VEON VOICES
Discover the projects that are helping change our world for the better.
Fostering digital entrepreneurship
VEON launched the Make Your Mark initiative to foster digital entrepreneurship in the countries where we operate. The programme focuses on supporting people to start their own businesses, which in turn helps to create fulfilling jobs for others.
Bangladesh: creating a dynamic digital entrepreneurship ecosystem
With grants from the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust and Bangladeshi government under their belt, plus accolades from the UN Development Programme, the founders of Teach It barely recognise their once cash-strapped start-up.
Kyrgyzstan: preparing local youth for the digital economy
Eldar is just one of the 2.1 million young Kyrgyzstanis on whom the country is pinning its economic hopes. Citing digital transformation as a key development goal, Kyrgyzstan’s 2018-2040 National Strategy includes a pledge to enable the next generation of Kyrgzstanis to play a leading role in domestic and global digital labour markets.
Pakistan: supporting digital innovation
The to bridge the gap between entrepreneurs, innovators, academics, and investors. By bringing these together, the NIC is helping support Pakistan’s ongoing digital revolution and ensuring a brighter future for entrepreneurs such as Mustafa.
Georgia: encouraging global mindsets for scalable solutions
For Teimuraz Gochitashvili, a fourth year biology student at the Tbilisi State University, taking part in the NASA Space Apps Challenge was the opportunity of a lifetime. “For any young innovator with ambitions to solve a problem, this competition is the best possible environment,” says the student.
Bridging the digital skills and literacy gap
As a company operating in developing economies with young, growing populations, VEON supports education programmes that focus on building digital inclusion and closing gaps in digital skills and literacy. These programmes equip young people for fulfilling careers and entrepreneurship, in turn driving economic growth in their local market.
Kazakhstan: Big Data skills for big ambitions
Launched by VEON operating company Beeline Kazakhstan, Big Data School is available each year to 200 students from reputable universities or with appropriate work experience. The school offers courses, taught by Beeline Kazakhstan staff, in programs such as Apache Spark, Hadoop, Scala, NiFi and NoSQL.
Kyrgyzstan: guiding young students through a digital landscape
Thanks to his participation in the Digital Literacy Lessons programme, 16-year-old Hassan now feels confident in his ability to navigate the online world safely and securely.
Ukraine: sparking creative thinking
“Our volunteers drive and determination motivated students to keep going no matter what and to do their best to achieve their aims,” said Katerina Solimchuk from a participating school in GoCamp 2018. “They enjoyed trying new and exciting things to discover a passion and talent they didn’t even know they possessed”.
Pakistan: smart schools offer bright future
Education now means something different to Saira Ali, a year nine student in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. Since joining the Jazz Smart School programme, Saira has experienced what she describes as an “extraordinary” change of learning environment.
Russia: addressing employment inequality
“We’ll get back to you” is a phrase Everland student Svetlana Pavlikova hopes to hear less of in future. Now, with a qualification in Multimedia Content, achieved on the Everland programme, Svetlana feels positive about the future and “the opportunity to find a steady job, earn decent money, gain experience and make progress.”
Ukraine: taking data skills to the next level with Big Data
Thanks to Big Data School 4.0, Tetiana Marynych, an Associate Professor at Sumy State University, is looking forward to sharing a wealth of newly acquired expertise with her postgraduate students.
