Our mentors, Burul Eralieva, Umidjon Tairov, and others at the Digital Mentors Training at Kyrgyz National University in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on June 19, 2026. Photograph courtesy of the “Digital Shield Across Generations” project. Used with permission.
In Kyrgyzstan, people are increasingly using messaging applications, online banking, social media, and the robust online government services platform called “Tunduk” for everyday tasks.
However, these same tools are used by fraudsters for nefarious purposes, and many citizens are unaware of how they can protect themselves. A message may appear to come from a colleague whose account has been hacked. A caller may claim to represent a bank or public institution. A false link may closely resemble an official website. AI-generated images, audio, and video content make it harder to determine what is genuine.
Women aged 50 and above, who constitute a large portion of fraud victims, are not lacking in intelligence, experience, or critical assessment. They can be teachers, researchers, and university employees. Yet technologies change rapidly, while scammers constantly adapt. Some people hesitate to ask for help because they fear a “simple” question will make them look uninformed.
An ongoing intergenerational project is preparing students to help such women navigate online fraud, disinformation, and increasingly complex digital services.
“I hope I can help grandmothers now!” shared a student digital mentor in an anonymous feedback form after a two-day training in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. It captured our project’s purpose better than any technical definition could.
The project is called “Digital Shield Across Generations: Countering Disinformation and Strengthening Women’s Digital Civic Resilience in Kyrgyzstan.” Its goals are to help women recognize online fraud, protect personal data, verify information, and use digital services safely, while preparing university students to become patient and responsible digital mentors. Students bring digital familiarity; women bring experience, judgment, and real-world questions.
Training mentors before meeting mentees
The project’s first major activity was an intensive training for student mentors from June 18 to 19, 2026. It covered cybersecurity, digital hygiene, social engineering, disinformation, deepfakes, fact-checking, personal data protection, artificial intelligence, and safe use of Tunduk.
It was not based only on lectures. Students analyzed suspicious links, fake websites, and real fraud cases, while learning to explain risks plainly. They also experimented with AI tools and debated the benefits and dangers of AI in a mock trial.
The anonymous feedback showed what resonated most. Of 20 respondents, 16 referred to the Tunduk expert’s session. Cybersecurity and fraud cases were repeatedly identified as the most useful topics, while tests, games, and debates were among the most memorable activities.
One participant wrote that the case of a journalist who had lost a large amount of money to fraud demonstrated that “anyone can become a victim.” Another participant valued learning how to distinguish an official link from a fake one.
Another participant asked for “more trainings and events like this,” while one suggested expanding the audience because digital risks “concern every citizen.”
Learning across generations
Student digital mentor Mirbek Abdulamitov and mentee Nurgul Erkebulanova examine online safety cases during a training session at Kyrgyz National University in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on June 23, 2026. Photograph courtesy of the “Digital Shield Across Generations” project. Used with permission.
The project’s most successful element is the intergenerational mentoring model.
After their preparation, student mentors began working with women participants during the first two training sessions. Instead of presenting themselves as experts with all the answers, they sat beside the women, listened to their experiences, and examined specific problems step by step.
A suspicious WhatsApp message became a lesson in verification. A hacked account became a discussion about recovery and warning contacts. A questionable website became an exercise in checking domain names and official sources.
This method makes digital safety practical and personal. A student may know where to find a security setting, but an experienced teacher may ask the deeper question: Why is this message trying to make me afraid? Who benefits if I react immediately? Together, they develop a more complete form of digital resilience.
The feedback suggests that this human dimension mattered. One participant praised the atmosphere because it made it easy to ask questions. Another described the experience as not only educational but inspiring because people from different backgrounds exchanged ideas.
One student wrote: “Thanks to this training, I met new people, exchanged experiences, and received a great deal of useful information.”
The comment “I hope I can help grandmothers now” showed that students had begun to see themselves not merely as learners, but as people responsible for helping others in their community.
The shield is not finished
The project is now entering its next stage. Two more training sessions will be held so that four cohorts, comprising 85 women mentees in total, can participate. The sessions will address everyday risks: fraudulent calls, one-time-password requests, hacked accounts, unsafe links, manipulated content, and misuse of personal data.
The planned information campaign will broaden the project’s reach through clear messages about digital safety, disinformation, and online fraud. It will encourage people to pause and verify before acting or sharing information.
The ongoing online support system is already an important part of the project. The WhatsApp groups allow participants to ask questions in real time, while weekly Wednesday Q&A sessions provide a structured space for discussion and clarification. Training materials and step-by-step guidelines are shared regularly to reinforce learning beyond the classroom.
The real outcomes will not all appear immediately in attendance figures. They will emerge when a woman checks a request before sending money, refuses to disclose a verification code, strengthens account security, or helps a colleague identify a fake message. They will also appear when student mentors share their knowledge with relatives, teachers, and peers.
The feedback already points towards this possibility. One mentor said the practical knowledge would be useful not only in everyday life, but also “in further work with other people.” Another wished that more people could attend similar trainings “where the basics are explained clearly.”
Digital safety cannot be taught through fear. People need respectful explanations, realistic practice, and a trusted person they can approach when something feels wrong.
The students have learned that knowing how to use technology is not the same as knowing how to teach it. Effective mentoring also requires listening, empathy, and patience. The women participants, in turn, are showing that age is not a barrier to acquiring new digital skills when learning is relevant and respectful.
Our community is learning that resilience is not a software product. It is a relationship. The strongest digital shield is built when people across generations ask questions, verify information, and protect one another.
Student digital mentor Mirbek Abdulamitov and mentee Nurgul Erkebulanova examine online safety cases during a training session at Kyrgyz National University in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on June 23, 2026. Photograph courtesy of the “Digital Shield Across Generations” project. Used with permission.
The project’s most successful element is the intergenerational mentoring model.
After their preparation, student mentors began working with women participants during the first two training sessions. Instead of presenting themselves as experts with all the answers, they sat beside the women, listened to their experiences, and examined specific problems step by step.
A suspicious WhatsApp message became a lesson in verification. A hacked account became a discussion about recovery and warning contacts. A questionable website became an exercise in checking domain names and official sources.
This method makes digital safety practical and personal. A student may know where to find a security setting, but an experienced teacher may ask the deeper question: Why is this message trying to make me afraid? Who benefits if I react immediately? Together, they develop a more complete form of digital resilience.
The feedback suggests that this human dimension mattered. One participant praised the atmosphere because it made it easy to ask questions. Another described the experience as not only educational but inspiring because people from different backgrounds exchanged ideas.
One student wrote: “Thanks to this training, I met new people, exchanged experiences, and received a great deal of useful information.”
The comment “I hope I can help grandmothers now” showed that students had begun to see themselves not merely as learners, but as people responsible for helping others in their community.
The shield is not finished
The project is now entering its next stage. Two more training sessions will be held so that four cohorts, comprising 85 women mentees in total, can participate. The sessions will address everyday risks: fraudulent calls, one-time-password requests, hacked accounts, unsafe links, manipulated content, and misuse of personal data.
The planned information campaign will broaden the project’s reach through clear messages about digital safety, disinformation, and online fraud. It will encourage people to pause and verify before acting or sharing information.
The ongoing online support system is already an important part of the project. The WhatsApp groups allow participants to ask questions in real time, while weekly Wednesday Q&A sessions provide a structured space for discussion and clarification. Training materials and step-by-step guidelines are shared regularly to reinforce learning beyond the classroom.
The real outcomes will not all appear immediately in attendance figures. They will emerge when a woman checks a request before sending money, refuses to disclose a verification code, strengthens account security, or helps a colleague identify a fake message. They will also appear when student mentors share their knowledge with relatives, teachers, and peers.
The feedback already points towards this possibility. One mentor said the practical knowledge would be useful not only in everyday life, but also “in further work with other people.” Another wished that more people could attend similar trainings “where the basics are explained clearly.”
Digital safety cannot be taught through fear. People need respectful explanations, realistic practice, and a trusted person they can approach when something feels wrong.
The students have learned that knowing how to use technology is not the same as knowing how to teach it. Effective mentoring also requires listening, empathy, and patience. The women participants, in turn, are showing that age is not a barrier to acquiring new digital skills when learning is relevant and respectful.
Our community is learning that resilience is not a software product. It is a relationship. The strongest digital shield is built when people across generations ask questions, verify information, and protect one another.
