Digital Ambassadors Programme

Project Name: Digital Ambassadors Program (DAP)

Partners: GIZ                    

Funded by: Government of Rwanda

About

The Digital Ambassador Program is a national program, led by MINICT to increase the digital literacy of five million Rwandan citizens, and their resulting access and use of online systems and services.  It is component of the government’s Digital Talent Policy within the umbrella ICT strategic plan – the Smart Rwanda Master Plan. DAP also aligns with the World Economic Forum’s Internet for All initiative.

DAP’s delivery approach is based on the model of recruiting young women and men with entrepreneurship ambition to provide digital literacy training and act as catalysts of change in their communities. Digital Ambassadors (DAs) are recruited from among young social innovators and are deployed in communities throughout the country in order to directly train citizens in accessing e-Government and other digital and mobile services through Irembo Platform. By providing digital literacy training to members of their own communities, in local languages and focusing on locally relevant digital content and services, DAP is expected to demonstrate the full value of the Internet. By extension, it will also enable citizens and business owners to benefit from newly installed broadband connections in their areas and catalyze mass adoption of e-Government, e-Business, e-Agriculture, mobile financial services and others.

Timeline:  September 2017 to June 2024

Objectives:

  • Transform rural communities into digitally literate and skilled ones through digital literacy trainings (Digital Ambassadors Program-DAP);
  • Increase access to information, internet services, ICT infrastructure and different applications for provision of online services (Irembo, E-health, e-Agriculture, e-Business, e-Commerce and digital financial inclusion services).
  • Support the efforts of increasing device penetration through stimulating demand and empowering citizens with capacity to use those devices.
  • Provide digital literacy trainings to women, youths and persons with special needs/disabilities
  • Mobilize partners and involve the private sector to support digital literacy trainings for Rwandans.
  • Job creation and increase citizens’ productivity through use of ICT.  Digital ambassadors will be linked with ICT private companies and they can gain commission based on services provided to citizens.

Coverage: Country wide

Main activities: 

  • Involve different key partners that offers services through ICT (telecom companies, banks, irembo, government institutions that offers online services etc.) and put together efforts for training and sensitizing citizens.
  • Develop a clear partnership framework with clear responsibilities of each parts.
  • Recruit Digital Ambassadors with entrepreneurship mind that can manage SAP efficiently, generate own revenues for sustainability and train citizens.
  • Combine effort with other public institutions that needs to reach citizens and sensitize citizens on their e-Services and other ICT services.
  • Provide funds to support each Digital Ambassador to acquire some necessary materials, repair devices and subscribe as agent to different companies.
  • Provide a transport allowance to each Digital Ambassadors.
  • After 12 months, each Digital Ambassador deployed in SAP will continue to train citizens free of charge and deliver e-services upon receiving commissions.
  • The minimum service for a Digital Ambassador deployed in SAP is three years, if he/she stops before one year a balance of investment fund provided must be repaid back.
  • There will be other category of Digital Ambassadors who will train citizens at cell levels because they don’t have full SAP requirements.  These will receive their monthly transport allowance as usual.

Main achievements:

  • DAP was launched in September 2017 in Rulindo Districts and started with 50 Digital Ambassadors;
  • 41,025 citizens were trained through the Proof of Concept (from September 2017 to June 2019).
  • The DAP new model is designed and implemented since November 2019.  This new model is based on training cost optimization through the strong partnership between the Ministry of ICT and Innovation (MINICT), Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC), Ministry of Youth and Culture (MYCULTURE), development partners and private sector.
  • The new model was run using 110 digital ambassadors deployed across 110 cells across 30 districts. Since November 2019 (5 months), 27,602 citizens have been trained and this make a total of 67,627 citizens trained under Digital Ambassadors Program (DAP).
  • Currently 262 Service Access Points (SAPs) are operational in Rwanda; among them 200 are at sector level, each equipped with four (4) laptops, one (1) all in one printer and one agent. The other 62 SAPs are operating at District level each having 15 desktop computers, one all in one printer and one agent.

Contact Address:

KN 3rd Road, Sopetrad | P.O. Box 3882 Kigali

Telephone: +250-786791388 | Website: http: //www.minict.gov.rw

Facebook | Twiter | Google+: RwandaICT | Email:info@minict.gov.rw

Chairman (Ai): Lambert NTAGWABIRA, Senior Technologist, Capacity and Skills Development 

Telephone:+250 784 616 446