Labourers at the Al Ahmedia camp in Al Quoz are among hundreds who have benefited from basic computer literacy lessons, courtesy of the Indian Consulate.
Diplomatic teams have set up an Internet facility at the camp and have been teaching Indian nationals to use it. They have drafted in professional help from Dubai Internet City and NIIT, the Dubai affiliate of one of India's largest computer training institutions.
Gone are the days when these labourers sent handwritten letters to their relatives back home. Some of the e-mails are sent to India Post and in turn forwarded to postal addresses in India.
Ravi Kumar, one of the labourers, said: "I was one of the few who received lessons from NIIT. They taught me how to scan letters, how to log on to the Internet and e-mail. Today I can even train anyone who wants to learn how to do these things.
"Since the computer has been installed there is always someone who wants to send an e-mail back home. There are many who are yet to gain speed in typing. So they just write down the letter and give it to me. I then help them send it by e-mail," he said.
Some of labourers with children back home are able to communicate with them regularly over email.
Gangaram, another labourer, said: "We are lucky as this is the only labour accommodation with a computer, thanks to our Indian Consulate. I had always thought that people who operate computers have to be very highly qualified, but now my perspective has changed. It can be operated by anyone and now I am able to do it."
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