development”. Siraj expressed appreciation for the efforts of both organisations. “Intel’s engagement with the USAID will ensure a broader inclusion of rural communities. It will provide greater economic opportunities for the youth, who can utilise information technology skills to transform their lives,” he said. Education programmes outlined include digital curriculum development, content management, solutions and modelling of classroom information technology, and computer usage models such as mobile computing and ‘computers on wheels’.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 11th, 2014.