Laptops and Internet for underprivileged pupils
Because of the corona measures, classes are suspended. Teachers turn to online teaching and digital assignments to stimulate their students and limit the backlog as much as possible till schools open again.
However, 1 to 2 percent of young people in Belgium do not have access to a pc with Internet. That’s why Digital for Youth.be (founded by DNS Belgium and Close the Gap) are currently looking for 10,000 laptops for secondary school students who don’t have a computer at home. The organization refurbishes them and installs the necessary software so that they are fully operational.
Digital inclusion
The digital society should be accessible to all. As digital inclusion is part of Proximus’ commitment to society, we donated 700 laptops to Digital for Youth.be and asked our partners to do the same. The computers will be distributed discretely by the schools, as they know best which students need these devices most.
But computers without Internet won’t get the students very far. That’s why Proximus is making available login codes to municipalities, welfare offices, schools and youth organizations for pupils without Internet access. That way they can use signals in their neighborhood for free till the end of the school year.
Sharing is caring
Proximus cares for its stakeholders and contributes to society. We are glad we can help to give young people access to education in these difficult times. But we are committed to bring the benefits of digital tools within reach of young people throughout the year. Some examples:
- As a partner of Bednet in Flemish schools and Take Off in French-speaking schools, we support long-term sick children to follow classes from home or the hospital via videoconferencing.
- We also test the accessibility of new smartphones and tablets with the Passe Muraille association and offer subtitles and audio description on a number of Proximus Pickx channels for people with hearing or visual impairments.
- And people in difficult economic situations can avail of our reduced social rates.
Read more about Proximus’ Sustainability Strategy at www.proximus.com/sustainability
