In Miarinarivo, rural Madagascar, TSF participates in the development of the region through digital tools by working with local actors to improve the living conditions of the people living in the region. People of all ages are able to access computers, an Internet connection, and workshops related to digital tools, in a center managed by TSF.
18 May 2026
Meet Rafanomezantsoa, a student who attended a digital safety workshop in TSF’s Digital Inclusion center in rural Madagascar.
Digital Inclusion in Madagascar
“My name is Rafanomezantsoa. I’m 20 years old and I’m from the rural commune of Ifanja. I’m a freshman at the Institut Supérieur Mgr Ramarosandratana in Miarinarivo, in the Itasy region. At the same time, I took a computer science course at Mi-tech, and that’s where I discovered the IT CUP center and the 1,2,3 Cyber program. In September 2025, you came to present the program at the Mi-tech center, but unfortunately I missed that visit. It was our teacher who told me about it, and I was immediately interested because this program was exactly what I wanted to learn.
What particularly drew me to the 1,2,3 Cyber program were the topics related to the Internet and its use. For me, it’s important to understand what fake news is, why a phone can get a virus, and, more generally, everything related to internet safety and its dangers. As soon as I discovered these topics, I wanted to sign up, because I really wanted to learn how to use the internet safely.
The workshop fully met my expectations. Before, as an internet user, I knew how to use Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms, but I wasn’t aware of the dangers and benefits. I would sometimes ask myself, “What are the benefits of using the internet?” and yet I often used it “blindly,” without really thinking about it.
Before the workshop, I often heard terms like “challenge,” “phishing,” or “cyberbullying,” and I was told that it was possible to spread false information on Facebook, but I was completely unaware of them. After the workshop, I started paying more attention. I learned what the blue badge for a verified account is for and how to tell the difference between a real account and a fake one. Before, I would read everything on Facebook without filtering it and post anything and everything, including personal information. Now, I think before I share: I check if information is true or false, and I also know how to limit the visibility of my posts.
Even though I’ve made a lot of progress, I still don’t feel completely confident online. The 1,2,3 Cyber workshop was an important first step, and I know there are still more steps to take to use the internet safely.
I highly recommend this activity to my friends and acquaintances. Even after the workshop, I shared my notes with my friends and showed them everything I learned, because I think it’s a truly enriching and useful experience for anyone who uses the internet.”
