CASH FOR KIDS HELPS SUCCESS4ALL TACKLE THE DEVASTATING DIGITAL DIVIDE IN THE NORTH EAST
Oluwadarasimi & her mum are both over the moon with their newly donated laptop. Photograph by Success4All
Success4All is thrilled to announce Cash for Kids has kindly donated 15 new laptops to Success4All worth a whooping £2175.
The laptops have now been distributed to 15 families in the North East who are currently digitally excluded and face financial burdens, specifically families who are seeking sanctuary.
Digital exclusion is a term used to define the unequal access and/or inability to use digital technology that is essential for an individual to partake in society.
Lack of access to a digital device, internet and skill set are all factors which contribute to digital exclusion.
Digital exclusion has severe consequences on any person’s life. In a recent report by The Good Things Foundation, they found that digital exclusion leads to poorer health outcomes and a lower life expectancy, increased loneliness and social isolation, and less access to jobs and education. Those who are digitally excluded also often end up paying more for essentials and face an increased risk of falling into poverty if they are not already.
In an increasingly digital society, where everything from paying bills to completing homework is carried out online, here in the North East over 55,000 families are being left behind and many are prevented from reaching their potential as a result of digital exclusion.
For children and young people living in a digital society being digitally excluded also significantly impacts their future opportunities.
This is how the Cash for Kids donation is transforming lives right here in the North East:
Rayhaan is a young asylum seeker who arrived from Mauritius last year. To get to school, she has to take two buses. The family has no computer at home and Rayhaan can’t stay behind in school to complete her schoolwork. Thanks to your donation, Rayhaan can now do her schoolwork at home and is optimistic about her future.
David is a young Nigerian migrant who arrived from Spain 3 years ago. He joyfully told us: “I no longer need to fight anymore with my sisters about using the laptop at home. It will help me with my studies in sixth-form in September.”
Temiloluwa is another young Nigerian migrant who recently arrived in the UK from Italy. Temiloluwa has been using his phone to complete his school work but because of the restrictions, he’s often struggled to complete all of the set homework. Your support means Temilouluwa now has access to the right tools for him to excel in school.
Ismail is a young asylum seeker who arrived from Turkey nearly two years ago. The laptop has come at just the right time for Ismail as he is due to sit his GCSE exams next year. The laptop means he can now spend the summer catching up on the curriculum he missed out on.
Hesna, who is also from Turkey is happy with her laptop as it means she can now complete her schoolwork on a laptop instead of on her phone.
Lynda and Petra, from Nigeria, are very happy with their laptops as both are going to Sixth form next year and need a laptop to complete their studies and undertake research. Lynda’s mum told us: “We are very grateful to Success4All and their partners for the laptop. It is a great burden off of our minds. Thanks so much.”
Brayan and his mum received a Cash for Kids donated laptop. Photograph by Success4All
Brayan arrived from Spain 3 years ago and has been sharing a retired family computer with his family which his mum says has tested their patience. She said: “It has been a struggle during Covid with only an old computer for us all. He is going to secondary school next year and this will help him with his assignments and his studies”
Oluwadarasimi only arrived a few months ago. She is ecstatic to receive a laptop that will greatly aid her when she starts school in September.
Eslam from Syria is delighted with the laptop. She only arrived last year and she will be starting 6th Form in September. Having her own laptop which she doesn’t need to share with her siblings will be such a great help.
Amina from Afghanistan is starting her GCSEs in September. She too is glad that she will have a laptop to herself to complete her GCSE assignments.
Maksym is 16 years old and arrived from Ukraine with only his mum just over two months ago. He currently lives with his host family in Newcastle and has been out of school since the war in Ukraine broke out. Luckily, Maksym was able to enrol on an online Ukrainian school which he was accessing via his phone. Not being in school and not having interactions with his peers has taken its toll on Maksym. He told us, “I feel sad about not going to school. I’d like to start studying again.”
Maksym told us that the laptop will make it easier for him to study. It will enable him to communicate with teachers effectively, it will help him make friends and to stay in touch with old friends back in Ukraine who he has not spoken to for some time.
Maksym enjoys producing electronic music and is looking forward to using his new laptop to learn more about the different technologies and techniques. Your donation means Maksym can learn and express himself in a way he feels comfortable.
We are so grateful to Cash for Kids for supporting our mission of preparing children and young people for a brighter future.
Cash For Kids supports children and young people affected by poverty, abuse, neglect, life-limiting illness and those who have additional needs.
To find out more about Cash for Kids, please visit: https://cashforkids.org.uk/