14 Apr 2023
Greece: Narrowing the digital gap in education
The new digital literacy classes for refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers are so far aimed at the people currently residing in the Temporary Reception Centre Blažuj in Sarajevo. Here, people can learn how to set up an email account and search on the internet, but they are also offered guidance to better understand the risks in accessing digital technology, and they should learn how to mitigate some of these risks.
‘People don't stay at Reception Centres for very long, so we want to provide them with as much knowledge as we can as quickly as possible. We have developed an intense schedule of computer lectures for a start. Based on the experiences and feedback, classes are adjusted and tailored to fit the needs of the audience and work to convey knowledge that will be helpful as they travel on to their envisioned destinations," explains Community-based Protection Officer, Adem Omerović.
The DRC teams include cultural mediators and interpreters who help deliver IT training and information that will aid people on the move and in their social integration.
"This course was very useful because it helped me to maintain contact with some family members through email and also explore the valuable data about countries on my route. My aim is to reach Italy, where I have relatives and where I hope to get a better life," said Mohammad from Afghanistan.
The DRC internet café and classes are critical for those who don’t have mobile phones to maintain the connection with family members and friends. They can freely use the equipment that is available in the café where laptops, headsets, and cameras are installed.
‘I lost my phone while I was trying to reach Croatia. The group I was in was split and I had to return to Sarajevo. The only way I could reach my colleagues and family was through an internet cafe. Now I'm getting access but also learning a lot of new things. I'm researching on topics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also France, where my brother lives, and where I want to go,’ Adel from Morocco told.
See also: DRC donates eight laptops for the Canton Sarajevo Health Center | DRC Danish Refugee Council