Another 85 laptops were donated to Torres Strait Kaziw Meta (TSKM), this time from the generous team at LiteHaus International as part of their Digital Inclusion Program. Last week, a team from LiteHaus made the trek north to present Boarders with refurbished laptops that they will take home after the school term.
Although LiteHaus Founder Jack Growden was unable to attend, his mum [Name] was part of the visiting team, supporting the need for accessible technology in the region.
“Jack was a small-town boy who donated his first laptop back in 2017 on a trip to Papua New Guinea,” [Name said].
“He has since donated many laptops around the world, and we’re here to deliver 300 laptops across the Cape including 70 to Kaziw Meta and 70 to Tagai College,” she added.
Torres Strait Kaziw Meta CEO Thomas Dunsmore said the donation was proudly welcomed and would provide the boarders access to technology outside of school and boarding.
“We have a library of devices at the boarding facility; however, these stay here when the boarders go home for the holiday,”
“The laptops donated by LiteHaus are for our Boarders to take home and share with their families, so it becomes a positive impact in their home,” he added.
The LiteHause Digital Inclusion Program aimed to tackle the digital divide by providing high school students across regional and remote Australia with a device for free. Its goal was to provide a million laptops by 2027.
As part of their Cape York expedition, they have donated devices to Western Cape Residential College and Western Cape College.
LiteHaus Australian Programs Lead Rob Birnie said he was thrilled to visit Zenadth Kes, meet the people and give laptops that can improve learning and career prospects for young people.
“So far, we have provided over 17,174 students across Australia with digital access, reaching 87 communities nationwide,” he said.
“Being such a remote part of Australia and with boarders venturing to Thursday Island from even more remote and secluded islands, these boarders are prone to experiencing digital marginalisation,”
“Through this project, we focus beyond school to ensure that young people can build their digital capability more broadly,” he added.
“A quality education can only be digital in today’s world.”