Selfie, Facebook or Youtube are no longer foreign to some seniors. 40 elderly women and men from Mitoc and Donici localities, Orhei district, received smartphones connected to the Internet, and in a short time they will learn how to use them. These are some of the new beneficiaries selected in the second phase of the intergenerational dialogue program.
Efrosinia Frunze from Donici village is 70 years old and says she wants to learn how to make video calls as a priority: “I can’t wait to catch with my grandchildren and daughter who are living abroad. With the help of the volunteer, I also want to create an account on social networks, to keep up with digital era.”
“The smartphone is a door to any kind of information,” says Irina Strajescu, executive director of the Moldcell Foundation. “Absolutely all of us can learn to use such an Internet-connected tool for different purposes: to find songs we haven’t heard in a while, recipes, to write messages, to read news, articles about gardening, anything,” added Irina Strajescu.
Nigina Abaszada, UNFPA Moldova Resident Representative, spoke to seniors in Donici and Mitoc about how important intergenerational dialogue is, especially during a pandemic.
“The smartphone you received today will help you create a bridge of communication with the younger generation. It is very important to maintain this connection, so that you could keep in touch with your loved ones and feel supported, especially in a pandemic. By having access to the Internet, you will stay connected to social life, you will be able to find out the news, and you will have the opportunity to access social services.”
Elderlies will participate in a series of trainings where, with the help of young volunteers, they will learn how to use smartphones, how to take a photo and post on social networks, how to surf the Internet, how to make audio and video calls, how to pay bills online, etc. The first trainings have already started in Mitoc and Donici.
Caroline Tissot, Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Chisinau: Nowadays, if you do not have a smartphone, many services cannot be used. In order for the elderly not to be excluded from social life, we provided them with smartphones from which they can access various services, they will be in contact with young people in the family, with their relatives abroad. Elderly, with their life experience, have a lot to share with young people, and young people, in return, can introduce them to the digital world. Therefore, these activities will unite them and they will all benefit from the dialogue between the generations.
The project on intergenerational dialogue is funded by the Moldcell Foundation, UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development, and implemented by HelpAge International in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection in 15 localities in Moldova.
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