Microsoft YouthSpark Empowers Women
While Bill Gates’ name is as synonymous with Microsoft as it is with his philanthropic endeavors, Microsoft has unveiled its latest giving back investment: Microsoft YouthSpark. Though only a few years old, the program has helped over 103 million people all across the world.
The program gives grants to boys and girls from all over the world and hopes that the computer skills and training received can create better lives for these adolescents. On the YouthSpark main Web site are some of the people who were able to take advantage of the grants and use the skills to jump start them out of poverty.
From around the world, Yutiao Wang from China and Mary Mwende from Kenya are among the bevy of girls who benefit. Both come from traditionally poor towns where the cycle of poverty is repeated over many generations. Wang’s parents were unable to send her to school and Mwende was postponed from entering university. Though many women are forced back into the cycle of poverty, Wang and Mwende persevered. Even though they faced setbacks, they were able to get in contact with Microsoft YouthSpark.
Microsoft YouthSpark works in collaboration with many local organizations. In addition to funding, they add support and resources to help create a global network for adolescents. Through the efforts of YouthSpark and the allied organization, Mwende was able to attend university and Wang was able to get vital employment skills with Microsoft Office.
Though they both faced adversity, they overcame it with the skills to help them for a lifetime. Wang and Mwende’s stories, though, are just a few of the testimonials of the success of YouthSpark. Investing in the education of the future generation of leaders helps to end the cycle in many of these rural poor areas.
Many of the innovations that have come from these grants are promising for the future of technology. With examples of Wang and Mwende’s success, hope for the future classes of YouthSpark is to help break the cycles of poverty with opportunity.
– Kristin Ronzi