Software Donations Help Improve Life of Urban and Rural Poor in India
Deepalaya is a nongovernmental, development organization committed to addressing issues affecting the urban and rural poor in India, with a special focus on children. Deepalaya currently works on over 35 projects in the realms of education, institutional care, vocational training, health disabilities, and gender equity. The organization is also involved in influencing policy through its work with partner NGOs and government groups.
Given the scope of its work, computer technology is central to the organization's operations. When Deepalaya first got off the ground, the unlicensed software they used did not deliver the best performance and even introduced the threat of viruses. Seeking a stable long-term solution, they contacted NASSCOM Foundation, a member of the TechSoup Global Network. Deepalaya secured donations of licensed Microsoft Windows and Office software through NASSCOM's BiGTech program. These donations allowed the organization to also benefit from regular online updates from Microsoft, which improved the software performance and, ultimately, Deepalaya's day-to-day work.
