Learn Today, Live Smarter – Digital Literacy for 45+: Bridging the Digital Divide

At the Solutions Festival, participants of School for Social Transformation (SST) 8.0 continued to present community-driven ideas rooted in lived realities. The next presentation was by Fathima Sherin, who introduced her Community Action Project titled “Learn Today, Live Smarter – Digital Literacy for 45+.”

About the Project

Fathima’s project responds to a growing yet often overlooked challenge in communities, digital illiteracy among people above 45 years of age. As everyday services such as banking, government schemes, healthcare access, and communication move to digital platforms, many older adults find themselves excluded.

Having grown up without digital technology, this generation faces a steep learning curve. Fear of making mistakes, anxiety about online fraud, and lack of confidence discourage them from trying. As a result, many depend on others even for basic tasks like online payments, filling forms, or accessing essential information. This dependency affects their independence, dignity, and quality of life.

The Proposed Solution

The project proposes community-based digital literacy programmes designed specifically for older adults, using a simple and empathetic approach that focuses on everyday digital needs through local language and visual, step-by-step methods. Fathima outlined hands-on training with smartphones and basic applications, weekly community sessions with real-life practice, support from youth volunteers as digital guides, and awareness sessions on online safety, fraud prevention, and privacy.

By creating a safe, patient, and supportive learning environment, the initiative aims to replace fear with confidence and dependency with independence, enabling older adults to use digital tools with dignity and self-reliance.

Why It Matters

This presentation highlighted that digital access is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity for dignity and inclusion. Fathima’s project reframes digital literacy as a right, ensuring that older adults are not left behind in a rapidly transforming world.

It reminds us that true development is inclusive only when every generation can participate equally.

A Step Forward

As part of the Solutions Festival, this presentation stood as a commitment to bridge the digital divide at the grassroots. By empowering people above 45 with essential digital skills, the project lays the foundation for confident, independent, and connected communities, where age is no barrier to access, learning, or dignity.