- 59 elderly women across three provinces in South Africa underwent a course in tech and online 101 thanks to Vuma and non-profit goGOGOgo.
- The gogos were taught basics like setting calender reminders, enabling WiFi, contacting friends and family on social media, navigating WhatsApp and installing apps, among other aspects.
- While these skills can be like second nature to millennials and Gen-Z individuals, for many elderly people they could seem quite arcane.
A new initiative from fibre network provider Vuma has seen 59 “gogos” undergo digital education with a mission to equip elderly women with basic digital skills, something that has become nearly essential in the overly online world we live in.
The initiative, a collaboration between Vuma and non-profit foundation goGOGOgo, is called “iGOGO – Gogos With Vuma” and it took place across the Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal (KZN) and in Gauteng.
If you’re lucky enough to have a grandmother, or elderly person in your life or home, you may know or have lived the meme of them asking you to be their tech liaison. For some elderly people, even getting the HDMI on the smart TV is impressively difficult.
For this reason, the training that the gogos underwent is basic. This includes being taught how to turn tablets on and off, adjust the volume, set reminders on calendar apps, save contacts, navigate WhatsApp and YouTube, install apps, create and use email addresses, enable mobile data and WiFi, and manage Google profiles and Book Dash.
Many elderly people, especially from underprivileged or rural backgrounds have never experienced any of these aspects of tech, which may be second nature to millennials or Gen Z individuals who grew up in the rapidly digitising world.
To that end, the two-week programme is a vital one for the gogos, who live in a country that is becoming increasingly more obsessed with the internet, and all things digital.
“This programme has brought us out of the digital darkness and into the light. It has given me a sense of independence because now I can operate a smartphone and keep in touch with my loved ones without having to ask for too much help,” said Sylvia Ntombentsha Badi who completed the programme.
“It was wonderful to see the dedication our students showed. They were all eager and very enthusiastic which made them a joy to teach,” added Thando Mokoena, one of the trainers of the programme.
Beyond the basics, the gogos were also taught more nuanced aspects of the internet, including how to use social media to connect with family and friends, use online shopping, access egovernment services, online safety, security and how to explore other educational platforms on the internet.
Vuma says that future sessions may go into even greater detail.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of this programme is being able to see how the gogos and mkhulus start the programme being scared to touch the screen of their tablet and towards the end of the programme, they use apps and send texts like teenagers,” adds Bradley Chauke, Project Manager.
“It has been heartwarming to see how quickly the gogos have picked up these skills and we are excited to see the impact this will have on their lives and the lives of their grandchildren,” says Taylor Kwong, Head of Marketing and CSI at Vuma.
Kwong added that the firm plans to launch another ‘Gogos with Vuma’ initiative in the near future. Of course, while the initiative of teaching free digital skills to elderly individuals is a decidedly good thing it also opens up a new avenue of customers to Vuma and internet providers. When gogos become more in tune with the benefits of the online world, they’ll need service providers to get on the World Wide Web.
In July, Vuma teamed up with NGO Girl Code to help the digital skills trainer expand the propagation of coding skills in schools in Soweto, and Eldorado Park in Gauteng.
[Image – Provided]
