Making a Difference in India
5/12/2008

Susan Moore, Director, Public Policy & Government Affairs, AMD

As we rush through busy days – sprinting from one meeting to the next while proudly scratching items off the “to do list” before adding new ones – do you ever find that you are stopped in your tracks in awe and inspiration because of events occurring around you? Such was the case for me during a recent trip to India.

By way of background, several AMD teams initiated “Project Viveka,” a name derived from the classic Sanskrit word “vivek” that means “the power of intellect.” Employees with AMD India, Public Affairs, 50x15, and our non-profit partner, AIF, collaborated to launch and maintain two 50x15 Learning Labs near our offices in Bangalore and Hyderabad. In addition to building new local ecosystems with industry partners to provide affordable Internet access, the labs were designed to strengthen relations with government officials, recruit community allies and provide volunteer opportunities for interested employees.

In Bangalore, the Government Composite High School, Doddenakundi, was selected as the 50x15 Learning Lab site and it is a now a showcase for the AMD sales team. Equipped with fifteen AMD Athlon™ dual-core processor-based Microsoft® IQ PCs, the lab will provide affordable Internet access to more than 200 students and teachers annually. They not only will benefit from AIF’s on-site technology instructor, but also from anticipated mentoring from our talented Bangalore employees.

Up until the launch of the lab, the project remained fairly one-dimensional for me here in the U.S. It was mere words reflected in emails, calls, draft plans and deadlines.

I was fortunate to attend the lab’s launch and at the outset of the day, it was impossible to foresee the impact of what was to come. Doddenakundi is a government school that is quite limited in financial resources, but wealthy in gifts that money cannot buy. As soon as we arrived, we were warmly embraced and quickly assured that the lab would facilitate a long-lasting and meaningful relationship. From that day, I will always remember the sincerity in the smiles of the teachers, parents and community leaders, the eagerness in the children’s eyes, and the pride in the colorful, cultural dances and songs.

Those memories, however, do not solely belong to me or the Project Viveka working group. They belong to anyone concerned with furthering digital inclusion, including the many employees and executives who continue to ensure that AMD sets the standard for being a responsible global citizen.

So, to each of you who made this possible, thank you. To those of you who actively participate in the 50x15 Initiative or other digital inclusion initiatives moving forward, may your experience be as treasured as mine.

Susan Moore

Read more about Project Viveka