The training experience of adult scouts taking care of homes.
Testing oneself at any age, not being afraid to face challenges and always being curious, are the recurring words that emerge from the stories of beneficiaries of the Digital Village training courses. The project, coordinated by GEMA and funded by the Department for Equal Opportunities of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, promotes the digital inclusion of individuals who carry out domestic work, providing digital skills useful both in managing the home and for a possible entry or re-entry into the job market. Thanks to a course structured in seven modules, participants are discovering how to use social networks strategically, create digital content, manage the Office package with ease, safely use public administration services on-line, and optimise household management with digital tools.
For the third edition of the course, an invaluable collaboration was begun with the Italian Adult Catholic Scout Movement (MASCI), which we have documented through their experience. The common thread is that the training is not only about digital awareness, but also addresses a desire for personal and community growth. The first opinion is that of Antonella Amico, Head of the MASCI National Communication Patrol.
More life to life is the motto that the adult scouts have used to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the foundation of our movement (1954-2024). We are a Movement of “men and women from different backgrounds and experiences, united by the belief that scouting is a path to freedom for all seasons of life and that happiness is serving others starting with the smallest, weakest, and most defenceless.” We seek to fill our lives with the strength of these values, striving to make the world a little better than we found it. We are aware that in the world we live in today, digital technologies have made giant steps in a very short time, so much so that it is necessary to get involved to keep up. Our movement believes in "permanent education." None of us can ever say we have "arrived." Indeed, we need to constantly cultivate our spirit and skills. And this is why we sought the challenge of the course organised by Project Digital Village! We wanted to offer this opportunity not only to adult scouts registered with MASCI but also extend this possibility to their respective communities, especially where there are situations of educational poverty and social fragility. The course targets correspond to our objectives. And among our members (over 6000) there are many who are over 67 and who, even in retirement, wish to stay connected! We sincerely thank the Fondazione Mondo Digitale that in a very short amount of time organized a personalized package based on our requests and provided everyone with friendly and competent assistance. We wanted to include this proposal in the celebrations of the "Adult Scouting Day" that takes place every year at the end of the Season of Creation (inspired by Pope Francis' Laudato Si' Encyclical, from September 1 to October 4, every year). This year was dedicated to "Hoping and Acting with Creation" and we considered the Digital Village as a seed to plant, referring to the Bosco dell'Educazione that MASCI donated to Argenta, the city of Don Giovanni Minzoni, who was killed in 1923 for the freedom to educate through scout values. The time available to promote course was very limited, and we certainly realize that there is fear (and prejudice) to overcome. However, as scouts, we know that even if the road seems uphill, we must proceed step by step! The experience is now underway and, from what we hear, it is a positive and stimulating test that brings even the most uncertain closer to a language that until now was considered incomprehensible.
The digital course deeply interests us and we would like to have it in our "backpack" to face other adventures, too. MASCI is present throughout Italy, and, in this era of profound adult crisis, it aims to challenge our great enemies like individualism and loneliness. However, to do so, we need to speak a "new" language to express our long-standing values, even from a distance, even in situations in which mobility is limited and there are no economic possibilities. In short, we need to plant the seeds of the future, alongside expert travel companions like our friends at FMD!
Interview by Onelia Onorati, Press Officer for the Fondazione Mondo Digitale.
