For about 100 of our senior citizens from 10 towns across Serbia, access to the vast digital spaces and resources offered by the Internet has been opened up, thanks to Project Silver Surfers. This project has been designed and implemented by the International Aid Network (IAN), with financial support from the Digital Agenda Administration within the Ministry of Culture, Media and Information Society.

Qualifications in Belgrade

In cooperation with partners across Serbia, including libraries, civil society organizations and schools, basic IT courses were organized in eight towns, attended by more than 100 seniors ages 55 or over. With courage and lots of enthusiasm they  acquired skills for basic computer and internet use. Many participants were especially interested in learning to communicate via Skype and transferring photos from a camera to a PC.

Wishing to get familiar with the thing that has fascinated their grandchildren so much, many of them were also interested in grasping the world of social networks, especially Facebook, and therefore social networking became an unavoidable part of the course. Silver surfers in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Hrtkovci, Cuprija, Ljig, Niš, Kragujevac, and Raca completed the course with smiles on their faces. The y were proud of themselves and pleased to have obtained modern skills that enabled them to find information faster and easier, to be in contact with friends and relatives who live abroad, and to have a more fulfilled and richer life in the third age.

In order to show that grandchildren can be of great support to their grandparents in mastering computer use and to stress the importance of intergenerational support in bringing digital literacy to seniors, the second part of the project includes an IT grandchildren-grandparents competition. Qualifications were held in all towns after the courses, and the competing pairs consisted of a grandparent over age 55 and a grandchild younger than 13. The best 15 pairs will participate in the big finals, organised for the second year in a row on the 15 th of September in Belgrade.

Qualifications in Niš

The year 2012 has been named the European Year for Active Aging and Solidarity Among Generations . Active aging means aging in good health with greater independence and continued participation in civic and community life. Active aging may provides opportunities for seniors to stay in full working strength and to share their experiences, to continue to play active roles in society, as well as to have longer and a more fulfilled lives.

The quality of life of our older citizens should be the concern of all of us, regardless of our age. It is important to foster solidarity among generations, especially in societies such as ours where the number of seniors is increasing. The average age of the citizens of Serbia is 41.2 years. According to some estimations, until 2030 every fourth citizen will be older than 65. This chunk of the population represents huge capital in terms of experience and knowledge, and seniors in this category often have the free time to participate in activities that contribute to the enrichment and development of social life, that even the richest country cannot renounce. The challenge before us is to improve the possibilities for maintaining and encouraging an active attitude towards life among seniors as well as their psychophysical health.

Silver surfers participating in this project have shown that age is not an obstacle to inclusion in the information society. The seniors recognise the values of lifelong learning that empower them to continuously build up their skills and stay included in modern trends in the society.

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For any further information and/ applications, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Ivan Stojilovic. Email address:

Telephone number: +38111 7617 197

Address: International Aid Network (IAN)
Admirala Geprata 10
11000 Belgrade
Republic of Serbia