SOUTH-EAST ASIA

Two billion people experience some form of digital inequality across Asia. In 2022, we expanded our program footprint into South-East Asia, beginning with the Philippines. The pandemic exposed the lack of digital infrastructure in the education sector here, with students being forced into remote learning through mailed printed copies of learning material. 

Most schools in the least developed parts of the Philippines, such as rural Mindanao, do not have a digital classroom. In 2022, we launched our Digital Infrastructure Program here in partnership with Energy Development Corporation (EDC), the largest renewable energy provider in the country. Focusing on EDC's project-impacted areas first, we have since installed 41 digital classrooms in schools across the Kidapawan region of Mindanao and Bicol in Luzon island. For many students, this was their first time using a digital device. Teachers at one school had taught their students how to type on printed copies of keyboards. We enabled them and 48,615 other students in the area to use the real thing.

In October 2023, we teamed up a new partnership with the Australian Foundation for Fostering Learning in the Philippines (AFFLIP) to drive digitalisation in Talomo, Davao. Together, we distributed 360 laptops across 15 schools in the Talomo District, delivering quality education to underprivileged students. For many, this was their first encounter with a computer. 

In 2024, we expanded our efforts to Cambodia, completing our first computer lab rollout in the country. In partnership with Cufa, we installed 225 laptops across eight schools. These new tools provide students with the opportunity to develop essential digital skills, empowering them to thrive in an increasingly connected world. 

Some of the schools where we installed computer labs were once prison cells during the Khmer Rouge era, underscoring the profound transformation these spaces have undergone. 

By providing access to technology, we are not only enhancing education but also laying the foundation for a brighter future in Cambodia.