E-business without barriers

This project trains people with disabilities in the scope of e-commerce using Allegro platforms. Despite having huge potential, very often disabilities preclude people from applying for regular positions. Allegro training encourages them to overcome this challenge by starting active sales on the internet.

The concept was developed by the Allegro Group educational projects team while working on training programmes directed at groups excluded from the economic mainstream. The team realised that the internet is a perfect tool to overcome hurdles encountered by people with disabilities and invited the Polish Integration Association to cooperate.  This has become a solid partnership.

The programme is conducted monthly in large cities like Warsaw, Cracow, Gdynia, as well as in smaller ones, like ZielonaGóra and Kartuzy. The training takes two days and is conducted over weekends.

Two people from the educational projects team manage logistics for each course while the Polish Integration Association supports the project by recruiting training beneficiaries and promoting the event in its own media. 

Using specially designed demonstration software, which significantly facilitates simulation of preparing an offer and selling an item, training covers:

• Allegro Group as an example of an online business
• opening an account for conducting a business activity
• sale form
• basics of creating effective offers
• listing sample items for sale
• opening a business activity and estimating financial opportunities
• drafting a business plan, law and tax aspects of online sale
• customer service in e-commerce
• acquiring customers
• simulation game

One of the aims of the project is to entrench the image of Allegro Group as a socially sensitive company supporting people deprived of an equal chance in the market through circumstance.

In 2011, Allegro trained almost 300 disabled people by giving them tools and preparing them for their individual operations in the market on an equal footing with non-disabled internet users. As the beneficiaries’ attendance and interest in the project is still very high, Allegro has continued the training series in 2012.

HIV/Aids and tuberculosis

For the past 25 years, Echo paper has carried a supplement focused on adult basic education. Content is supplied by the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the newsprint has been sponsored by Mondi. Themes covered in the supplement include literacy and numeracy skills, as well as educating readers on health issues such as HIV/Aids and tuberculosis.