Click_A, an initiative of the Red Cross in Andalusia to reduce the digital divide

Click_A is an initiative of the Red Cross in Andalusia that contributes to reducing digital gaps through a comprehensive intervention with people in situations of social vulnerability, carried out by volunteers. They are provided with the necessary means, as well as training in digital skills, knowledge and competencies so that they can function autonomously, effectively and safely in the new digital environments, guaranteeing their adequate participation and interaction in the exercise of their social rights. Digital volunteering channels solidarity to achieve full digital inclusion.

The Spanish Red Cross in Andalusia is committed to a comprehensive intervention with vulnerable people, which includes actions that improve their capacities and opportunities to advance their social inclusion.

Among these actions, we consider that the development of the digital capacities, skills and competencies of the population is essential and necessary.

We promote the reduction of social inequalities that cause the digital divide in a society and an increasingly digitized environment, facilitating access to the job market and professional development, access to education, social and health services, access and use of procedures telematics with the Administration or financial entities, market and consumer offers, leisure, entertainment or social and human relations, for a socially fair and inclusive Digital Transformation of Andalusia.

The concept of digital divide has been changing over time, referring to connectivity, the availability of internet access and its resources, as well as the skills in the use thereof by people and how they manage to take advantage of them.

The digital society in which we live requires facilitating universal access to ICTs in order to reduce the gap in its different dimensions and achieve access to technology that can be used productively, in order to improve the quality of life of people and ensure the full inclusion and exercise of their rights in the digital society. There are thousands of people who need to improve their digital knowledge and skills.

Click_A responds closely to the needs of society in terms of digital skills, knowledge and competencies, seeking to generate improvements in the lives of people in vulnerable situations, effectively and efficiently. In addition, it is supported by solidarity and social participation through volunteer actions. Volunteers are those people who, in a close, humane, adapted and personalized way, accompany the people who need to learn to function adequately in digital environments and achieve better social inclusion as digital citizens.

A digital citizen has the right to access ICT and the development of digital and technological skills and competencies, to access information online in a secure, transparent and private way, as well as to participation through technological means. In this digitized society in which, if you do not have certain skills, you are left out, excluded, and you cannot take part.

Our mission focuses on providing efficient and effective support to reduce the digital divide of groups in vulnerable situations, maintaining a focus on defending the social rights of users.

We provide them with the training as well as the means and resources necessary to carry out the digital processes and procedures related to the pattern (requests, follow-ups, etc.) in different essential public services (social, health, administrative, educational…), guaranteeing access to their essential rights as a person, favoring their autonomy and promoting their social inclusion in the face of deficiencies or difficulties/gaps in access (loan of devices, connection), skills (training in digital skills) and use of ICT.

Everything is coordinated through a team of mixed referents, made up of technical staff and volunteers, with implementation at the regional, provincial and local level, who are in charge of the organization and management of activities with the methodology and resources according to the needs, knowledge and skills of the person or group of people, as well as the scope or development of digital skills that need to be acquired or developed within the framework of a predefined intervention itinerary, adapted and agreed with each person.

The activities, according to their nature and purpose, profile and level of the recipients, as well as the possibilities and necessary means, may be telematic/online, (telephone, videoconference) as well as face-to-face, carried out individually or in groups. We promote main types of activities:

–  Digital Workshops: Digital volunteers, through these activities, accompanies and guides people with little digital skills to take their first steps with technology, as well as the use of different communication and operational possibilities offered through Internet, office automation, administrative procedures, purchases, banking procedures, etc. They have an essentially practical component of accompaniment and personal support to carry out certain actions through technology.

– Digital Talks: They are configured as informative or awareness-raising group sessions, which focus on the different needs regarding the use and trust in technology, aimed at a population that already has a minimum knowledge of digital skills and is more or less accustomed to the use of technology.

– Digital Content: Generated and disseminated in our communication channels (blog, web, social networks, messaging services …) as information, awareness or tutoring actions related to digital technologies and skills.

– Socio-technological Laboratory. In collaboration with other entities, projects and initiatives, digital volunteers participate in testing, analysis, validation and advice activities on social technologies (devices, apps, processes) resulting in personal autonomy.

Red Cross in Andalucía has been managing this digital volunteer network for more than 13 years, in which more than 4,000 volunteers have helped to improve the digital skills of more than 230,000 users, in more than a hundred Andalusian towns.

Thanks to the capillarity and wide territorial presence of our organization, this volunteer service is distributed throughout Andalusia, which allows to reach practically all Andalusian municipalities in a simple, fast and low cost way.

Our intervention is aimed at people of all ages, residents of Andalucía, preferably in a situation of social vulnerability, who are receiving attention by the Red Cross, and who need to improve their digital inclusion. We organize actions specifically designed and adapted for the elderly, childhood, youth and families, the unemployed, migrants, women …

We estimate an annual participation of around 10,000 people served.