HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Technology now plays a crucial role in everyone’s day-to-day activities and for some people, understanding how to use it can be perplexing, especially with the ongoing advancement of devices and features.
GTA is set to resume its Mobile Manånmko’ workshop aimed at providing guidance and support to senior citizens in acquiring technological skills and using various mobile features, the company announced recently in a press release. The sessions were temporarily suspended as a result of Typhoon Mawar, and are scheduled to recommence at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 18, at the Yigo Senior Citizens Center, GTA said in the release.
“Our manåmko’, they have so much knowledge and sometimes they don’t have family around, or are just not too sure about technology,” said Michele Perez, senior community relations manager for GTA. “The idea of Mobile Manåmko’ really came from after the pandemic when we regrouped and were seeing that elders have smartphones, but just don’t know how to utilize them. Some elders know how to text or connect with their family members, but some of them don’t know how to turn on the volume on their phones or how to make their font size bigger.”
The workshop launched in February of this year, offering participants the chance to explore diverse subjects including fundamental smartphone and tablet skills, troubleshooting issues, email usage, social media engagement and online safety, as well as how to connect to Wi-Fi and restart a device. According to Perez, each session is conducted by a member of the GTA Smart Center team, who can instruct participants and respond to any questions about their chosen platforms of Android or Apple.
“The workshops are put out to help our community,” she added. “There are a lot of people who may be afraid to say they don’t know how to use devices, but that’s OK because that’s what we’re there to do. We will teach any participant how to use their phones so that they can properly use it, and use it to the best of their ability. Don’t be afraid, we’re here to help.”
GTA has held workshops in Macheche, Dededo; Agana Heights; and Inalåhan. According to the release, the other workshops will be held on Monday, Nov. 20, in Mangilao and on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in Tamuning.
“Through our Mobile Manåmko’ workshops, we continue to bridge the digital divide among our elderly, especially after the setbacks caused by Typhoon Mawar. Our team is dedicated to helping them embrace technology and stay connected with loved ones,” Perez said.
The Mobile Manåmko’ workshop, offered by GTA, will resume its operations.
