Singapore, 24 February 2025 – New Zealand's leading online safety organisation, Netsafe, and global technology advisory firm, Welchman Keen, are partnering to enhance digital literacy and cybersecurity in remote communities across developing nations.
This collaboration combines Netsafe's extensive experience in online safety education with Welchman Keen's pilot Economic Micro Hub (EMH) initiative. Together, they are creating an ecosystem that delivers essential digital services to underserved regions worldwide.
These efforts will enable baseline connectivity for remote communities and equip them with the skills to safely and effectively navigate the internet. The partnership aims to boost socio-economic opportunities by ensuring responsible connectivity.
Key Highlights of the Partnership:
Customised Online Safety Training for Local Needs
The EMH will serve as a platform to deliver educational online safety resources through its remote connectivity partnerships and enhance socio-economic opportunities for underserved communities in remote islands and villages while preserving their local cultural and environmental heritage.
Crawl, Walk, Run: A Phased Approach to Internet Literacy
This method ensures an effective learning process tailored to various segments of the population, promoting gradual but steady progress in digital literacy. The initiative focuses on two key areas:
Local Residents: Local residents will gain basic internet training, enabling them to access essential e-government services, participate in online learning programmes, and utilise telehealth services. This will serve as a foundation for residents to learn more advanced skills, such as navigating digital marketplaces and setting up their own e-commerce businesses.
Schools: Schools in districts surrounding the EMH will have access to interactive learning spaces within the facility. These will be equipped with online safety videos and other educational materials, enhancing the digital literacy curriculum for students in remote areas.
Sustainable Train-The-Trainer Model for Long-Term Impact
Netsafe’s online safety material will be incorporated into Welchman Keen’s train-the-trainer model. This will empower community members to become educators themselves, fostering a self-sustaining cycle of digital literacy and online safety knowledge within the community.
The EMH's sustainability and scalability strategy is built on a foundation of public-private partnerships. This allows for the integration of cost-offsetting models into the programmes and technologies adopted by the EMH, ensuring its long-term viability and impact.
This collaboration marks a significant milestone as Netsafe becomes Welchman Keen's second knowledge partner in the EMH initiative. This partnership follows Welchman Keen's collaboration with CEO.com, which focuses on providing mentorship to aspiring entrepreneurs from underserved populations, further expanding the reach and impact of the EMH initiative.
Aaron Boyd, Managing Partner, Worldwide at Welchman Keen, states, "Working with Netsafe helps to ensure new internet users know how to stay safe online from the start. We're not just providing communities internet access; we're also giving them the skills to use it wisely so they can get the best of the Internet while avoiding the worst."
Brent Carey, Chief Executive Officer at Netsafe, adds, "Our partnership with Welchman Keen strengthens our international commitment to digital safety and resilience. We are particularly focused on the Pacific region. By combining our expertise, we can better support communities that are switching on the internet for the first time. For those communities already connected, we can build programs to tackle emerging cyber and online threats to ensure safer digital experiences for everyone. We believe this collaboration will bring significant benefits, not only to us but also to the communities we serve around the world. By working together, we can offer unique solutions tailored to the specific needs of each community."
The initiative will initially be implemented in the pilot EMHs in Vanuatu, with plans to expand to other developing countries in the future. This collaboration builds upon Welchman Keen's existing partnerships and initiatives in the region, including its work with the Department of Communication & Digital Transformation (DCDT) in Vanuatu.
For more information on partnership opportunities, please contact:
Casey Le
Marketing Manager
Welchman Keen