COVID-19 pandemic: Google is empowering female Internet saathis in India

As the COVID-19 pandemic affects almost all sections of the society, Google has said that its focus in Asia Pacific has been on three priorities: contributing to the immediate health response, helping people learn and work from home and supporting the small businesses most affected. The company said in a statement late Tuesday that in India, it is helping female internet "saathis" (or trainers) share authoritative health advice with their networks in rural villages.

"Our team in India has helped local governments share the location of night and food shelters on Google Maps," said Scott Beaumont President, Asia Pacific.

Google started showing the locations of COVID-19 test centers on Google Maps, Search and Assistant in Indonesia, before extending the feature to other countries around the world, including India, Korea and the Philippines. In Korea, the Google News Initiative is offering weekly sessions training journalists on how to identify misinformation.

The COVID-19 pandemic began spreading across Asia Pacific in January, affecting millions of people directly. Learners from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to have their schooling disrupted and their progress held back.

"So as part of Google.org's $10 million Distance Learning Fund, we're extending a $1 million grant to INCO. This funding will support nonprofits in mainland China, Indonesia, Hong Kong and the Philippines as they help underprivileged students with access to home learning," informed Beaumont.

As Asia Pacific confronts the effects of COVID-19, gOggle said it will continue to stand by the region's people, business and communities for as long as it takes, and help rebuild when the time is right.