2016 ICT4D Conference

In 2015, more than one million people sought refuge in Germany, fleeing war and persecution in their home countries. Now they face new challenges: learning a new language, settling into new communities, resuming education and work.

NetHope and Google.org believe that access to Internet resources is key to connecting refugees to their new communities. With the support from Google.org, NetHope is launching Project Reconnect: an initiative providing 25,000 managed Chromebooks to nonprofit organizations supporting refugees in Germany. The project aims to help refugees as they strive to rebuild their lives, by facilitating access to education and information resources on the web.
Managed Chromebooks combined with Internet access allow refugees to access information, assistance and educational opportunities and can be used in transitional housing projects, classrooms, counseling centers, youth programs and many other situations. Here are a few ideas of projects nonprofits may consider:
- Set up a language learning center by running web-based language resources in full-screen mode.
- Provide a self-service information kiosk by securing a Chromebook in an accessible location.
- Organize children's activities with appropriate educational games.
- Enhance educational opportunities with the use of Chromebooks in classroom and training situations.
- Create an Internet cafe-like environment to allow refugees to connect with friends and family and access assistance information.
These scenarios and many more are possible with managed Chromebooks which allow organizations to provide a rich computing platform; all with minimal need for on-site IT intervention, maintenance and support.