Tackling social exclusion via the circular economy

• Author: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (European Commission)
• Pages: 18-19

SOCIAL INNOVATION: INSPIRATIONAL PRACTICES

SUPPORTING PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES

18

© Digital Inclusion, 2018

‘We are in class’ - students of one of Digital Inclusion’s free website creation courses

Problem addressed

Refugees and migrants may have limited access to

information communication technology (ICT) equipment

when arriving in a new country, due to lack of f‌inancial

resources or digital skills. This can delay their integration in

their new country by impacting their chances of f‌inding a job

and a social network.

Innovative solution

Digital Inclusion, a non-prof‌it organisation in Luxembourg,

provides donated digital devices, such as laptops and

smartphones, to refugees and other marginalised groups.

The material support is combined with educational support

through the programme Digi4all. Through Digi4all, the

recipients of digital devices learn how to f‌ix the donated

equipment through refurbishing workshops and ICT skill

classes. These are delivered in dif‌ferent languages (such as

Arabic and English) to reach a wider audience.

The team conducting the activities is an interdisciplinary one,

composed of sociologists and engineers, to respond to the

dif‌ferent needs of the target group.

The project is innovative as it views digitalisation as an

enabling factor for integration, whilst also having a positive

environmental impact through the re-use of ICT equipment.

Since 2020, most of the Digi4all activities have been

followed by participation in a new European Social Fund (ESF)

project, DigiCoach, which further boosts the employability of

participants through coaching.

A small core team of employees, half of which are refugees,

manage the project with the help of volunteers.

Tackling social exclusion via the

circular economy

Digital Inclusion and Digi4all

Luxembourg