Saturday, August 13, 2016

Cook to coder: How low-income youth are writing a better future - Shobita Dhar, the Times of India

Thanks to online courses and the initiatives of a few individuals, youngsters from underprivileged backgrounds are learning to crack the code. Helping some of them do so is Francesco Stasi, an Italian national who heads India operations for CodersTrust, a Danish learn-and-earn platform for freelance coders. "Coding doesn't need formal education. Anyone can learn it. This makes it attractive to students from poorer backgrounds who often haven't completed their formal education," says Stasi. "A cook in urban India earns up to $50 (about Rs 3,000) a month while a coder can earn around $15 (Rs1,000) an hour," points out Stasi, who set up the trust's India arm in Gurugram in March. It has enrolled more than 1,000 students from both privileged and underprivileged backgrounds and subsidizes education for bright students from poor families. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/Cook-to-coder-How-low-income-youth-are-writing-a-better-future/articleshow/53575603.cms