SAN PEDRO DE MACORIS. – Low-income Dominican women will have access to education and promote businesses with the use of the Internet, after being provided with technological equipment by the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel) through the program “Improve yourself”.
For 24 months, two thousand women will have access to telecommunications services via a smart cell phone, partial subsidy and training for the proper use of digital tools.
With this project called “Social Digital Basket”, it seeks to impact single mothers and women with limited resources so that they can develop in the social and labor spheres through an adequate use of digital technologies, including how to use a cell phone intelligently and receive training, do business and transactions over the Internet and learn to use social networks to generate income for their families.
The president of the Board of Directors of Indotel, Nelson Arroyo, when making the announcement in this municipality, explained that these women will receive a subsidy to cover internet access and have a service plan with a cost of RD$1,061.12, of which the beneficiaries will pay RD$200.00 per month and the indotel RD$861.12.00.
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He said that Indotel carries out the project with the aim of contributing to the autonomy and independence of women heads of households in conditions of poverty.
He explained that the basket It will also be implemented in 16 municipalities of 11 provinces such as: Juan Santiago, Neiba, Fundación, Vicente Noble, Pedernales, Consuelo, Los Llanos, Quisqueya, Ramón Santana, Santa Cruz del Seibo, San Ignacio de Sabaneta, Mao, Monte Plata, Hato Mayor del Rey, San Juan de la Maguana and San Pedro itself.
He indicated that the selected women will be provided with a postpaid plan with a 10 GB Basic-Indotel mobile internet service plus a monthly bonus of 10 GB for a total of 20 GB. In addition, a smartphone with a 6.5” screen, 3GB RAM, 64GB of internal storage, HD 720p resolution, 13 MP camera, Android operating system, A/C charger and headphones.
Arroyo stressed that the measure marks a historic and unprecedented initiative to finance internet service for low-income people who are located in remote areas, which is carried out for the first time in the country.
She stated that the initiative also contemplates financing a vast program of “digital training with a gender focus” for beneficiary women, which entails an investment of RD$60 million pesos through the Telecommunications Development Fund (FDT). ) of Indotel, directed by Amparo Arango.
She pointed out that these trainings will help these women to develop in the social and labor spheres through an adequate use of digital technologies.
The plan also contemplates the training of the network of trainers who will replicate said program with women heads of households, beneficiaries of the Demand Subsidy Component of the Connect the Unconnected Project, Biennial Project Plan 2021-2022, highlighted.
This component consists of the implementation of a training program in order to develop skills in the beneficiaries of the project so that they appropriate digital technologies and make productive use of them, according to their needs and those of their communities. .
“The realization of talks, workshops and strategic alliances is contemplated to develop specialized courses in technological matters, in the different locations to impact with the project”, he explained.
The program was already launched in San Juan de la Maguana last Tuesday. During this week, equipment was delivered to the municipalities of Ramon Santana, Los Llanos, Quisqueya and Consuelo, in addition to the province of Monte Plata.
The act, held at the Sports Center of the Sultana del Este, was presided over, in addition to the president of the Indotel board of directors, Nelson Arroyo, by the director of the “Get over yourself” program, Gloria Reyes, the provincial governor, Aracelis Villanueva, and in representative of Altice Dominicana, Mr. Armand Toonen.
Also, Raymundo Ortiz, local mayor, and the pro-government deputy Luis Gómez, as well as aldermen, Indotel officials and other local institutions.
He stated that the Digital Social Basket is one of the components of the 2021-2022 Biannual Plan “Connecting the Unconnected” of the #Indotel Telecommunications Development Fund (FDT) to “Ensure that people in rural and semi-urban areas in conditions of vulnerability and significant levels of poverty use and adopt the Internet and digital technologies in a large part of their specific needs, to achieve their human development”.
