Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, children in our program often lacked access to technology outside of the classroom. Whether living in a remote area on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, in villages where the internet is not available, or living in poverty in Eastern Kentucky where power and water bills are prioritized over technology, impoverished children lag behind their fellow students when they can’t keep up with classwork at home.
Thanks to our incredible donors, over the last few months, we have been coordinating with our program partners so that tablets can be purchased and provided to children in our sponsorship program.
The recent pandemic exacerbated all of these problems for families that relied on school and in-person learning. With school closures, children were told to stay at home, and teachers scrambled to find ways to make sure students received their course work regularly — often times driving workbooks or flash drives to the homes of kids who otherwise had no way to keep up with their workload.
Transitioning to virtual learning
“Teachers are attempting to successfully implement virtual learning by presenting lessons however possible and providing paper copies where necessary. This has been especially challenging in Central America, where schools typically lack teaching platform options; many children do not have internet access at home, nor an effective means through which to access it, such as a tablet or computer,” said Children Incorporated Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet.
Tablets allow children to do coursework remotely — and once they return to school, they can continue to learn from home!
“Our projects in Africa are experiencing similar difficulties; in fact, children are struggling so much there that a recent Kenyan government mandate required many students return to school to finish out the current academic year, despite a rise in COVID-19 cases. In South America, the number of COVID-19 infections and related deaths is staggering, making it one of the most affected areas in which we work. Children in India have also been tremendously affected, as the country comprises the greatest number of people affected by the virus in all of Asia — second in the world only to the U.S.”
Tablets for children all over the world
“Children Incorporated has devised a way of helping children and schools by providing tablets to children, which will allow them to access classes via the public platforms that schools are currently utilizing for learning. This will facilitate virtual attendance of classes as well as daily access to homework assignments. These tools will also offer academic support to teachers and students once in-person classes resume,” explained Luis.
Thanks to our incredible donors, over the last few months, we have been coordinating with our program partners so that tablets can be purchased and provided to children in our sponsorship program. To date, we have provided 630 tablets and counting. We are so grateful for all the support to continue to provide children in need with an education!
https://youtu.be/xy6Pz-nWjnI
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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD with children incorporated?
You can sponsor a child in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child that is available for sponsorship.