Four freelancers empower farmers with digital skills

On paper, the concept of a fully digital Bangladesh can sound wonderful. In many cases, it promises an exciting future where we can be rid of long queues and time-consuming government applications.

However, for those unfamiliar with the digital realm, the process can be daunting and often times difficult to adopt.

For example, the applications for government incentives, paying taxes and land disputes are all online now. However, farmers are not used to using computers or even navigating the digital landscape.

As a result, they often have to rely on others to access these services, leaving them in a difficult predicament.

Thankfully, four young freelancers in Lalmonirhat have come forward to support these farmers with their expertise. They developed their skills at the IT centre at Chaparhat area of Kaliganj upazila in Lalmonirhat. They are providing training and familiarising farmers with using computers and navigating the internet. Alongside this, they are also working to empower people by providing training for those interested in freelancing.

The four youths are Sujan Kumar Roy, Sayed Abul Kashem, Bishal Roy and Dipak Barman.

All of them have been engaged in freelancing for the last 7-8 years. Their success in the industry has inspired numerous others to also turn to freelancing as a career.

One farmer from Dalgram village, Bijendranath Roy, 67, told The Daily Star that they were struggling to access government services due to their lack of knowledge about computers and the internet. Thanks to these four youths, they are now able to acquire knowledge to use computers and apply for the services they need.

Musa Mia, 62, another farmer from Chalbala village, echoed the same.

Sujan Kumar Roy told The Daily Star that they are providing free computer and online training to farmers out of a sense of responsibility. They are also providing freelancing training to young people for free. So far, 100 farmers and 100 youth have accessed these trainings in just three months.

Sayed Abul Kashem said that it is their dream to make sure that all farmers and youngsters from their area are skilled at using computers and navigating the digital space.