EXTENDING RURAL YOUTHS' HORIZON

CONCERN......Datuk Jahid Jahim (center) with students at Kampung Bundu Tohuri,Tamparuli.

By : M. IZHAM HASHIM

IPAD-controlled drones, smart-phones and tablet computers dominated the Osindak IT Roadshow at Tamparuli recently.Riding on the Osindak initiative that enjoys full support by the Sabah Government, the internet outreach program broadens its coverage to four rural villages in Tamparuli, where more than 260 youth took part in the 2-day workshop to hone their internet skill and ICT competency.

" This is an exciting time for everyone, especially the youth who have come out to  learn something new from the IT workshops prepared in this program," Assistant Youth and Sports Minister, Datuk Jahid Jahim told the crowd, after launching the program at Kampung Bundu Tohuri.

Datuk Jahid commended families and the youths for their strong support and urged participants to take advantage of the learning opportunity  that had been made available by the Osindak programme.

"The internet brings the world to you, unlocking a sea of information which you can download, share and store at a click of a button," he said.

But Datuk Jahid had a word of caution. He said although the internet is an amazing means of acquiring knowledge, it also has many hidden dangers, and he warned the community against trusting blindly what they see on the internet.

Osindak IT 2012 generated much excitement among the youths of Kampung Bundu Tohuri as they watched a dazzling display of high-tech wizardry that mesmerized them with an ipad-controlled drone,smartphones, a wireless Xbox gaming device and various other gizmos.

"This event is an exciting experience for us because it provides an avenue for the community to acquire knowledge," said 18 year-old Keanny Kisin who is  a college student at Netherlands Maritime Institute of Technology.

For Mercy Andrew, 18, a student from SMK Tamparuli, the internet technology is a valuable resource for research, as information is literally only a click away.

Being part of the  ICT Month program commissioned by the Ministry of Resource Development and Information Technology, the Osindak -IT Roadshow is a grassroots community outreach event which tours rural villages throughout Sabah to initiate the rural folks, especially youths into the world of the internet. (Insight Sabah)