#ionline: A1 employees trained residents of Kalinkovichi on online safety

On August 20, A1 held a training on digital competence at the Kalinkovichi district social service center. The company's employees, who were volunteers for the #ionline project, explained to seniors and to people with disabilities how to use an Internet-connected smartphone safely without becoming a victim of fraudsters.

The #ionline project has been carried out at the initiative of A1 and has been uniting those who want to learn how to use a smartphone or mobile Internet or help others learn for four years already. The project is implemented in partnership with the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and with the support of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Belarus.

Similar digiteraсy training events have already been conducted in territorial social service centers in Gomel, Vitebsk, Baranovichi, Grodno, Brest, Mogilev, and in Minsk. Each time, the events were met with great interest.

This time, the event was hosted by the Kalinkovichi district social service center. Participants obtained basic skills for utilizing smartphones and the Internet, and A1 employees provided practical advice on Internet security and the use of digital services to solve everyday problems. A special emphasis was made on countermeasures against online fraudsters. Following the event, the participants were awarded certificates of training completion.

"Our company is a provider of all communication options. Now, the A1 landline network will be available in Kalinkovichi, so local users will be able to become subscribers of home Internet and television, and to become familiar with the digital world easily. We believe that it is important to develop and support initiatives such as #ionline volunteer movement, which enables efficient use of Internet access to the maximum extent possible. The skills learnt during the training will improve the life quality for seniors and people with disabilities by providing them with new opportunities with the help of an Internet-connected smartphone", noted A1's Senior Director for Technology, Vladimir Sachkov.

To make it easier for the participants of the event to understand opportunities provided by mobile Internet access, A1 and the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), with the support of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, have prepared training materials, such as practical advice developed specifically for social workers, and the #ionline-guide with useful instructions for unaided study of smartphone functionality and mobile Internet options. For people with disabilities, "Smartphone is easy!" guide written in plain language is available.

Anyone can join the digital volunteer movement #ionline. Visit the project website https://ionline.a1.by for more details.