Empowering the Underserved: The Role of Technology in Bridging the Digital Divide

Suhaan Khurana leads the way in digital empowerment with Project Dosti, bridging gaps in rural India.

In a world increasingly shaped by technology, a growing digital divide has left many underserved communities in its wake. In an inspiring effort to close this gap, Suhaan Khurana, a Grade 12 student at Shiv Nadar School, Noida, has launched two pioneering initiatives to drive social change through digital empowerment.

Suhaan’s first project, Project Dosti addresses the pressing need for digital literacy in rural India by increasing access to essential skills and resources.The second initiative, Vocalize, seeks to empower visually impaired and functionally illiterate individuals, leveraging innovative technology to foster greater inclusion and independence.

Suhaan Khurana is the proud co-founder of Project Dosti & founder of the sub-branch Project Codey. At the heart of his efforts lies Project Dosti, a visionary project aimed at bridging the digital divide and providing underprivileged children in rural India access to essential computer learning tools. His journey began with a visit to Bajela, Uttarakhand, where he witnessed firsthand the lack of resources and developmental education, particularly in critical thinking skills. Inspired to take action, he formed a team of 15 dedicated individuals to address these challenges.

The team’s first significant accomplishment was organizing a bake sale fundraiser that raised 50,000, alongside collecting four computer sets through the support of Shiv Nadar School and the HCL Foundation. This initial effort laid the foundation for Project Dosti, which has grown into a larger movement with profound impact. Over the past year and a half, the project has reached 5500+ students across India through his multilingual AI platform Project Codey and multiple computer labs.

His efforts have garnered the support of 50 individuals working nationwide, with 30 team members actively involved in Delhi NCR. The project's chapters rapidly expand, with new initiatives planned in Jaipur, Mumbai, and the Northeast.

Some of the key institutions and communities benefiting from Project Dosti’s digital literacy programs include Laksh Foundation, Bhawani Shanker Inter College in Noida, Mangar in Uttar Pradesh, Bajela Public School, and local community centers. These institutions are now better equipped to provide students with the digital tools and resources they need to thrive in the modern world.

International Acclaim

The significance of Project Dosti extends beyond providing hardware and digital literacy sessions. He and his team have worked tirelessly to develop AI software for coding, allowing students to access cutting-edge technology education. This commitment to expanding educational horizons has now earned Project Dosti prestigious recognition, winning the Impact Initiative by Harvard University. The award provides a platform and the necessary funds to scale the project further, ensuring that more underprivileged children across India can benefit from these initiatives. Additionally, they have also won the Global Youth Action Fund from the International Baccalaureate, giving them more resources to increase their impact.

Being Vocal for Visually Impaired and Functionally Illiterate

Suhaan’s other initiative, Vocalize, addresses a critical issue faced by over 1.1 billion people worldwide who are functionally illiterate, visually impaired, or older generations that have access and face struggle using smartphones. These individuals often struggle with tasks that most of us take for granted, such as ordering medicine, making payments, or navigating apps for basic services. Current technologies like Siri and voice-over tools only offer limited functionality, leaving these individuals dependent on others or requiring extensive time for simple tasks. For instance, a visually impaired person may take up to 10 minutes to book a cab—10 times longer than someone with full vision.

Vocalize is designed to bridge this gap, offering a comprehensive solution that empowers visually impaired, illiterate, elderly, and dyslexic individuals to use their smartphones more effectively and independently. The app features voice-activated commands, eliminating the need for constant physical interaction with phones, and thereby promoting greater self-reliance. It also incorporates 12+ Indian dialects, breaking language barriers and allowing functional illiterates to navigate phones in their preferred language.

A Comprehensive Solution for Businesses and App Developers

Suhaan Khurana’s initiative, Vocalize, is focused not only on empowering individuals but also on supporting businesses and app developers to improve accessibility for their users. Unlike voice assistants like Siri or Alexa, Vocalize operates across multiple apps and ecosystems, facilitating third-party collaborations that allow developers to cater to a broader, more diverse user base. This creates new market opportunities while enabling users of Vocalize to seamlessly access essential services.

With its potential to serve a vast global market, Vocalize aims to foster a more inclusive digital landscape by partnering with businesses, developers, and healthcare providers. Such initiatives exemplify how young Indians are leveraging technology to address societal challenges, bridging the digital divide, and enhancing accessibility for underrepresented communities. By focusing on digital literacy and empowering the visually impaired and functionally illiterate, Suhaan’s work sets a precedent for scalable solutions that promote inclusivity, showcasing the powerful role of technology in advancing equitable access and social welfare.

For more information please visit: https://www.instagram.com/project.dosti/ or, https://www.linkedin.com/in/suhaan-khurana-356355275/