A tutor helps girls pick up computer skills at the training centre run by Navendu Kumar. Telegraph picture

A few years ago a computer was a reformed television set for Juli Kumari. Today, with an NRI’s noble initiative, the 17-year-old girl boasts of 77 friends on Facebook.

Juli was a student of Computer Training Centre, a rare tutorial for village girls opened by NRI banker Navendu Kumar (39).

Navendu, who has a white-collared job with Merrill Lynch in New York but his FB display picture shows him on a bicycle with cow dung cakes loaded in the background, has been running a school that imparts basic computer training to girls of Laukahi in Madhubani around 200km from Patna.

With 20 computers connected to the Internet, a tablet, a generator, a projector and a big screen, the tiny learning centre has brought about positive changes among the girls.

Navendu, with roots in Belhi village in Madhubani and quite near to Laukahi, had decided to start the centre in 2013 for free. In the first batch, 20 girls took admission, while in the second and third, 40 and 35 girls were on rolls. Initially in 2013, Navendu took two months leave from his US job so that he could visit his village and impart training. Now, his first-batch students are mentoring the second- and third-batch students.

“Only computer education cannot help. I think computer and Internet are just tools and if they are used constructively they can do wonders. Change will come only when the mindset of the girls change. When they will use computers in their studies, be aware of their rights and respect, have a plan for their financial independence, talk openly against dowry with family and friends and talk about equality between both genders. Only then there will be a change. With so many free resources available on the Internet, their lives can be drastically improved if they learn to use it constructively. This would also help them apply for local jobs where they seek computer knowledge. My first-batch students have taken up jobs recently,” said Navendu.

He said the centre has a different approach compared to many other training houses. “We are not just providing free training on the basics of computer but also talk about social evils like dowry regularly. We show recordings of Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate and other such social videos regularly. I cite real-life examples on how girls are making their presence felt in society,” he said. Navendu also takes two classes a week through Skype. Recently, he even provided a tablet to the centre. “Students take the tablet home one at a time. They can do almost everything on the 8-inch tablet with a built-in pen that helps in working on Microsoft Office,” said Navendu.

Juli, a first-batch student at the centre and now a mentor, said: “I always thought computers are better versions of televisions. Computers have empowered the girls of my village. This knowledge would help us get jobs. I have also made friends on Facebook where I can mingle with people and boost my knowledge further.”