Colombian Community Members Graduate from the Computers in Homes Programme

Tuesday, 02 November 2010 00:00

On 24 September, twenty Colombian families in Porirua and the Hutt Valley graduated from Computers in Homes (CIH), aprogramme launched by 2020 Communications Trust in 1999.  The programme, which has been working with refugee background families around the country since 2004, aims to "help families in greatest need to use the internet, email, and basic computer skills in their everyday lives, to enhance their performance at school and at work."

Every year, the Ministry of Education provides funding for approximately 80 to 100 refugee background families around the country to receive refurbished computers, internet access, training and technical support.  Programme participants complete 30 hours of training over 10 weeks, after which point a graduation ceremony is held, and the families take home their computers.  The Ministry of Education provides funds for contracting individual technicians to provide technical support after graduation, ensuring that families continue to be able to utilise the skills they learned in the course and supporting them as they increase their participation in the online community, and all equipment has a 12-month hardware warranty provided by RemarkIT Solutions in Wellington and The ARK in Auckland.

Read more at the Refugee Services Website