In Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, New Sun Road is launching ten internet-enabled, solar-powered digital community centers. Stellar Ixq-Saq’e (SIS Centers) are named for three foundational pillars, Stellar ISTM (New Sun Road’s integrated system with remote monitoring and control) and the native language Q’eqchi’ words for woman (Ixq) and sun (Saq ́e). The SIS Centers will bring power and internet connectivity to rural communities. Each program has five segments: community engagement, energy and internet access, business modeling, digital literacy training and site operations.
The SIS centers enable digital literacy development in ten communities serving 319 women and girls. Based on a survey of 239 participants, 90% increased their digital skills with two months of training. The digital literacy classes combine content from the Guatemalan Ministry of Education, Microsoft Digital Literacy Course, and partner resources.
New Sun Road is partnering with Nations Women (UN Women), Mercy Corps, World Food Program (WFP), and Plan International. Inspired by the Marshall Ganz model, New Sun Road Guatemala established a Women’s Leadership Committee (WLC) in each community to co-design a digital literacy project and co-create business models to operate and manage the centers.
The SIS centers will increase indigenous women’s economic opportunities by providing internet connectivity and training. New Sun Road is proud to deliver the energy and internet access technology and programmatic support for these community-focused projects.
Our numbers
- 10 Focus groups (122 women)
- 10 Design thinking workshop (136 women)
- 10 Community Assemblies(511 people)
- 10 Digital literacy programs launched (319 women)
- 90% increased their digital skills
- 737 Women reached
- 297 Children
- 177 Men
New Sun Road is one of six Microsoft global technology partners awarded grants by DAI-Digital Frontiers (USAID funded). These projects empower women with online services for digital learning, communication and entrepreneurship in Guatemala, Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, and India.