The #ionline project has been launched in six Belarusian cities where A1 employees will teach digital literacy to senior citizens

Twelve digital literacy workshops for seniors are taking place in six Belarusian cities before the end of 2023. 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 three 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.

Free classes for senior citizens are held in territorial centers of social services, and A1 employees who chose to become project volunteers provide training and share their professional expertise to show what a smartphone with Internet access can do using specific examples. The emphasis during training is placed on such an important area as Internet security, as well as safety rules when encountering phone scammers.

Such workshops are planned to be held in territorial centers of social services in Gomel, Vitebsk, Baranovichi, Grodno, Brest and Mogilev before the end of 2023. The venues for workshops were not selected at random, seeing as senior citizens showed particular interest in the #ionline movement since its launch, and disabled people have been joining in since 2022 to form the primary audience of the project.

Workshop participants receive a certificate of completion, as well as a set of practical skills in the field of digital literacy. The implementation of such project with the support of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection will be another significant step towards achieving the goal defined by the National Strategy referred to as "Active Longevity 2030", aimed at increasing the number of Internet users among the elderly from 40 to 65% by 2030.

To make it easier for the workshop participants to navigate what opportunities mobile Internet access opens up for them, 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 "Smartphone is easy!" guide written in plain language for people with disabilities.

Moreover, this year the #ionline guide with tips for beginner Internet users was updated. Based on results of discussions with social workers who actively use the guide in their work, the manual was supplemented with new useful information. The first version of the guide was released in 2021 with a print run of twenty thousand copies and distributed to all A1 outlets, as well as handed around among social workers.

Everyone is welcome to join the #ionline project. Visit the project website https://ionline.a1.by for more details.