Not an Ordinary Internet Cafe

USAID and a local ISP, with the assistance of DICT, brought connectivity to a coffee-growing cooperative at Tagbina, Surigao Del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines. Enabled by unconnected.org, satellite internet was made available to Mabuhay Kahayagan Coffee Growers Cooperative for marketing their coffee produce online and capacitating farmers with courses on efficient coffee production techniques, among others. Access points were also installed and extended via fiber through the local ISP at Mabuhay Elementary School, allowing students and teachers free internet access.

Affordable internet will also be offered at nearby sari-sari stores, creating a sustainable model for the community in the true spirit of cooperativism. The area's remote location hinders telecommunications and internet access.

USAID BEACON said in a statement: "This initiative was made possible by the support of the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development's Better Access and Connectivity (USAID's BEACON), a five-year (2021-2026) contract project that supports economic growth in the Philippines by facilitating the improvement of ICT infrastructure, the enhancement of ICT regulatory governance, and the strengthening of the country's cybersecurity posture."

USAID expects the model to catalyse other cooperatives nationwide to diversify their charter to include connectivity, a basic service required by many in conducting business.

The unique combination of empowered coffee growers and the online opportunities the connectivity brings make this implementation an extraordinary "internet cafe."