Guatemala Fact Sheet: Internet Access and Electronic Resources

Welcome to our second addition to the Guatemala fact sheet! Our second topic will be Internet Access and Electronic Resources. Like before, sources will be included after each section.

Internet access and electronic resources have become more important than ever because of the impact Covid-19 has had on social interactions. Did you know less than 15% of homes in rural farmer communities have internet access? How about that in 2014, almost 98% of schools didn’t have internet access? 1.

Barriers to Access

While urban cities and towns within Guatemala have improved when it comes to access to the internet in schools and homes, rural communities have lagged. Less than 15% of homes in rural farmer communities have limited or no access to the internet. Even for those with internet in their schools, the Covid-19 pandemic has created more barriers to access. 2.

How is SOS Helping?

Canada and other wealthy nations have more at their disposal to create an online schooling system that is effective, enriching and accessible. SOS has sought to combat the lack of access and to improve the quality of content through our Guatemala Groundswell program. Actions like installing units of the RACHEL local access network (LAN) or donating 98 tablets, we have consistently aspired to give these communities the freedom to learn, without barriers. 3.

Quantity and Quality

Access to a quality education doesn’t only rely on hardware, but software and quality content. Even when students do have access to the internet or electronic devices to access their lessons, the content is often outdated, low quality, or untranslated. 4.

Alleviating the barriers to access is useless without helping ensure the content is worthwhile. This is why SOS worked with community teachers to create and curate over 300 pieces of e-learning content with 7621 hours of quality content. We then provided our community partners with two-day sessions for training on how to access and use the 1+ terabyte library of Spanish-specific content. 5.

Conclusion

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