Meta, in partnership with the the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), National Youth Services Council (NYSC), Sarvodaya Fusion, Hithawathi, and Child Protection Force, has brought Instagram Parents’ Guide to Sri Lanka to provide a better understanding of the features that keep teenagers and youth safe and help them have positive experiences on the platform.
To learn how to keep adolescents safe and help them have a positive experience on Instagram, download the Instagram Parents’ Guide for Sri Lankan parents, available in Sinhala here:<Click to view the guide>

‘We Think Digital’ is Meta’s global digital literacy program that aims to develop digital skills to create a positive and safe culture online. In 2020, the program was launched in Sri Lanka by Meta in partnership with Sarvodaya-Fusion’s ‘IT Yahamaga’ initiative, which is supported by the Ministry of Education, and the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA). This collaboration helped educate students, youth, and adults with the necessary skills to become responsible digital citizens. 

In 2021, a new program was introduced with the goal of educating school and university students, psycho-social counsellors, youth club members, and women across the country on the effective and ethical use of digital tools while being cautious and conscious of their online safety and teaching them to be confident digital citizens. 

The new pilot is predominantly aimed at increasing inclusivity in the society by focussing on children and youth with hearing impairment and hearing-loss. It will be carried out as a national-level program with the partnership of the Non-formal and Special Needs Unit of the Ministry of Education, ICTA, Meta, and the Sri Lanka Central Federation of the Deaf (SLCFD).

Meta Public Policy Manager for Connectivity and Access Policy Tahani Iqbal said, “In today’s world, it’s crucial to know how to navigate the digital space and make it more inclusive. Through a program like ‘We Think Digital’, we are providing necessary skills and awareness about online behaviour and how to become better digital citizens. It’s truly gratifying to see this program take on a life of its own and help connect people with disabilities to new opportunities.”

‘We Think Digital’ with ‘IT Yahamaga’ is designed to break social and physical barriers and ensure that communities with disabilities are made aware of how technology can be used to improve their quality of life and gain more opportunities while ensuring a safe digital environment. The program content is curated to suit two target audiences; schoolchildren aged 14-18 years and youth aged above 18 years. These programs will be carried out in-person, with sign language interpretation, including visually appealing content and slide decks to maintain interest and engagement.

Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement President Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne commented on the initiative saying, “It is our firm belief at Sarvodaya that technology is the way of the future, not only in creating opportunities for people but also to increase inclusivity and bridge inequality and connect people. It is with a great sense of pride that we introduce the We Think Digital program alongside our IT Yahamaga initiative for people with hearing-impairment, with the goal of not only creating a safe environment online, but also providing a platform for those children and youth who are challenged due to physical ailments, to significantly improve their quality of life.” 

In Sri Lanka, there are approximately 25 actively operating schools for hearing-impaired students, and the students from said schools will be reached out through the partnership of the Non-formal and Special Needs Unit of the Ministry of Education. Those who are above the age of 18 will be reached out through the Sri Lanka Central Federation of the Deaf. 

Sarvodaya-Fusion has a strong belief that technology can be used to bridge the gap between equality and inclusivity in society. It is for this reason that this pilot program aims to start off with this specific segment. The need to educate the vulnerable and often excluded communities on the safe and ethical use of the online world is of paramount importance. It is expected with the outcomes and learnings of this pilot, to reach out to many other disabled communities in the future. 

Sarvodaya-Fusion, the ICT for Development arm of Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, is working with Google to bring the ‘Be Internet Awesome’ programme to Sri Lanka. Be Internet Awesome is Google’s free program designed to teach kids the fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety in a fun and engaging format so they can explore the online world with confidence. It also includes resources for educators and families.

The programme is set to be carried out nationally, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education and the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA).

Ms. Maithree Malwattegoda, General Manager of Sarvodaya-Fusion said, “With learning moving online during the pandemic, the need for children, parents and teachers to have a better understanding of safe and ways to use the internet is greater than ever. This is why we are thrilled to be able to introduce this global programme to Sri Lankan children, with this collaboration with Google.”

‘Be Internet Awesome’ is an activity-based programme with 5-lessons on being Internet Smart, Internet Alert, Internet Strong, Internet Kind and Internet Brave. The programme will be conducted online and offline due to the uncertainties currently faced by the nation. A web game called ‘Interland’ has also been developed to test the children’s knowledge on the lessons provided in the programme.

Nick Bauer, Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager for Google, said, “At Google, we believe that technology can be a force for good – unlocking creativity, fostering expression, and imparting skills that help children and young people build their futures. But at the same time, we recognize that technology can also create risks. We are happy to partner with organisations like Sarvodaya-Fusion to help protect children while also enabling them to play, express themselves and learn online. We would also like to extend our appreciation to the Ministry of Education and ICTA for their collaboration.”

Now, with the introduction of ‘Be Internet Awesome’, Sarvodaya-Fusion can aim at one of its most important segments, the 7-to-14-year age group who has been introduced to the online world due to the pandemic. The need to educate these children on safe, ethical use of the online world is of paramount importance, and this collaboration and programme is dedicated to pass on that knowledge based on real world scenarios in a very child friendly manner.

Meta partners with Sarvodaya-Fusion’s “IT යහමග” Program, to launch a new phase of digital skills training program to equip Sri Lankans with the necessary tools to become more aware and responsible digital citizens. 

Continuing the partnership since 2018, Meta and Sarvodaya-Fusion, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) in Sri Lanka, launched We Think Digital in Sri Lanka in 2020, providing the resources to foster responsible digital citizens through program editions targeting schools, universities and families.

Meta and Sarvodaya-Fusion’s collaboration since 2018, enabled them to educate over 35,000 children and youth. This has helped Sri Lankans develop their skills on how to navigate the growing digital space responsibly. 

The Covid pandemic has created a new normal in the country and access and usage of the Internet has increased exponentially. This amplified access and usage brings with it wider scope of opportunities. However, with this comes a need for greater responsibility from its users when consuming these benefits. This collaboration during the new phase in 2021/2022, aims to provide the necessary awareness and guidance to school students, university students, psycho-social counsellors, youth club members, women and girls. The focus will be on strengthening resilience through capacity building; promoting critical thinking and fostering digital citizenship, to create a harmonious and a less harmful digital world.

In his keynote speech, Namal Rajapaksa, Minister of Youth and Sports and State Minister of Digital Technology and Entrepreneur Development said that more Sri Lankans are now seeing the advantages of digitalization. He added, “Meta and Sarvodaya-Fusion, along with their partnership with ICTA, has played a big role in this perception change and I believe we need more initiatives like this to come forward, analyze data, and develop new mechanisms in order for us to successfully implement and fulfill our vision for the nation.”

At the virtual launch, Maithree Malwattegoda – General Manager, Sarvodaya Fusion mentioned that technology can be used to bring equality and inclusivity in learning to the society. She discussed the need to strengthen resilience through capacity building and fostering digital citizenship with the aim of creating a more responsible digital world that has a positive impact on youth and their future.

The event was also graced by Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, President of Lanka Jathika Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya, and Prof. Rohan Samarajiva, Chairman,LIRNEasia/ Senior Advisor & Board Member, Sarvodaya-Fusion. There was a session where young people who had gone through the training shared their positive experience. 

Other speakers and panelists included Senura Abeywardena, Public Policy Manager, Sri Lanka & Maldives at Meta, Sameera Jayawardena – Director, Capacity Building, ICTA, Vasana Edirisuriya – Deputy Director of Education, ICT branch, Ministry of Education, Nethmini Medawela – Hashtag Generation and Gayani Hurulle, Research Manager,LIRNEasia, Nishshanka De Silva, Technology Advisor and Sanara De Silva, Student Activist,

The event was also attended by special invitees from the partner organizations and industry as well as school principals, teachers, school students and university students.

Yasas Vishuddhi Abeywickrama, Policy Programs Manager, Sri Lanka & Maldives at Meta said, “Meta is committed to develop digital citizenship in Sri Lanka, and also is keen to support digital adoption among Sri Lankans. We will continue to work collaboratively with government and civil society stakeholders to reach more Sri Lankans,”

In a concerted attempt to empower Sri Lankan women Sarvodaya-Fusion in partnership with HSBC has launched Personal Financial Literacy Education Program for women starting June 2021.

“In its essence, financial literacy can be defined as the understanding of how money works and this includes generating, investing, spending, and saving money in ways that ensure a person’s financial stability – an essential life-skill that becomes even more significant in challenging times. This knowledge is the basic building block that enables women to become more independent, and lead more fulfilling, secure lives,” said Stuart Rogers, Interim CEO and Head of Wholesale Banking HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives.

The ongoing crisis in the country, due to the pandemic has affected both working and non-working women. They are currently forced to manage in an extremely challenging environment with wage gaps and gender inequality. Through this programme, non-working women will be educated and made aware of how to manage their household expenses and look for more avenues to earn an extra income apart from the main income received by their spouse. Similarly, working women will learn how to make their way up the financial ladder, with smart investments and savings. Individuals can visit the Sarvodaya-Fusion Facebook Page for more information on registrations.

“We are excited to partner with a leading global financial entity such as HSBC to educate and enable women of Sri Lanka to take stronger control of their finances. We are convinced that these two key segments of the population should have access to not only financial services, but to recognize themselves as economic agents that can make a change in their families and society through their everyday choices,” said Rohan Pandithakorralage, Chairman, Board of Advisors, Sarvodaya-Fusion.

The engaging Zoom based webinars of one and half hours each cover the main aspects of wise spending, managing debts, earning an extra income, saving as a habit, and making smart investments. The sessions are delivered by utilizing appealing elements such as webinar polls, icebreakers, chats, Q & A sessions and online feedback gathering surveys to ensure maximum engagement and interaction.

“We have seen how financial health has significant ramifications in society, particularly during the pandemic. It’s important for us that we provide women across Sri Lanka with access to the right skills, attitude and tools required to manage their finances and make the most of their money. These carefully crafted webinars dispense the practical knowledge needed by women to manage their money with confidence and, grow their economies,” Rogers continued to state.

Sri Lanka’s adult literacy was 92% in 2018, but the country’s financial literacy rate measures at just 35%. Although this is still the highest out of South Asia, the high print literacy rates do not necessarily correlate to financial savviness. Still, the ability to read and write does provide the basis on which one can build, access and use financial services.

Therefore, it is critical to encourage both working women and non-working women to have a stronger grasp of their finances to benefit themselves, their families and society at large, as well as contribute towards reviving the country’s economy, even at an individual level.  Additionally, basic financial literacy among households can also lead to healthier family welfare. Consequently, improving financial literacy and financial capability among all community segments irrespective of age, sectors, and gender would lead to higher levels of economic wellbeing of the individual, their family and the country at large.

With this ethos, the Personal Financial Literacy initiative was launched by Sarvodaya-Fusion as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) project under HSBC’s Future Skills charity program. Over the past few years, the programme has targeted low-wage workers, undergraduates and entrepreneurs. The initiative aims to provide different sectors in the community with the necessary awareness on handling their finances, ranging from personal financial management to managing business finance.

The #stayhomestory awards ceremony was held recently at the ICTA auditorium with the participation of all the winners of the competition. All weekly winners were awarded Tab computers, craft winners received valuable gifts while category winners of Art, Video, and Photo, of ages under 15 and above 16, were awarded cash prizes. The People’s Choice Award of Rupees One Lakh was won by Ms. Archana Jayawardena from Galle district.

The #stayhomestory campaign initiated during the recent pandemic was aimed at improving the communities’ mental well-being, creative process and to lead them towards a productive and positive lifestyle. Through this campaign, which was strongly supported by The Marketing Heaven, it was also intended to reach the offline community and encourage them to be digitalized, while engaging in these online platforms and sharing their stay-at-home experiences

From the feedback received for the competition, it was clear that this initiative has created a platform to showcase these individuals’ creativity and talents while making their time productive and useful. The competition was able to unveil many talents of innovators, artists, singers, as well as passionate and creative minds. There was a country-wide representation of all age groups, with a total reach of 450K to the #stayhomestory FB page within a month and nearly 1000 entries for the competition.

Mr. Jayantha De Silva, Chairman of the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, President of Lanka Jathika Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya, Eng. Mahinda B. Herath, CEO of the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), Ms. Chulie De Silva, Communications Consultant and Member of the Sarvodaya-Fusion Advisory Board, Mr. Sameera Jayawardena, Head of Transformation of the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), Ms. Maithree Malwattegoda, General Manager of Sarvodaya-Fusion and Mr. Yasas Abeywickrama, Policy Programs Manager of Facebook – Sri Lanka & Maldives, were among the participated stakeholders.

The Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) and Sarvodaya-Fusion, the ICT4D arm of Lanka Jathika Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement joint programs to empower people through digital technology.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Dr. Vinya Ariyaratne, President of Lanka Sarvodaya Shramadana Sangamaya and Eng. Mahinda B. Herath, CEO of the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA).

According to the MoU, Sarvodaya-Fusion will implement island-wide IT awareness programs through Smart Social Circles and Suhuruliya Nenasala of Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) and together will reach to aim a wider audience.

There are nearly 900 smart social circles operating island-wide and about 75 Fusion affiliated IT educational centers involved.

This is in line with the National Program for a digitally enabled society. It aims to provide the necessary support to improve the living standards of the rural people by creating awareness of the use of digital technology and platforms such as Fully-Verified and similar.

Mr. Jayantha De Silva, Chairman, Information, and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA), Mr. Sameera Jayawardena, Head of Transformation, Ms. Maithree Malwattegoda, General Manager, Sarvodaya-Fusion, Ms. Chulie de Silva, Communications Consultant & Member of Sarvodaya-Fusion Advisory Board and others were also present at the signing ceremony.

Facebook, in partnership with Sarvodaya-Fusion and supported by the Ministry of Education and Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA), launched We Think Digital, a nationwide digital literacy program that aims to develop skills that enable Sri Lankans to create a positive and safe culture online.

This launch follows the successful roll-out of the digital safety content under the ‘IT Yahamaga’ program by Sarvodaya-Fusion, in collaboration with Facebook, which trained 25,000 students and others on the safe use of Facebook, since its launch in 2018.

We Think Digital is a global digital literacy program, with resources aimed at helping people think critically and share thoughtfully online. The program’s learning resources are designed to help people whether they’re new to the Internet or a digital native who wants to learn more or improve their digital skills. Facebook and its partners from government, civil society groups, and communities aim to conduct training sessions for youths, students, parents, and teachers through this program in Sri Lanka.

“At a time when more people are coming online and connecting with friends, families, and communities, being a responsible digital citizen is more important than ever. At Facebook, we are committed to maintaining a safe and well-informed community on our family of apps through empowering people with the necessary digital literacy skills to think critically and share thoughtfully online. I am excited to continue our partnership with Sarvodaya-Fusion, to bring We Think Digital to Sri Lanka and to help create a safer internet experience for everyone,” said Facebook South Asia Public Policy Director Ankhi Das.

Facebook collaborates with experts, academics, and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in the Asia Pacific to create various modules as a source of learning in this program. The program will be delivered in Sinhala and Tamil virtually, with slides in mixed languages, under We Think Digital alongside Sarvodaya-Fusion’s IT Yahamaga initiative.

‘IT Yahamaga’ (Good Path) is an awareness program of Sarvodaya-Fusion, with the support of the Ministry of Education, empowers youth to use digital technologies effectively and in a positive manner. The ‘We Think Digital’ program will also be broadened and delivered via ICTA’s online video conferencing platform, to reach parents and teachers.

“We are delighted to introduce the global program ‘We think Digital’ to Sri Lanka, to widen the scope of Sarvodaya-Fusion’s ‘IT Yahamaga’, at a much needed time. This year we hope to introduce three new program editions reaching out to Schools, Universities, and Families,” said Sarvodaya-Fusion Advisory Board Chairman Rohan Pandithakorralage. “This will equip them with necessary digital skills enabling them to walk into the digital world to reap its benefits while being responsible.”

Building on the foundation of the digital safety content under the ‘IT Yahamaga’ program, the training content will revisit the basics of digital literacy from the Digital Safety program with add-on modules from the We Think Digital online library of resources. Additional topics that will be covered include privacy, safety, security, digital discourse, and knowing your digital footprint, organised into six modules:

• What Is the Internet? An explanation of the internet and social media, how they work, and the importance of digital citizenship.
• Your Digital Footprint: All you need to know about safety and security online and managing your digital footprint.
• Protecting Your Digital Identity: The A-Zs of safe and secure practices to protect personal information online.
• You as a Digital Citizen: Insights into digital discourse and the differences between interacting online versus offline, your rights and responsibilities, as well as internet concepts like netiquette, being a creator, copyright, and plagiarism.
• Be a Critical Thinker: Helping you to discern different types of information and develop critical thinking and empathy when communicating online.
• Tips for Spotting False News – Help participants make wise decisions about what they read, believe, and share.

For more information on We Think Digital and the available learning modules, please refer to the website here: https://wethinkdigital.fb.com/lk/en-lk/.

Sarvodaya-Fusion with The Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) and Facebook, launched today the #StayHomeStory competition on their Facebook and Instagram pages, with the aim of spurring all communities to be creative and productive regardless of their ages during this lockdown period. Social Media users can enter this competition through the hashtag #StayHomeStory by sharing your story of staying at home in a creative manner.  Individuals or family units can select a medium such as paintings, short videos, cartoons, photographs, and animations, and they can post their entries on their own timeline using Facebook and Instagram platforms with any hashtag #stayhomestory/#ගෙදරකතා /#வீட்டில்தங்கும்கதை on or before 15 May 2020.   

All entrants to the competition will be rewarded with a data pack. Entries will be grouped into Art, Video and Photography categories, and gifts will be awarded to the final winners of the best contents from these groups.

“Through this campaign we are hoping that the creative process will spread positivity, reduce people’s stress levels and lead them to be more productive,” said Ms. Maithree Malwattegoda, General Manager, Sarvodaya-Fusion.  It will also give an opportunity for people to engage and express their solutions and activities that they have adopted at home, to overcome difficulties faced by them.”

Sri Lanka, as well as the world is currently undergoing an unprecedented crisis battling to control the deadly virus Covid19.  We have learned that here in our island, lifestyles of people including children have become disruptive and frustrating, as they are confined to their homes with little or no social contact.  “It is true that there is physical distancing under the ongoing curfew, but we hope the social interactions online will make them feel less isolated,” Malwattegoda said

“The other aim of this campaign, is to reach the offline community and encourage them to become familiar with the use of digital means to communicate by sharing their stay-at-home experiences,” said Mr. Sameera Jayawardena, Head of Transformation, ICTA. “The ultimate goal being to create a more digitalized community of Sri Lankans, competent in using digital technologies to carry out their daily tasks.”

In addition, Sarvodaya-Fusion and ICTA intend to make use of these public engagement platforms to educate communities and address concerns people have on the epidemic.