BENGALURU: The lockdown transformed the world overnight, with groceries having to be ordered online, installing and using the Aarogya Setu app, and digital payments becoming the preferred medium. But while people may have the latest gadgets, not many know how to use them. This prompted sisters Shreya Bajaj Shah and Surbhi Bajaj to start virtual classes for families, an initiative that has now been extended to the virtual world.
Called Easy Hai, these classes show people how to master Google Calendar to stay organised, use LinkedIn for professional connections, Facebook and Instagram for beginners, make the most of Facebook groups and pages, click better pictures on iPhone, along with storing them in albums, and how to use Microsoft Excel.
“My mother used to have a whole lot of questions, which is the case with many others. We just fix the issues without explaining details. But now, with the classes, we find that students are able to understand, for instance, the use of a search or help function. Otherwise, they were scared to experiment, not knowing where it would take them,” says Shreya.
The sisters, who are otherwise involved in their family business of PVC pipes, put up a weekly schedule that allows users to pick their classes. While group classes, usually conducted by Shreya, are priced at `150 each, a one-on-one session held by Surbhi is priced between Rs 500 and rs 1,000, depending on the topic. They have recently included personal finance sessions too. The one-hour group classes follow a structure and is interspersed with Q&A. Their “students” range between the ages of 45 and 85 years.
“The response has been overwhelming after we shared it on social media. We’ve had learners sign up from even Thailand and New York,” says Shreya. In addition, they are working with four FICCI FLO chapters – Chennai, Ludhiana, Kanpur and Lucknow. Besides how to use Paytm and Googlepay, the most popular classes are on Instagram and clicking photographs and uploading them on social media. “It took me by surprise that Instagram is hugely popular. But we realised that the older folk see youngsters and want to participate too,” she says.