A charity that works with Google and online course-provider Coursera to train refugees on digital skills commended the wealth of “undiscovered and untapped” human talent among them.
The chief executive of Techfugees, a non-profit organisation set up in 2015 to help refugees pursue a career in the tech industry, said the organisation’s missions were to empower immigrants and dispel negative stereotypes.
“What we want to show is there is an incredible wealth of human talent … rather than paint refugees as a fear or threat,” said Raj Burman.
“So that’s what we’re doing – giving them the right role, guiding them, connecting them to opportunities, but then empowering them [so] that they feel included in society, and they have a voice and they can participate in the digital economy.”
Volunteers at the charity collaborate with, mentor, and teach refugees to use their digital skills and earn significant roles in the progression of innovative tech-based projects – aiming to “provide a pathway for resettlement and safety”.
“It’s incredibly rewarding… [we] don’t see people as refugees, [we] see them as humans and talented individuals who can actually support economic recovery, which is so needed right now,” said the 56-year-old founder.
In collaboration with its tech partners, the organisation awards funded scholarships for certifications to “support their job readiness”.
Mr Burman said the organisation has helped more than 2,000 displaced people so far and aims to connect 1.2 million more to ongoing Techfugees projects over the next three years.
“[Refugees] have tenacity and the perseverance because of the journey they’ve gone through,” Mr Burman said.
“They don’t sit still, there’s a massive appetite to learn – they want to be honourable, they want to support their communities and share knowledge … and that’s a spirit that really energises me to wake up in the morning.
“We’re suffering a labour shortage in the digital sector and we’re bridging that with talent.”
Working with camps in Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, and Lebanon, Techfugees has touchpoints in 40 countries – including a UK office in London – giving refugee camps the support and chance to work in tech and develop their skillset.
“To give you a practical example: at the height of the Covid crisis last year, our team in Kenya who are resident in the Kakuma Kalobeyei refugee camp ... worked with refugees to look at solutions to accelerate the eHealth electronic alerts when Covid outbreaks [occur] in the camp,” Mr Burman said.
“So they worked with The Kenya Trust, they pulled in Google, they pulled in Oracle, and they designed a solution with the refugees and brought that solution to market – that was then handed across to the Kenya Red Cross [who launched the world’s first humanitarian smartphone app] to deliver it.
“We’re also helping women who are internally displaced in the Abuja camp [in Nigeria]. These women are artisans … so we have a team over there, helping the women to trade online.
“We’re looking at ways to bring the right solutions that actually empower people and [allow them] to be included in society,” Mr Burman said.
“I see that they’ve got an amazing quality of skills, their experience, and how that comes together to actually apply aspects of innovation and entrepreneurship together, which are two sides of the same coin.”
TOUR RESULTS AND FIXTURES
June 3: NZ Provincial Barbarians 7 Lions 13
June 7: Blues 22 Lions 16
June 10: Crusaders 3 Lions 12
June 13: Highlanders 23 Lions 22
June 17: Maori All Blacks 10 Lions 32
June 20: Chiefs 6 Lions 34
June 24: New Zealand 30 Lions 15 (First Test)
June 27: Hurricanes 31 Lions 31
July 1: New Zealand 21 Lions 24 (Second Test)
July 8: New Zealand v Lions (Third Test) - kick-off 11.30am (UAE)
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
UAE squad
Ali Kashief, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdelrahman, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Mohmmed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammad Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Eisa, Mohammed Shakir, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Adel Al Hosani, Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah), Waleed Abbas, Ismail Al Hammadi, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai) Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Mahrami (Baniyas)
Company%20profile
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Klopp at the Kop
Matches 68; Wins 35; Draws 19; Losses 14; Goals For 133; Goals Against 82
- Eighth place in Premier League in 2015/16
- Runners-up in Europa League in 2016
- Runners-up in League Cup in 2016
- Fourth place in Premier League in 2016/17
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
