The project was implemented from October 1, 2019, to February 15, 2021, with financial support from the Telenor Foundation.

The general aim of the project is to enhance the safety of children and young people with intellectual disabilities by strengthening their capacities for the proper use of information technologies and empowering their parents/guardians/caregivers/teachers/educators/social workers/trusted individuals to provide support and protection from various dangers on the internet. The project promotes the use of internet services and other information and communication technologies/tools with an emphasis on proper content selection and ensuring safety.

The specific objectives of the project are defined as follows: 1. Enhancement of the capacities of the Center for Missing and Exploited Children to implement preventive and educational programs on the safe use of the internet, specifically targeting the sensitive group – individuals with mild intellectual disabilities; 2. Enhancement of the skills of children and young people with intellectual disabilities throughout Serbia regarding proper and safe internet use, primarily focusing on social networks and applications; and 3. Enhancement of the capacities of parents, guardians, teachers, educators, social workers, and other trusted individuals of children and young people with intellectual disabilities to provide support and protection from various dangers on the internet.

The project has achieved several significant results:

Adapted preventive and educational programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities and their parents/guardians/teachers/educators/social workers/trusted individuals, with expert assistance from collaborators, special educators, and social workers from the Association “Na pola puta,” along with the production of two educational films on internet safety and prevention of human trafficking;

Approximately one hundred children and young people with intellectual disabilities from 7 different locations across the Republic of Serbia were trained on safe internet usage through workshops held online and in-person;

Around 200 professionals from education and social welfare systems from various parts of Serbia participated in two accredited webinars, thus being trained on the specific risks and ways to protect children and young people with intellectual disabilities, as well as methods of intersectoral cooperation in situations of endangered safety of children and young people on the internet.

The project was implemented in partnership with the Association “Na pola puta” from Pančevo with financial support from the UniCredit Foundation during 2020 and 2021.