There is never an age barrier when it comes to learning. Especially post pandemic, the need to transition businesses into a new digital arena has driven many entrepreneurs to learn about digital tools. But quite often, majorly in rural areas, although the drive to learn has been observed lately, many find it hard to gain access to the right resources to help them in this direction. Functional Literacy Course is one such initiative by DEF that caters to this need in a structured and guided way and has helped many businesses to thrive on new grounds.
Faisuddeen is an entrepreneur from Chanderi district of Madhya Pradesh. Chanderi town is popular for its sarees with traditional weaving families found on almost every street. A 31 year old weaver himself, Faisuddeen struggled to find new design patterns within the community and to sell his products online when the transport and shops were shut. He was ill equipped to conduct his online bank transactions and was dependent on his friends or children for assistance. After hearing about the free Functional Literacy Course from a neighbour, he enrolled himself and successfully finished the course. Gaining full knowledge about online payment platforms and internet surfing ideas, he not only handles online payments on his own, he also helps others to use it. He is very grateful for the initiative as it has helped boost his self confidence and develop a sustainable model for his business.