Promoting digital literacy through the Digital Ambassadors Programme and the e-learning platform atingi
Digital literacy is a cornerstone of Rwanda's knowledge economy. How the Digital Ambassadors Programme reaches the last-mile citizen — and how the atingi platform extends the curriculum across all 30 districts.
he Government of Rwanda has embarked on an inclusive digital transformation journey in which digital literacy is the cornerstone of a knowledge-based economy. Over the past two decades, Rwanda has witnessed unprecedented growth in which ICT is treated as an enabler — for government operations, public service delivery, citizen participation, policy and decision making, governance reforms and business promotion.
The Digital Ambassadors Programme
The Digital Ambassadors Programme (DAP) is an initiative led by the Rwandan Ministry of ICT and Innovation (MINICT) aimed at increasing the number of digitally literate citizens and their use of e-Government and e-Business services. Digital Ambassadors manage Service Access Points in all 30 districts in Rwanda and offer digital literacy skills to citizens. It is an innovative way to reach the last-mile citizen in rural areas, where proximity plays a key role in building trust between citizens and the Ambassador.
Initially, Ambassadors were given a printed booklet of about 16 pages. The last pages have empty lines where citizens can take notes and respond to quizzes. During trainings, a quick demo is typically provided using either a feature phone or a smartphone.
Accessing content on the e-learning platform atingi
To support the Ambassadors in their role training citizens on digital skills, the e-learning platform atingi was introduced. On atingi, content is accessible on any device, anywhere and anytime — for young people and for citizens in rural regions. The courses cover a wide range of topics: vocational orientation, digital transformation, health and entrepreneurship.
Offline access through the atingi hub
To reach areas with low or no bandwidth, an offline hub was developed: a box containing an offline version of atingi with a few sample courses, powered by a Raspberry Pi mini-computer. The box can be connected to the internet when needed (e.g. to synchronise a forum) but works offline in places where the internet has not yet penetrated.
In the near future, Digital Ambassadors will be provided with Raspberry Pis loaded with selected content. The Ambassador travels with this atingi offline hub, carries it to different locations — for instance, for citizen training — and synchronises it whenever they return to the district office. It is a practical solution to offline challenges in the country.
— From the field
