VIJAYAWADA: The digital divide is the gap between people who have access to technology and those who do not. But with technology increasingly woven into education, jobs and everyday life, access is no longer about owning a device or having an internet connection. It is also about having the opportunity to learn how to use it, explore it and understand what it can offer.
India has made significant strides in expanding digital access, but the gap remains. Internet access within households is higher in urban areas than in rural, and even where connectivity exists, opportunities to develop digital skills are not always equal.
This is the space in which Swecha Andhra Pradesh has been working for over a decade. Started in 2007, the organisation is a community of more than 500 volunteers comprising students, IT professionals and academicians working towards what it calls Technology for Society. Its work spans government schools and colleges as well as rural and tribal communities, and its initiatives have reached more than one lakh students through over 200 projects.
“Our key focus is to ensure that technology and knowledge reach marginalised communities, enabling digital literacy, empowerment and inclusive growth,” said Niharika, executive committee member of Swecha AP.
Students have been reached through programmes in schools including ZPHS Vaddeswaram, ZPHS Chiluvuru, CK Girls High School and BSRK High School, while Swecha Learning Centres in colleges bring students together for peer learning, projects and technology activities.
At the Community Digital Library in Mogalrajpuram, the idea is easier to see. Children from the nearby government school come to the centre to spend time with computers, learning things they do not otherwise get to practise regularly.
“There is no such facility in our school. For us, this is something new and something we love spending our time doing,” said Manoj, a ninth standard student.
Tutor Raj Shekar begins with the most basic lessons, first understanding how comfortable the students are and then introducing them to the machine.
“We always start by teaching the absolute basics. First, we try to have a conversation with them and see how much they can talk in English. We start with basics like the parts of a computer, explaining the components and making them familiar with them, and then go ahead with how to use it,” he said.
“We have five Community Digital Libraries across Andhra Pradesh in Vijayawada, Guntur, Vetukuru, Bhimavaram in Maredumilli mandal and Gangavaram in Inkollu mandal. These spaces help children and youth learn computers, access digital resources, explore Free and Open Source Technology and grow together as a community,” said Niharika.
The model is slightly different from Swecha’s other activities. Swecha’s libraries have full-time tutors, unlike its wider volunteer-driven activities. Bala Swecha teaches digital skills to government schoolchildren, while Be A Maker helps students develop prototypes. Summer camps at six locations have reached over 350 students, while college-based Swecha Learning Centres promote hands-on technology learning. At a Mogalrajpuram centre, the digital divide is addressed through basic computer skills, digital painting and patient guidance, giving children practical exposure to technology.
For Swecha, bridging that divide is not only about getting people connected. It is about making sure they have the opportunity to understand what that connection can help them do.