Smart Axiata introduced Digital Literacy Campaign to keep Cambodians safe online

Phnom Penh, December 27, 2021 – The Kingdom’s leading telecommunication operator Smart Axiata has started its digital literacy campaign consisting of an online talk show and guidebook aiming to keep Cambodians safe online and help students better at using digital tools in their daily lives

The program, called “Online Safety and Protection for Adolescents in the Digital Age”, saw its first and second episode recently on Smart for Cambodia, Kit Kou Kon Facebook pages.  One final episode will be made available over the coming weeks.

The online program has been produced with the support of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, the Capacity Building, Research and Development (CBRD) Fund,Kit Kou Kon, UNICEF Cambodia, and local NGOs partners including Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE) Cambodia and Improving Cambodia’s Society through Skillful Parenting (ICS).

The talk show consisting of three 20-minute episodes addresses the opportunities and risks associated with children’s and adolescents’ usage of the Internet while experts also provide insight into digital parenting for caretakers and tips on ways to keep adolescents safe online.

In addition to education, there is also an entertainment element in the talk show which is the performance of popular duo Kmeng Khmer and Cambodian original artist Kanhchna Chet.

Acting CEO of Smart Axiata Feiruz Ikhwan said “As Cambodia is trying to realize its digital economyambitions, Smart has been working with the government to lay foundations for the country’s digital transformation and literacy in the Kingdom. This initiative will help empower students to utilize various digital tools toward a more digital lifestyle in their daily lives, work and studies. The talk show will also educate more people on how they can protect themselves and their loved ones as they browse the Internet.”

Smart and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, will also produce a ‘digital literacy guidebook’, which will be available to high school students across the country from February next year. The 30-page booklet educates students on how to productively use the Internet while also guiding them on ways to protect themselves.

Tan Sodany, Director of ICT Policy Department at the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications said “Child Online Protection requires the collective efforts of all relevant stakeholders, including but not limited to telecom operators. The production of a talk show by Smart Axiata is a great example to indicate their prioritized considerations on the internet safety of customers and the public.”

Smart Axiata has been a strong supporter of Cambodia’s digital ambitions, and the company has initiated a series of digital tech education programs. That includes SmartStart: Young Innovator program, aimed to inspire, enable and grow technology-related business ideas; SmartSpark, a program to introduce the key concepts to tackle Cambodia’s biggest challenges and more.

In partnership with Google and the GSMA – the global trade association for mobile network operators in 2019, Smart trained over 1,500 Cambodian high school students in the capital and two provinces with practical information on digital literacy and online safety.

For more information on Smart Axiata’s digital literacy efforts, follow the Smart for Cambodia Facebook page at www.facebook.com/smartforcambodia