Cambodia’s Digital Literacy and Internet Safety Pilot Program Concludes

Smart Axiata, Cambodia’s leading mobile telecommunications operator, announced the online video competition winners during the closing ceremony of its Digital Literacy Program, presided over by H.E. Tram Iv Tek, minister of posts and telecommunications (MPTC), and H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, minister of education, youth and sport (MoEYS).

Since its launch in November 2019, the pilot program has impacted around 1,500 Grade 10 and 11 students (of which 50% are female) as well as teachers through its workshops in Phnom Penh, Kampong Cham and Kampong Chhnang, while the online campaign has collectively garnered 193,300 views. This initiative, primarily funded by Smart’s contribution towards the Royal Government’s Capacity Building and R&D Fund, aims at promoting awareness of Internet safety and mobile Internet literacy among young Cambodians with support from MoEYS, MPTC, Google and the GSMA.

“At Smart, we believe that online safety and responsible digital citizenship are crucial components when promoting mobile adoption in Cambodia. Together with MoEYS, MPTC and various partners, we envision building on this pilot to create more positive impacts in the communities that we operate in through improved content and online platforms in future. I hope that all those who attended the pilot will be our ambassadors to promote these important concepts among their peers as we look forward to a more digitally aware society,” said Feiruz Ikhwan, chief financial officer of Smart Axiata.

Three schools in each province were nominated by MoEYS together with some teachers to participate in the workshops led by the alumnus and scholars from the SmartEdu Program, based on content by Google as well as GSMA’s Mobile Internet Skills Training Toolkit. Topics during the 1-day session included Internet Surfing, Mobile Internet, Strengthening Passwords, Online Fraud and Responsible Digital Citizenship.

Students also learned how to produce engaging videos on the topic of Internet safety using their smartphones. Eleven videos were shortlisted and shared on the “Smart for Cambodia” Facebook page last week for the public to vote on for their favorite video.

Three teams, Don’t Believe, Setting Complicated Password and My Mother Got Cheated with USD 10,000 Offer, from Techo Hun Sen Beok Kok High School and Bunrany Hun Sen Rolear B’ier High School, received 1,000 USD each. Techo Hun Sen Beok Kok High School from Kampong Cham and Hun Sen Bun Rany Ro Leap Pa Ea High School from Kampong Chhnang each also received a 3,750 USD in-kind prize of educational materials for having the most video submissions once the workshops in the provinces concluded.

Heng Sophearom, from Bunrany Hun Sen Rolear B’ier High School, said, “I really enjoyed participating in the program. It was fun learning about this new topic and then producing videos with my classmates. I hope to be able to share this new knowledge with my friends and family in my community.”

Koeun Koeurn, from Techo Hun Sen Beok Kok High School, added, “While equipping students with digital literacy skills greatly benefits young Cambodians, digital citizenship concepts teach them how to stay safe online. I am delighted that the MoEYS and the organizing team chose our school for this pilot and I look forward to further participating in the next phase of the program.”

For more information on Smart’s sustainability and CSR initiatives, follow the “Smart for Cambodia” Facebook page at www.facebook.com/smartforcambodia or visit www.smart.com.kh.