Photo: Erin Bown-Anderson
Story by: Erin Bown-Anderson
January 2025
The beginning of a new year is always an opportunity to pause, reflect, and recalibrate. For me, this moment has brought a deep reconsideration of what connection truly means. The mission of N50 has always been to connect the world’s greatest organizations to the Next 50% of the population not yet connected to the internet. Over the past year, this mission has taken on profound and personal significance.
I’ve always believed that technology is a powerful tool for progress and humanitarian efforts. As an educator, I’ve seen digital tools expand access to learning and opportunities to make sense of complex concepts in action. I’ve also witnessed the shadows of these tools: screens that physically isolate people in the same room, platforms that amplify division and misinformation, and constant notifications that distract from meaningful goals. . .among others.
One particular 2024 moment stands out for me: I was visiting a school in Rwanda and had the chance to wander through the grounds. A group of 20 or more children, probably aged 6 to 10, followed close behind, their giggles and whispers trailing in the air. I smiled, thinking of the students I used to teach and my own child, who is around the same age. Stepping into a clearing, I paused, struck by the beauty of the backdrop—the vast sky and towering trees framing the children’s radiant smiles and eyes full of endless curiosity.
Despite our limited shared language, we laughed and exchanged names. They sang a song for me about a concept they had been learning, and I, in turn, taught them a simple math hand game, “sticks.” It was a universal connection—touching hands, counting rhythms, and bursting into laughter. One of my mantras as an educator and a parent has always been “see me,” imagining each child silently asking to be noticed, valued, and understood. In that moment, I could feel their unspoken plea: See me. See us. See who I am – who we are.
My phone, tucked in my pocket, was a tempting weight. A part of me wanted to capture this moment, to preserve it in pixels. But I knew that if I reached for it, I’d lose something irreplaceable. I wouldn’t be able to play the game, make eye contact, or truly see them. The act of capturing would create a separation. So, I chose connection instead. I would remember the moment for what it was, and if the chance came later, I could try to capture it (. . .and I did). But first, I had to be fully present.
That experience stays with me, dances in my thinking about connectivity quite a bit. What if while we use wires to physically create connections, use satellites and routers to fabricate lines between us we remember that we are connecting more than that. We are connecting and sharing the wisdom, stories, ecosystems, challenges, pain AND joy that exist in communities (especially the most rural or remote)—building a strengthened, shared humanity?
This shift in perspective has led me to view the N50 mission through a broader lens. It’s not just about connecting people to the internet; it’s about collective healing. It’s about connecting to the parts of the world and communities that hold sacred knowledge about sustainability, collectivism, and ecological balance in a way that opens bi-directional channels. Recognition of our unity, our need to move out of separation and disconnection is not easy, simple, or walking a straight path.
We need the courage to sit with complexity, to unlearn the constructs that divide, and to learn to live in closer harmony with the natural world. By embracing this, N50 has become more than a conduit for digital connection—it is a bridge to collective wisdom and shared purpose.
As I step into this new year, I carry a renewed commitment to leading with connectivity—not just through technology, but through a reconnection with ourselves, with one another, and with our sacred and singular planet. N50 is a platform to help peel back the layers, to deepen understanding, and to move toward a world where technology amplifies our best instincts rather than dulling them. I am grateful to spend my days grappling with these ideas in theory and action.
What does connection mean to you in 2025? What connections do you want to nurture, and what might that unlock?
I, for one, look forward to connecting more with you!