What We Do at Project DIP
Updated: Jul 1, 2021
2020 was the year that accelerated digitalisation at an unprecedented pace. If businesses were not already readily available online, they were scrambling to do so. As Singapore went into lockdown status, people of all walks of life found themselves having to change their lifestyles overnight.
We were getting our supplies - food, groceries, household supplies, shopping - delivered to our doorsteps. Things we did not think before possible to order online, could easily be found on the plethora of shopping websites.
Schools were also closed for periods of time, and students were moved to home-based learning. Previously, a common family computer was sufficient for most. Now, parents are needing to procure more digital devices to accommodate their children’s simultaneous e-learning needs.
Singapore claims top spot for digital inclusiveness among 82 countries around the world, in a recent report on Business Times. However, there is still a sector in Singapore that lacks access to internet services and digital devices despite support schemes from the government.
At a budget debate in February 2021, Mr Seah Kian Peng shared that research on a representative sample of Singaporeans has shown that 44% families who lived in rental units did not have a connection and another 44% also lacked a computer or a laptop at home.
Many of them also have limited digital literacy skills to operate and manage their personal devices. The lack of digital access and skills prevents people from lower-income backgrounds from accessing opportunities that could potentially uplift their socioeconomic status.
Project D.I.P. is a ground-up initiative formed to promote digital inclusion holistically among the lower-income communities in Singapore through a 4E framework – Equip, Empower, Enable and Elevate. The team rallies support from the people to equip each student with a laptop; empower students with digital literacy skills; enable each household to have stable internet access; and elevate IT capacities in the community.
Leading this ground-up initiative is Francesca Wah, who is a recipient of the Singapore Youth Award in 2019. She is an educator by profession and a social worker by conviction -- she founded a non-profit organisation, Bringing Love to Every Single Soul (BLESS), that works with low-income families living in rental communities.
In running Project D.I.P. with passionate volunteers, she believes that they can help bridge the gap between the “have” and “have-nots”. As the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the use of technology in our daily lives, “building digitally inclusive communities in Singapore is crucial to ensure everyone in society progresses together,” says Francesca. Read more about our 4E Framework: Equip