Digital Inclusion & Literacy
Indicators:
- Out of 40,000 participants outside Kigali, including 20,000 women and 1,000 people with disabilities, 70% of participants confirmed using 3 new digital offerings four months after participating in skills development activities, based on examples.
- 280 out of 400 people, 114 of whom are women, who took part in continuing education measures provide an example to prove that they have applied their acquired digital skills in a professional context.
- 1 National strategy document for improved digital participation, developed in consultation with the private sector and civil society, which considers the special needs of women and people with disabilities, has been submitted to the responsible ministry for adoption.
8 target group specific training measures to strengthen digital skills, especially for women and people with disabilities, are developed in collaboration between government, private and civil society actors.
Projects and Their Impact:
Digital skills are becoming increasingly essential for successfully living, learning, and working in the 21st Century and it is important that farmers are not left behind. To make a change, with the support of One Acre Fund, we have been able to train 20,000 farmers in Rwamagana, Musanze and Gakenkew districts in digital literacy skills. These farmers are being trained to use tools on their mobile devices which make running their business more efficient and more profitable. Through this training, 15,000 women, 5,000 men and over 200 People with Disabilities have benefited.
How has the project impacted the lives of these farmers:
- Farmers, majority of whom are women, have gained new knowledge on digital literacy.
- Farmers have been taught how to use OAF ‘Tubura’ USSD and Mobile Money USSD through digital means.
- The farmers have gained new knowledge on financial literacy, with a focus on saving.
Together with our government partners at MINICT and c4iR, we have visited some of the training sites where we observed the interactive format of the training and active participation of the farmers.
RISA’s mandate is to plan and coordinate the implementation of the National ICT for Development agenda. To achieve the goals set forth in this agenda, the IT sector has recently conducted a re-structuring and re-organization targeting IT departments in Government Institutions, dubbed the Sector Digital Office Model. New staff have come onboard, and everyone is expected to support the organization’s mandate. Thus, the need arose to properly build the human capacity of GoR staff. In this context, RISA and GIZ have agreed to organize different project management training courses for public sector ICT staff.
How the project has positively influenced the target audience or community:
- 40 managers from different ministries of GoR have completed the Project Management training offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI), and they are using the skills learned to enhance their productivity. The participants were trained in project management and business analysis.
Rwanda has decided to become a knowledge-based economy. Technology has a crucial role to play in that. A skilled workforce needs to be fostered from an early age. Through various interventions in collaboration with MINICT, GIZ has supported schools in advancing robotics education as part of STEM initiatives. We are currently working on developing national robotics program that will enhance the existing Rwandan curriculum by using Robotics.
How the project has positively influenced the target audience or community
We have supported GS Nkombo with Robotics lab equipment which is currently being used by students to develop their community digital solutions while they learn; such as a blind stick, water pumping systems and others.
After supporting the First Lego League (FFL), we enabled various schools to send students to international robotics competitions. 2 schools went to Morrocco for FLL Africa and other 2 schools went to the USA for global open innovation for Robotics. Briefly, the lives of young students are being changed for the better, Tech oriented carriers are becoming an achievable dream for many kids.
Experiences, Resources, Technologies, or Touch Points:
Experiences:
In collaboration with Rwanda ICT Chamber, GIZ has supported the training of 7500 entrepreneurs living in rural areas on digital literacy. The program enabled the trained entrepreneurs to use internet, computers, and other electronic devices to efficiently do their business and enhance productivity. GIZ also worked with RISA to run Digital Ambassadors Program that aimed to train all citizens about digital literacy.
Some customer success stories or testimonials:
“We appreciate the support and efforts you are providing to train our citizens on digital literacy. We definitely see the impact because the number of citizens who used to come to seek support on different services such as Irembo, Mutuel, Ejo Heza, Babyl, and others has reduced because most of them are now able to get those services by themselves using the skills acquired from those training programs. That is even making our work easier and we save time to tackle other issues and support other citizens with different issues”. The Sector Executive’s comment on Digital Ambassadors Program.
“I am now able to use a computer specifically Microsoft Excel to record all my transactions as I grow my business. Thanks to GIZ and Government of Rwanda for thinking of us and bringing this training program. I wish the program can be extended and expanded to support my fellow colleagues who did not get a chance to join”. A businesswoman from Rutsiro district said on Ihuzo Tech Program.
“I am one of the trained trainers on digital literacy by Rwanda ICT Chamber in partnership with GIZ, Digital Transformation Center Rwanda. I use the skills learned in my daily life to grow my business by recording all transactions in Excel sheet, writing business letters using Word document, and using Premier Pro to edit videos from our clients. I am transferring those skills to my fellow citizens through training them so that they can also use them for their development”. A trained trainer’s comment on Ihuzo Tech Program by Rwanda ICT Chamber in partnership with GIZ/DSSD.
Communities bring stakeholders from both public and private institutions together and encourage Rwandans interested in the above topics to innovate solutions to the existing problems.
Got a challenge?
Call us: +250 785 151 218 or
Email: dtc-rwanda@giz.de
