Digital Divide is real. However, this is not the only inequity existing in society. Among others, one of the most prominent and important is the lack of opportunities especially for the poor—opportunities to learn, grow, and earn. And digital transformation with the poor can be the way to help bridge this divide.
What does this even mean? Digital transformation with the poor is maximizing the capacity of digitalization and cultural transformation to facilitate opportunities in becoming accessible for all, especially for the poor and the ones who need them the most. As much as this seems like a challenging endeavor, institutions with the skill and advocacy can make this happen.
In the field of finances, Ahon sa Hirap Inc. (ASHI) makes this happen. ASHI is a microfinance non-government organization (NGO) that offers financial inclusion mainly for those who are underserved and underbanked—low income, low financial literacy, and less access to documentary requirements. Digital transformation with ASHI’s clients means full system integration that enables sustainable and future-ready operation of their financial solutions and services.
This means in the long run, digital transformation empowers clients to access and maximize financial opportunities that pave the way for better quality of life, which without the services of such organizations, opportunities would have been available only for those financially capable. Likewise, this empowers the organization to sustainably operate and even expand to offer their financial solutions to more people for a longer period, permitting for financial inclusion and opportunities for all.
Amid the decrease in stability and security especially heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, opportunities for inclusion remain accessible both for businesses and clients alike through digital transformation, which provides the tool that provides real-time and reliable data that enables informed and effective managing and monitoring and subsequently, decision-making. Especially in the case of huge financial institutions like ASHI who cater to numerous branches whose locations are scattered throughout the nation, digital transformation means empowerment for more and providing the opportunity for all.