Many families in San Lorenzo, Paraguay face poverty, limited job opportunities, and little access to technology. In most households, owning a computer is a luxury few can afford, and digital literacy remains out of reach for many children.
One of them was Santiago, a 13-year-old student who dreams of becoming a writer. Before joining the Click to the Future program, he had never even turned on a computer. Like many of his classmates, he was disconnected from the digital world.
Thanks to Good Neighbors Paraguay’s Click to the Future program, a new computer lab was built at the La Victoria Community Development Project, made possible through funds raised by Good Run 2024.
At first, Santiago felt nervous. “I didn’t know anything about computers,” he recalls. But with the guidance of his teacher and the support of the CDP team, he began learning step by step. He started by practicing typing and then moved on to writing documents in Microsoft Word, formatting text, and saving files for the first time.
His favorite memory still makes him smile: “When I managed to save my Word file by myself and got a perfect score on the test, I felt really happy,” he says.
That simple success became a turning point. Santiago grew more confident. He began helping his classmates with their school projects, and even started writing short stories on his own. What once felt impossible became part of his daily life.
Santiago is one of 39 children and adolescents who are currently part of the computer skills course at La Victoria CDP. So far, the students have successfully completed the typing and Word modules and are now beginning Excel software that was completely new to most of them.
These sessions are more than just technical lessons. They help young people develop confidence, creativity, and collaboration. Many, like Santiago, now dream bigger.
This course helps us build a better future. I hope more children can join and learn like I did.
Programs like Click to the Future respond to a growing need in Paraguay’s urban communities, where digital access remains unequal. In La Victoria, more than half of families rely on informal work and lack the tools to participate in the digital economy.
By teaching essential computer skills, this program gives children and youth the chance to connect to information, education, and new opportunities. It also strengthens community ties, creating a shared sense of progress and hope.
To continue this progress, Good Neighbors Paraguay aims to launch an intermediate-to-advanced computer skills course in 2026. This new phase will help current students strengthen their digital abilities while opening the door for more children who need basic training.
By expanding the program, students like Santiago can go from learning how to type to mastering digital storytelling, coding, or even entrepreneurship skills that can shape their futures.
Good Neighbors is an international humanitarian and development organization founded in 1991, working in over 50 countries to make the world a place without hunger and where people live in harmony. Engaging with over 200 communities globally, we empower people and transform communities through social and economic development initiatives. Good Neighbors has General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) since 1996.
For further information, please contact Good Neighbors Global Partnership Center.
Good Neighbors is a global NGO dedicated to improving the lives of children and communities in over 50 countries.
Good Neighbors has held a General Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 1996.
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