
A group of rural women demonstrates that learning opportunities exist for every age group in a distant rural area. These women, known as Champion Sakhis, use their curiosity together with smartphones and their passion for learning to enter the digital world with both pride and confidence. Initially, it was a wonder what attributes made these women turn into champions. These women are determined and full of enthusiasm. All women across every age group trust in continual learning and display adaptive behaviours while supporting others. The group continues its mission of financial literacy through digital education to eliminate the digital divide. The training sessions for digital literacy were intentionally prepared by the organisers. Each session expanded their entrepreneurial skills until they developed confidence as independent entrepreneurs. It was deeply motivating that every Sakhi attended the sessions, possessing a smartphone. Their possession of smartphones demonstrated a solid indication that they were ready to continue. Watching the learners discover their email ID on their smartphones without help brought out tremendous pride on their faces. The Sakhi participants practised smartphone set-up procedures while learning to identify screen icons and enabled Bluetooth file transfers, and explored camera functions for videos and photos and call recording capabilities. The learners grasped that permission needed to be sought before call recording, since it presented itself as an essential new concept. The Sakhi member specified that the call recording function would aid her information retention because performing regular household tasks sometimes caused her to forget essential details. The facility to erase old recordings became a fundamental digital practice which students mastered to make space available on their devices. The learning did not stop there. Google Maps and location sharing functions brought forth a transformative experience for them.
The Sakhis felt joyful because they learned they could inform family members of their location during training trips. This feature provided more than just convenience because it also ensured safety. Learning how to send emails was the most moving aspect of their training. The new skill of sending documents independently meant they no longer needed access to internet cafes. Beyond teaching basic skills, the five-hour workshops delivered numerous benefits beyond technical skill acquisition. Through the educational sessions, the Sakhis gained independence while developing personal confidence along with goal direction. The participants learned to utilise their smartphones beyond basic calls by developing capable methods to collect information and maintain safe data sharing capabilities. Through their learning, these women have become leaders who serve as true Champion Sakhis by helping others navigate their communities.