A large number of old age people especially in rural areas of the country do not have or use a personal mobile phone. To understand the reason, MOMODa FOUNDATION conducted two Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with local old age allowance beneficiaries from Shudkhira under Singair Upazilla from Manikganj district on 7th October 2020.
Two RAs from the FOUNDATION's research team conducted two sessions with a total of 21 participants. We wanted to know which factor is mainly responsible for them not using a personal mobile phone. Is it their digital illiteracy or a problem with their vision? Participants stated that their eyesight problem is a big factor in not having a phone.
Some other reasons like digital illiteracy and poverty also play an important role here. The government is now upgrading the SSNP disbursement system where the benefits will be paid digitally from now on. Hench the beneficiaries must need a mobile phone and basic digital literacy to get the benefit and their digital illiteracy seems to be a problem.
From two separate FGDs we learned that to motivate elderly people to own and use a mobile phone, treatment of eyesight problems and basic training on digital literacy could act as an important catalysts. It could make it easier for elderly people to get their benefits digitally. It would also make other transactions easier and safer and would lessen the dependency of elderly people on others.
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