The Transformative Power of Digital Inclusion: Dibya from Assam Comes a Long Way

Dibya Bori, all of 17, is a bright student hailing from the Miri Tako village in Dhemaji District of Assam, found herself at crossroads. Coming from a family with limited means, where access to digital services seemed like a distant dream, Dibya’s dreams could not take flight.

In the Miri Tako village, digital services were a rarity, almost parallel to a luxury, reserved mainly for urban elites of the district. This young girl and her peers, were accustomed to seeing computers from a distance and never dared to dream of utilizing them for their own learning. The pandemic-induced lockdowns further exacerbated their isolation, cutting them off from vital educational resources.

The NOKIA-supported Bal Raksha Bharat’s Smartpur project emerged as a silver lining for Dibya, illuminating the path towards digital inclusion for communities in Miri Tako. With the establishment of a digital centre in their village, the tide began to turn. Led by facilitators Gobinda Panging, the project identified the pressing need for digital education among the youth.

For Dibya and her fellow students, the journey from digital obscurity to digital empowerment was nothing short of miraculous. The opportunity to learn computer skills within their own village shattered prevailing notions and ignited a flame of new possibilities. With the support of the centre, Dibya not only bridged the digital divide but also gained access to numerous which remained out of bounds, earlier.

In Dibya’s own words, “This is an overwhelming support, a far-fetching dream for underprivileged groups like us, being rural children and on top of it, girls. Where even getting a basic schooling is a privilege, I, along with other fellow students, have the opportunity access digital education and make its application in our life.”

The impact of the Smartpur project reverberates far beyond the confines of Miri Tako village. Over 260 households in the district have benefited from the digital centre, with neighbouring villages also reaping the rewards of digital empowerment. Dibya and her peers now navigate a world of endless possibilities, with online education, job applications, and essential services just a click away.

This young girl’s journey encapsulates the transformative power of digital inclusion. What began as a distant dream has blossomed into a reality brimming with potential. Through the Smartpur project, Dibya and many other ave transcended the limitations of their circumstances, paving the way for a brighter, digitally-empowered future.

Nokia and Bal Raksha Bharat (also known as Save the Children) have come together to create ideal smart villages, in line with Government of India’s vision of Digital India. The model acknowledges that mere availability of digital tools and Internet connectivity alone does not make a village smart; hence emphasis has been given towards integration and optimum utilisation of resources for social, ecological and economic impact that truly makes a difference and digitally strengthens development. SMARTPUR is focused across six pillars of intervention: Education, Health, Livelihood, Governance, Finance and Entertainment.

In India, the SMARTPUR project is being implemented in across five states: Andhra Pradesh (Nellore), Assam (Dhemaji), Maharashtra (Nashik), Rajasthan (Dungarpur) and in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. A total of 150 such centres have been set up till date.