UNFPA and the phone company A1 Belarus have launched a joint digital literacy program for older people presenting a beginner's guidebook to mobile technologies.

Today, 60% of Belarusian pensioners have never used any gadgets or the Internet. Those lucky 40% who know how to use the Internet, do it in a very limited way mostly. This works as a barrier to lead active, fulfilling and quality life in a sense of their inclusion, socialization, and independence, especially in pandemic situations.

To make the initiative sustainable, UNFPA and A1 joint digital literacy program will start a training program for social workers, so they can – with the help of the guidebook – teach their wards mobile technologies.

As well, A1 digital volunteers’ network #ionline will use the guide book when assisting older people to start their digital journey. We believe that new or improved knowledge and then skills in technologies will open up to grandmas and grandpas new opportunities in social and economic life including those living in small towns and rural areas, who have poor smartphone skills.

Besides, the guidebook is available for every older person at all A1 service centers in hardcopies and digitally here, so everyone ho wants to help parents, grandparents or neighbors with digital literacy, can use it as an effective tool.