Serving Communities Effectively through Technology

In March 2012, Microsoft hosted a series of events to benefit non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Jakarta. The events, entitled “Fun Chat on IT”, “NGO Connection Day” and “Information Communication in Technology (ICT) Coaching Day”, aimed to promote greater use of information technology (IT) within the NGO community. With similar past events being held in Jakarta, Surabaya and Medan, among others, they were held to also recognize the NGOs’ efforts in helping the local community, and to demonstrate Microsoft’s commitment to the social and economic development of Indonesia.

The first event, hosted by Microsoft Indonesia and the ASEAN Foundation, was held on 1 March as a talk show format at @America, Pacific Place Mall Jakarta. Titled Fun Chat on IT, NGOs were invited to discuss their experiences with IT. It turned out to be much more popular than anticipated, with about 80 participants showing up for the event. Microsoft showcased how, with its technologies, it had helped NGOs serve the communities better. For example, Mr Ajie Akhmad Wahidin and Mr Niko Atmadja of the ASEAN Foundation spoke of the effectiveness of technology in aiding the organization to meet its goals.

The NGO Connection Day, co-organized by the ASEAN Foundation and Microsoft Indonesia, was attended by nearly 160 participants from over 100 nonprofit organizations. Held on 20 March, it sought to equip NGOs with IT-related knowledge, such as how IT can foster creativity and enhance collaboration and communication within and among organizations and their respective communities. Mr Irving Hutagalung from Microsoft Indonesia provided critical insights into how NGOs could maximize their reach to meet their targets and demands with the use of social media. There were plenty of interactions between the participants and the speakers, with participants trying out different Microsoft products and asking questions.

The final activity, ICT Coaching Day, was held on 21 March. Attended by 40 participants from various NGOs in Indonesia, they were able to get hands-on experience on the technologies that they had heard so much about over the course of the previous events. Participants also had the opportunity to sharpen their skills on the use of Windows Live Movie Maker®, send e-newsletters with Microsoft Word®, create certificates with Microsoft Publisher®, and even create movies on Microsoft PowerPoint®.

Yeni Apriani, SH, a volunteer from Mitra Perempuan WCC and a participant of the ICT Coaching Day, felt that she picked up a lot of skills during the event. “Similar events, organized by Microsoft and ASEAN Foundation, should be held more frequently, as they are very beneficial and teach us a lot about IT.” 

“Similar events, organized by Microsoft and ASEAN Foundation, should be held more frequently, as they are very beneficial and teaches us a lot about IT.”
- Yeni Apriani, SH, volunteer, Mitra Perempuan WCC