New Auckland families enjoy the benefits of technology
Thursday, 12 March 2009 11:33
13 Auckland families from refugee backgrounds graduated from the national Computers in Homes, Rorohiko I roto ngā Kāinga, programme on 24 February 2009 at a ceremony at the Wesley Community Centre in Mount Roskill.Computers in Homes brings Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) within reach of both families in low-income communities and families with a refugee background, allowing parents and grandparents to connect with their children's learning and the wider community.
This event celebrates the achievements of local families who have completed their ICT training which forms part of the Computers in Homes refugee programme. The families have been provided with a computer and internet access along with training, skills and support to use these technologies which help them to adjust to New Zealand life.
Computers in Homes has been working in partnership with the Ministry of Education's Refugee Education division since 2004 and has provided more than 400 refugee families with a recycled computer, training and support.
"For many in the course, this was the first time they had ever been in contact with a computer in their lives. In conjunction with an English course, these 13 families are now able to search the Internet, communicate with distant relatives and use basic word processing software," says Computers in Homes' National Coordinator, Di Das.
Computers in Homes estimates that more than 100,000 New Zealand families with school-aged children in low income communities still don't have a computer and the Internet at home. The programme has recently launched the ‘100,000 Challenge' which aims to connect the remaining families without a computer in their homes and encourage digital literacy and competence.
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