Belgium/8 communes and CPAS in Walloon Brabant join forces to combat the digital divide
We've all felt a little at a loss when faced with the ever-increasing role of digital technology in our daily lives. Filling in an online form to get a bonus, installing an app to pay for parking - it's not easy for everyone, and it's not just a question of age.
To combat this digital divide, eight communes and CPAS have joined forces to respond to a call for projects from the Federal Government's "Digit Help" program. They have just been awarded a substantial subsidy of 154,000 and 113.000 euros to jointly launch a digital help desk... "The idea is to help anyone who encounters a computer difficultyand don't necessarily know who to turn to", says Raphaël Szuma, President of Waterloo's CPAS.
Two mobile digital helpers
These digital helpers will soon be recruited to be operational from January. The profile sought is not that of computer scientists, but rather bachelors in communications, with a strong attraction for the digital field and teaching qualities. "The idea is to reach out to people and explain how these tools work, to allay their fears," he continues.
The Waterloo CPAS is piloting the project, but eight other municipalities or their CPAS are also involved (Beauvechain, Hélécine, La Hulpe, Lasne, Villers-la-Ville, Rebecq, Waterloo, Wavre). The two coordinators will be on call in these communities. "There's a logic of economies of scale and efficiency to enable the smallest communes to benefit from their expertise", explains Raphaël Szuma. Smaller entities often find it difficult to finance this kind of initiative on their own.
Source: www.rtbf.be/
