Our global community works tirelessly to expand connectivity, educate users, and build the Internet we want—an Internet for everyone.
We are proud to share that four videos highlighting community initiatives have won Viddy Awards this year. The Viddy Awards are an international competition that recognizes excellence in video creation, production, and delivery.
Our videos celebrate locally rooted efforts to connect the unconnected and harness the Internet as a force for good. Congratulations to our featured chapters, partners, and grantees. From Latin America to Asia and Africa, your work is changing lives for the better.
Connecting the Unconnected—Parará Puru, Panama
Platinum Winner: Nonprofit YouTube Video
The Parará Puru community, situated in a remote area off the Chagres River in Panama, is connected to the Internet via the country’s first community network.
Our Panama Chapter built the network with support from the Internet Society Foundation, bringing reliable and affordable connectivity to the local population.
Indigenous peoples face disproportionately low connectivity rates and unique barriers to getting online. The network in Parará Puru has enabled the community, which relies on tourism, to easily communicate, organize visits, sell goods, and share Emberá culture online.
Connecting Remote Glaciers to Protect Communities in Kyrgyzstan
Platinum Winner: Science and Technology Video
For decades, Kyrgyzstan’s glaciers and frozen landscapes remained relatively stable. But now, climate change is reshaping them, increasing the risk of floods, landslides, and disasters that can destroy infrastructure and threaten lives.
That’s why our Kyrgyzstan Chapter, with support from the Internet Society Foundation, is working to connect remote mountain areas, enabling continuous glacier monitoring.
Across five locations, sensors are now monitoring environmental conditions and risks, collecting data that can help warn communities and keep them safe.
Connecting the Unconnected—Girls in Rural Pakistan
Gold Winner: Cause-Related Video
In the small villages of Lasebella, Balochistan—a remote area of Pakistan—it can be difficult to access quality education and job opportunities, especially for women.
In 2022, with our support and with women in mind, the Welfare Association for New Generation (WANG) opened the WANG Lab of Innovation (WALI).
WALI, a community network and technology lab, offers a strong Internet connection, hosts educational programs, and presents new opportunities for local women. Women have taken to WALI to create a podcast, take remote university courses, and more.
From Goats to Bytes: A Rural Community’s Leap into the Digital Age
Gold Winner: Nonprofit and Activism Video
In the remote pastoral community of Il-Ngwesi in Isiolo County, Kenya, community members are sustaining their connectivity in an unexpected way—through goats.
The Mawingu Foundation, with support from the Internet Society Foundation, has created a community resource center in Il-Ngwesi that provides locals with Internet access, computers, and digital skills training.
To cover the cost of their Internet subscription, families rotate the responsibility of selling a goat every few months. This shared commitment they call “sell a goat, keep the hub running” transforms tradition into lasting digital access.