Digital Literacy for Indigenous Communities

The specific problem we are working to solve is the lack of access to digital tools and resources for indigenous communities. This problem is widespread and affects many marginalized groups globally. In many indigenous communities, the lack of access to digital tools limits their ability to engage with the broader world, access information and services, and participate in the digital economy.

Indigenous communities are among the least connected populations in the world, with internet penetration rates as low as 16%. In addition, many indigenous languages and cultures are at risk of being lost due to the lack of access to digital tools and resources.

Our project aims to address this problem by providing digital literacy training to indigenous communities, with a focus on improving their access to and use of digital tools. By doing so, we hope to empower these communities to connect with the broader world, access information and services, and participate in the digital economy. The potential impact of our solution is significant, as it has the potential to improve the lives of millions of indigenous people globally who currently lack access to digital tools and resources.

Our solution is called "Digital Literacy for Indigenous Communities". It's a program that provides digital literacy training to indigenous communities, with the aim of improving their access to and use of digital tools. The program is designed to empower these communities by teaching them basic computer skills, such as using email, browsing the internet, and creating and sharing digital content. The program uses a combination of online resources and in-person training sessions to deliver the curriculum. The technology used for the program includes computers, internet connectivity, and digital tools such as Microsoft Office and Google Suite. Our solution aims to bridge the digital divide by providing indigenous communities with the skills and tools they need to access information and services, connect with the broader world, and participate in the digital economy.

The target population are indigenous communities from Paraguay, who lack access to digital tools and digital literacy skills. These communities are currently underserved in terms of technology and digital access, which limits their ability to participate in the digital economy, access information and services, and connect with the broader world. Our solution aims to provide digital literacy training to these communities, which will empower them to use digital tools to improve their lives, access new opportunities, and connect with others. By providing this training, we hope to bridge the digital divide and create more equitable access to technology for indigenous communities.

Our non-profit organization has years of experience working with indigenous communities in Paraguay, it is well-positioned to deliver this solution. The organization has already established social capital with these communities, working closely with them since 2014. Our team understand the unique challenges faced by indigenous communities in accessing and using digital tools.

As our organization develops the solution, we actively seek input and ideas from these communities, working together and designing and implementing solutions with their needs and agendas in mind. Our organization is using a human-centered approach, ensuring that the solution is inclusive and meets their unique needs.

Fundación Natán's experience in working with indigenous communities in Paraguay and our established relationships with these communities position us well to deliver this solution. 

We are applying to seek financial support for our solution. As a non-profit organization, we have limited resources and funding to develop and scale our solution to reach more communities in need. We hope that Solve can provide us with the financial support necessary to overcome this barrier and enable us to expand our reach and impact. Additionally, we believe that the network of partners and experts that Solve offers can provide us with valuable technical and market expertise to help us refine and improve our solution. By partnering with Solve, we hope to accelerate our progress towards achieving our mission of providing improved civic action learning opportunities for underserved indigenous communities.

Because it integrates technology and community-based learning to create a new way of teaching and learning civic engagement skills. By using an online platform, we can provide access to civic action learning to a wider range of learners, regardless of their location, socioeconomic status, or access to resources. Our platform also allows us to track learner progress and provide personalized feedback and support to help them develop core social-emotional learning skills.

Our approach is unique because it is co-created and co-designed with indigenous communities in Paraguay. This means that the solution is tailored to meet the specific needs, challenges, and cultural contexts of these communities. Our team has years of experience working with indigenous communities and has built strong relationships with them. This allows us to engage them in the design and implementation of the solution, ensuring that it is meaningful, relevant, and impactful for their lives.

Our solution could catalyze broader positive impacts by inspiring others to adopt a community-based approach to designing and delivering civic engagement education. By showing that community engagement is essential to creating effective and culturally relevant solutions, we hope to influence the wider education sector to adopt similar practices.

In terms of changing the market, our platform could disrupt the traditional classroom-based model of civic engagement education by providing a more flexible, accessible, and personalized learning experience. This could encourage other organizations to embrace the use of technology in education and to develop more innovative and inclusive approaches to learning.

Our impact goals for the next year are to:

1. Pilot our solution with at least 50 indigenous youth in Paraguay, providing them with access to improved civic action learning opportunities that build core social-emotional learning skills and help them acquire key civic skills and knowledge.

2. Collect feedback from participants and adjust the program accordingly to ensure that it is meeting the needs of the target population.

3. Develop partnerships with local schools and community organizations to scale our program to reach more indigenous youth in Paraguay.

Our impact goals for the next five years are to:

1. Scale our program to reach at least 1,000 indigenous youth across Paraguay, providing them with the skills and knowledge needed to become active and engaged citizens.

2. Develop and distribute a comprehensive training package that can be used by schools and community organizations throughout Paraguay to facilitate improved civic action learning opportunities.

3. Partner with local and national government agencies to integrate our program into the broader curriculum for indigenous youth in Paraguay, ensuring that it becomes a sustainable and long-term solution to the lack of civic education opportunities in the country.

To achieve these goals, we will work closely with our partner organizations in Paraguay to identify and recruit participants, develop and implement our program, and evaluate its impact. We will also seek out additional funding and partnerships to support our efforts to scale our program and reach more youth.

• Number of students enrolled in the program
• Percentage of students who complete the program
• Improvement in students' academic performance (e.g., increase in test scores)
• Number of teachers trained on the program's pedagogical approach
• Number of schools adopting the program
• Improvement in students' socio-emotional skills (e.g., increase in self-awareness or empathy)
• Increase in students' engagement in civic and community activities
• Number of partnerships established with local organizations and community groups to support the program
• Increase in the number of students from marginalized or underrepresented communities who participate in the program.

Our theory of change is based on the idea that providing indigenous communities with access to relevant and culturally appropriate civic education through digital literacy, will empower them to engage in effective civic action, leading to greater social cohesion, improved well-being, and more equitable decision-making. Our activities include developing and delivering culturally sensitive civic education materials, working closely with indigenous community leaders to ensure relevance and appropriateness.

Our immediate outputs will be increased digital literacy, civic knowledge, skills, and confidence among indigenous community members. These outputs will lead to longer-term outcomes such as increased community engagement in decision-making processes, improved social cohesion and well-being, and greater equity in the distribution of resources and opportunities.

We believe that this theory of change is supported by existing research on the impact of civic education and community-based action, as well as our own experience working with indigenous communities in Paraguay. Through ongoing monitoring and evaluation, we will continue to refine our approach and ensure that our activities are having the desired impact.

Our solution is primarily powered by a technology platform that allows us to connect learners with educators and community leaders in order to facilitate experiential learning experiences. The platform is designed to be accessible via both mobile and desktop devices, and includes features such as discussion forums, video conferencing capabilities, and online resources. Additionally, our solution incorporates a range of traditional and indigenous knowledge systems in order to provide learners with a diverse range of perspectives and approaches to civic action learning. We also leverage AI and machine learning algorithms to personalize the learning experience for each individual learner based on their unique needs and preferences. Finally, we use data analytics to measure the impact of our solution and continuously improve the effectiveness of our approach.

Our team recognizes the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work. Our leadership team is made up of individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences, and we strive to ensure that our team members and partners represent the communities we serve. We also prioritize the inclusion of diverse perspectives in the development and implementation of our solutions to ensure that they meet the needs of all communities.

As a non-profit organization, our primary goal is to create social impact rather than generating revenue. We provide our digital learning platform for free to indigenous communities in Paraguay to ensure equitable access to education. We rely on grants, donations, and partnerships with organizations that share our values and vision to sustain our operations and expand our reach to more communities. We also offer training and capacity-building programs for educators, community leaders, and indigenous organizations to support the implementation of our platform and ensure its effectiveness.

Our plan for becoming financially sustainable is to develop a diversified revenue stream that includes a combination of sustained donations and grants and service contracts to governments. In the short term, we will focus on securing grants and donations from foundations and government entities to cover our operational and programmatic expenses. In the medium term, we plan to develop income-generating activities such as training programs, consulting services to generate revenue. In the long term, we aim to build a social enterprise model where we can leverage revenue from our income-generating activities to scale and sustain our impact. Additionally, we will explore the possibility of raising investment capital to support our growth and expansion.

Our organization has been active since 2014, relying on grants and donors to fund our work. However, the pandemic had a significant impact on our income, so we had to explore alternative revenue streams. As a result, we started offering advisory services to companies that work with indigenous communities, prioritizing their customs and traditions. This has been successful so far, generating revenue that we can reinvest in our mission to support indigenous peoples' rights and well-being. We are continuously exploring new opportunities for revenue generation while staying true to our mission and values.