“Get Online!” Day Connects More than 21,000 Romanians

Partnering with organizations from more than 15 countries, the “Get Online!” campaign connected more than 21,000 users to the internet in locations throughout Romania. Organized during the European eSkills week March 1-5, the Get Online! campaign was coordinated by the EOS Foundation along with the World Bank “Knowledge-based Economy project.”

Thirty-one libraries, 13 e-centres and 11 places with public access internet hosted Romanian citizens in diverse programs intended to increase awareness of the benefits of access to information. For example, in Cluj, county program coordinators organized training courses for computer literacy. Participants were introduced to innovative job search methods. Farmers explored micro-funding projects to benefit their livestock and pensioners accessed websites that provide nutritional information and planning.

Gabriela Barna, Director of the EOS Foundation in Romania and Coordinator of Get Online!, said “although we wanted to attract online as many people as possible, the numbers of those who registered at www.ecentre.ro on March 4th Web was a surprise even to us; this confirms the power of community involvement in a national network to support digital engagement.”

The event also attracted support from the local media. According to project participant Gheri Judi from the Valea lui Mihai library in Bihor, “many read about the event in newspapers or online or heard about it through acquaintances—people who never before came to the library for books in the 19 years I have served here, came now.”

The Get Online! day, as well as other efforts to introduce new users to digital technologies is an important part of increasing public access to information for all. As 90-year old participant Nicolai from Berchisesti in Suceava county put it, “A computer mouse is as important to earn a living today as the crutch I use to walk.”