Telenor Holds Inaugural i-Champ Workshop to Empower New Digital Generation

Telenor Pakistan has launched a nationwide project that will help empower a new digital generation in Pakistan.

Telenor said that its Talkshawk I-Champ is a knowledge-based initiative that aims to provide learning and training to young people to enable them with internet access through mobile phones.

Telenor believes that mobile phones devices are placed ahead of computers/laptops for enabling masses with internet connectivity in countries like Pakistan. This is specifically valid because of high mobile phone penetration and mobility of cellular devices.

Telenor Pakistan, to achieve this goal, will partner with all provincial governments to conduct internet workshops throughout Pakistan. In this regard an agreement has been signed with Punjab government under which Telenor will hold internet workshops for class 8-10 students in 150 schools in the semi-urban and rural areas of Punjab.

To mark the initiative, a launch event was held at Children’s Library Complex, Lahore, which was attended by a large number of school children, their parents and teachers. The chief guest on the occasion was Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan.

After the students took the ‘Internet oath’ pledging to use the knowledge for positive purposes, select contestants of a competition were taken to a training room. They were briefed on how the internet works and how information can be searched for on internet-enabled mobile phones.

There were also stage activities for the audience and a lucky draw. At the end, winners were announced and shields were awarded to them.

In a message, Acting Chief Marketing Officer Telenor Pakistan Usman Javed thanked the Government of Punjab for supporting the Telenor Talkshawk I-Champ project. “We are delighted to be partnering with the Government of Punjab to start promoting digital awareness among the youth of the province. Together we will enable them to harness the power of the internet as a means to compete with anyone, anywhere in the world,” he said. “Through Telenor Talkshawk I-Champ we intend to create a healthy and conducive learning environment for children, parents and school faculty.”

Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan in his remarks spoke about the importance of youth learning the positive use of technology. “Government of the Punjab is committed to providing its citizens with quality education. Part of this is our youth becoming fully conversant with today’s digital technologies. It is imperative that they are able to use modern tools such as the internet for a brighter tomorrow for themselves and their families.”

The winner of the Telenor Talkshawk I-Champ final competition will get to visit Opera Labs in Norway to learn more about how the internet is being used by people around the world to share knowledge.