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Learning together, growing stronger: UNFPA empowers seniors in Serbia with digital skills
ZAJEČAR, Serbia – A small group of retirees gather inside a warm room at the Pensioners’ Association building in the eastern Serbian city of Zaječar. They quietly chat and sip coffee together. But they are not here just to socialize. In a moment, they all pull out their smartphones and get ready to begin class.
They are part of a UNFPA-supported digital literacy programme, which aims to teach older people basic skills that have become essential in the 21st century: creating an email account, handling e-documents, accessing the government’s online portal for health and administrative services, and banking online.
Zaječar has one of the highest proportions of older persons in Serbia. Out of its population of nearly 100,000 people, one-third are over the age of 65, while only one in nine are under the age of 15. This has made it more important than ever to invest in lifelong learning programmes, strengthening demographic resilience by ensuring the community remains active and engaged throughout their older years.
“When we were working, the typewriter was still considered cutting-edge. Computers arrived during our professional lives, around twenty years ago, but they were not available to everyone,” said retired lawyer Verica Sokolović.
Ms. Sokolović, 69, was delighted to have an opportunity to learn about new technologies, surrounded by peers of a similar age. “When someone is learning something new, and another person knows more, it can be discouraging,” she explained. “But today you saw how we helped each other, asking ‘How far along are you?’ ‘Did I do this right?’”
The course is taught over five sessions. The most popular modules included discovering how to use the government’s digital land registry, e-Cadastre, and how to apply online for personal documents such as ID cards and passports.
“Of course, we were a bit hesitant when we first arrived. But our instructor truly encouraged and empowered us. She said, ‘You can do this. You have already learned many things in life. This is something you will pick up quickly, adapt to, and know how to use,’” said 72-year-old course participant Verica Bulajić.
Leading the class was Red Cross instructor Marija Marković. She said she was motivated by a desire to support those who have been left behind by rapid technological progress. She was glad seeing her students become more confident using digital tools and enabling them to access public services more easily without leaving their homes.
She also took the time to check with each student individually to ensure they were able to apply all of the information they learned. She even gave them her phone number and email in case they needed further guidance or support after the course was over. “That kind, non-intrusive approach is so important, especially when working with people our age,” said Ms. Sokolović.
The digital literacy course is part of the joint UN Programme “PRO – Local Governance for People and Nature” organized by UNFPA and other UN agencies, in partnership with the Red Cross of Serbia. It is conducted in cooperation with the Government of Serbia, with financial support from the Government of Switzerland.
In addition to Zaječar, the workshops have been held in five other cities and municipalities across Serbia: Boljevac, Kragujevac, Kruševac, Niš and Velika Plana.
Since the programme began, more than 600 older persons have acquired basic knowledge of digital tools. From that group, 140 became informal ambassadors of digital inclusion, engaging in peer-to-peer learning to continue fostering growth, community and sustainability.
Additionally, in the village of Miloševac near Velika Plana, foster mothers from various age groups were also invited to join the training sessions as a way to enhance their employment and life skills.
“Digital literacy is no longer a luxury – it is a necessity and a tool for social inclusion. The workshops also created strong social bonds, improving participants’ overall quality of life,” explained Sonja Madžoski Marković from the Red Cross of Serbia.
Active ageing has become a bigger priority in Serbia as an increasing proportion of the population reaches over the age of 65. In October 2024, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the City of Zaječar, the Red Cross in Zaječar, and the local Centre for Social Work, to strengthen institutional cooperation and establish a framework for long-term digital support to older persons. At that time, participants in the digital literacy course were also awarded certificates of completion.
Further Memoranda of Cooperation were signed in the remaining five cities and municipalities where the trainings were conducted. These agreements lay the foundation for governments to adopt more active ageing policies and ensure programmes focused on older people remain sustainable and impactful into the future.
Participants hope to continue sharing and improving on the knowledge they gained, because education and development have no age limits – they connect generations, create opportunities and empower communities.
When a community learns together, it grows stronger together.
