ConnectED in Colombia with unconnected.org

Project status: Closed

Country: Colombia

Partner: unconnected.org

Impact goal: 5000

About the project

The connectED project along the Amazon River in Colombia is a visionary endeavor aimed at establishing connectivity for ten remote schools in rural areas, granting them access to the internet for the first time. By doing so, unconnected.org aspires to level the educational playing field, enabling students and educators to retain their cultural heritage while acquiring new skills.

Results

The results of the project aligned closely with the initial expectations. Unconnected.org successfully connected the 10 communities along the river, though they discovered that the learning curve for adopting digital technologies was steeper than anticipated. It took some time to get the project fully underway, they first needed to engage with community leaders to ensure they were informed about the initiative and its potential positive impacts, while also discussing any challenges that could arise. This required a gradual introduction of internet services within the communities.

Across the 10 communities, there’s now a total of 1,447 people with access to connectivity. Unconnected.org connected 10 indigenous schools, providing free internet access to around 770 students and 15 teachers. One key benefit is that the teachers have formed an online community group across all the schools. This group has created an online library of digital resources, enabling the exchange of experiences and the development of intercultural pedagogical practices.

In addition to education, local community projects in tourism and crafts is strengthened by this connectivity. For example, communities are now exporting crafts to other areas and managing their tourism activities more effectively. There is also improved communication between indigenous governments, organizations, and the state, helping to facilitate collaboration and coordination.

In terms of healthcare, while the communities maintain a strong focus on traditional medicine, they have started to research specific illnesses and how they are treated in other parts of the world. This allows them to integrate new medical knowledge into their existing practices.

Challenges

There were some unforeseen challenges that were worked through alongside the community leaders and Unconnected.org's local partner. Initially, the connectivity was implemented at the school and later expanded to the wider community. At first, many people were gathering around the school to access the internet, which wasn’t ideal, especially since the local implementation partner had not activated the child-friendly filtering features on the school’s connectivity. They had to remotely enable those features from their end.

This experience has since become a best practice for Unconnected.org, where they now ensure that child protection filters are enabled before deployment, allowing the local partner to disable them if needed. This process adjustment was informed by the lessons learned from this project and was handled collaboratively with community leaders. It was an important and valuable learning experience.

About the partner

Unconnected.org is a nonprofit organization committed to bridging the digital divide by providing connectivity solutions to underserved communities worldwide. They focus on engaging local communities to foster long-term sustainable projects, empowering individuals and promoting economic growth. Their initiatives target students, women, refugees, and underserved areas, aiming to enhance opportunities and foster digital inclusion. With a focus on sustainability, their projects are designed to require minimal ongoing funding while continuously expanding access to connectivity and fostering local economies.

Visit their website here to learn more about them.