Final Conference in Cyprus

The partnership of the e-Protect organised a special event to celebrate older age and promote the objectives of the project, regarding safe internet use by the elderly. The event took place on Saturday, 22 October 2022, at the facilities of the Materia group, a social enterprise located in Cyprus aiming to provide a holistic range of support, care, nursing and rehabilitation services to older adults and their families. The event reached more than 80 people with 22 adult carers and educators being directly involved and informed about the project.

During the event, e-Protect partners had the opportunity to meet with the carers and the elderly through several activities. The preparation for the event started a couple of weeks before when the elderly were equipped with a digital photography machine and guided to capture their daily technology-related activities. This visual material was used to develop a photo exhibition that took place during the event with the presence of relatives and friends. An interactive workshop was also initiated along with the elder people of the centre, in which they use the photos to connect the past with the future and promote the use of digital technologies and the internet to improve their quality of life.

Adult carers, educators and Materia staff were provided with a presentation named “Lifelong learning: When do I stop learning?” to emphasize that people never stop learning and keep evolving during their whole life. The University of Third Age was promoted as means of lifelong learning through remote learning. The event was accompanied by a closing ceremony with traditional food and music to celebrate older age.