Spain: More than 10,000 elderly people from all over Andalusia will receive training courses in how to use mobile phones
The delegate for Innovation, Science and Business and the delegate for Equality have presented this initiative, in collaboration with the FundaciГіn Vodafone
The delegate for Innovation, Science and Business, Francisco ГЃlvaro Julio, accompanied by the delegate for Equality and Social Welfare, MВЄ JosГ© Castro and the scientific and cultural Advisor of the FundaciГіn Vodafone, Javier del Arco today presented its training campaign, known as “MГіvil cerca de Ti” [Keeping a Mobile Handy] in the Junta de AndalucГa’s Day Centre for the Elderly in Triana, to help the elderly learn how to use a mobile phone. This initiative, which will benefit more than 10,000 elderly people from all over Andalusia, is the result of the co-operation agreement signed in April 2005 between the Department of Innovation, Science and Business and the FundaciГіn Vodafone with the aim of developing the Information Society in Andalusia. The DelegaciГіn provincial Igualdad y Bienestar Social [Provincial Department of Equality and Social Welfare] is also co-operating in this Plan, within the framework of actions established for the Innovation and Modernisation of Andalusia Plan.
Since the signature of the agreement with the ConsejerГa de InnovaciГіn, Ciencia y Empresa [Department of Innovation, Science and Business], the FundaciГіn Vodafone has been developing a series of projects in co-operation with the Junta de AndalucГa, prominent among which is this campaign to teach the elderly how to use the mobile phone in a friendly environment, eliminating the technological barrier which these devices symbolise for this group of population. To implement this training initiative, approximately one hundred thousand euros have been used of the nine million initially committed by Vodafone and the FundaciГіn Vodafone to conduct projects in Andalusia until 2007, as a result of the above agreement.
The campaign “MГіvil cerca de Ti” aims to develop 400 training courses in 163 Day Centres for the Elderly, in an attempt to explain how to use a mobile properly to almost 10,000 elderly people all over Andalusia. 84 courses are being given in the province of Seville in Day Centres in Macarena, Dos Hermanas, HeliГіpolis, Lora del RГo, Utrera, Puebla del RГo, Osuna, SanlГєcar la Mayor, Ciudad JardГn, Cerro del ГЃguila, Triana, Marchena, La Algaba, San Juan de Aznalfarache, Villanueva del RГo y Minas, MorГіn de la Frontera, Arahal, El Viso del Alcor, Mairena del Alcor, Casariche, PeГ±aflor, AlcalГЎ de GuadaГra, Г‰cija, El Coronil, Coria, Lebrija, Carmona, Los Palacios and Camas, spread over the months of April to November this year.
Each course, with a minimum of 12 students and a maximum of 25, will last approximately 3 hours, will be given by two specialised trainers and is divided into four blocks: a brief, theoretical introduction, performing initial actions, training exercises and finally putting into practice the applications taught, with a summary and generalisation.
Specifically, the monitors – engineering students, particularly from fields of Telecommunications or I.T. – will demonstrate practical skills such as making and receiving a call, sending and reading SMS messages, configuration of the address book, etc. On top of this, at the end of each course, there will be a draw where the prize is a Vodafone Simply mobile.
Among the main aims of the FundaciГіn Vodafone EspaГ±a is promoting the implementation of projects to help use new mobile communications technologies to aid in the integration of vulnerable groups into social life and the labour market, and promoting and performing studies and activities which will spread knowledge and awareness and bring certain groups closer to the information society (with publications, courses, seminars, post-graduate courses…).
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Tags: Operators, Regional, Spain, Vodafone