Digital exclusion affects the education, employment and opportunities of millions of people across the UK.
In 2020, one quarter of all vulnerable children did not have access to a suitable device for learning, and over one million households have no internet access at all.
For Abdi Salad, unstable Wi-Fi in his tower block cost him a job interview.
He joined the Ingenuity Impact in 2020 with his friend Mohamed having identified that many others in similar communities would be experiencing the same issues, especially after work and education moved online during the Covid-19 pandemic.
They decided to create a sustainable community Wi-Fi system, specifically designed for tower blocks, to help increase speed and accessibility, whilst reducing the cost for the customer.
After submitting their HiVu business plan and pitch, they received specialist mentoring from experts at Ingenuity Impact’s charity partner Groundwork.
The skills, training and confidence Abdi gained during the Ingenuity Impact helped him to secure a role in the financial industry. He plans to return to HiVu after gaining further experience in industry.