Hope, Dreams & the Internet

Growing up in the United States we take for granted the accessibility of technology that can easily be within our reach. The majority of the households in the United States have computers and there are usually no problems with connections to the internet. I am sure the majority of us are reading this blog from the comfort of our bedroom, living room or home office. This is not the case for the people living in the Dominican Republic; however with the help from the United Nations Development Program, which advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, the girls of El Seybo are now finding their voices with each click of the web.

The girls in El Seybo are all too familiar with poverty. The internet has become a key factor for the girls in El Seybo for communication and education; and the power of an education leads to a ticket out of poverty. "I want to move up, to be someone in life" (pg. 16)

Girls especially are a key focus in digital inclusion because girls are half our world's future. Women and young girls can only benefit from learning and educating themselves with the use and tools provided from information and digital technology. Education and knowledge is critical for making social changes and lifting people up from poverty.

"In El Seybo, girls young and old, the daughters and granddaughters of women who lived lives muted by inequality and oppressive poverty, are also finding their voices and a reason to speak up, as they open the pages of the Web. This is a new beginning." (pg 22)