Empowering Seniors: BARP and Legacy Foundation Launch Digital Learning Centre

he Barbados Association of Retired Persons (BARP) is collaborating with the Legacy Foundation to establish a learning space designed for elderly individuals who face difficulties conducting business online.

It’s an issue that is of concern to Marilyn Rice-Bowen, the BARP president, who observed that too many elderly people are vulnerable to exploitation due to their limited understanding of, or access to digital technology.

“We thought that we should have a project where members could come and be exposed, where they could come and use the Internet and where they could also be trained on how to use the Internet. Because to file for a visa application, to meet your statutory obligations, to get a passport, you name it, in today’s spaces, you must have that digital access,” Rice-Bowen told a ceremony at the BARP headquarters in Hastings, Christ Church, to launch the business centre.

She gave the assurance that members of the organisation would be exposed to various digital platforms and automatic teller machines “because we are concerned about financial abuse. So the more things that you as a senior can do yourself, the less you would have to share your passwords and sharing your [debit and credit] cards and all that with other people to give them that access to your money.”

Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey, echoed these concerns regarding financial abuse among the elderly, noting that the business centre would empower retired individuals to become more self-sufficient.

“People are trying to copy the [pension] cheques [and] secondly, people are charging high rates to cash your cheques and it is egregious. And so we feel that this is a way to be able to protect older persons. One way to make sure that that does not happen is to ensure that we give them the capacity, the competency to be able to use computers. to be able to come here during the day [and] do their business,” he explained.

Maureen Graham, chair of the Legacy Foundation, highlighted the centre’s significance as a valuable investment for both the elderly and society. She noted that it would provide seniors with the necessary resources, support, and guidance to overcome barriers in accessing finance, technology, and networks. The centre will also offer training, mentoring, coaching, and various services to enhance their skills and knowledge.

The business centre is equipped with several computer stations where seniors will learn how to perform transactions effectively.