An urgent appeal for unwanted laptops to help children in Ukraine continue their education despite the hardships caused by war has been issued by entrepreneur and Austrian honorary consul Martin Richter.
Richter, who has been raising funds and equipment for Ukraine since the conflict began three years ago, has been meeting up with businesses and groups across Cayman to raise awareness for this latest appeal.
“We have to stop talking and start acting,” he said. “Ukraine’s children are in desperate need of laptops so they can attend lessons remotely and there are so many unused laptops which aren’t needed here but which will make a huge difference in Ukraine.”
The appeal has been organised in collaboration with Rotary Club International in Kharkiv, Ukraine and Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise and aims to collect at least 50 laptops locally before shipping them to Ukraine, where thousands of children rely on virtual classrooms to keep learning.
Richter, who has travelled to Ukraine several times since the start of the war, said, “Education is not a privilege but a fundamental human right. There are many unused laptops here that could make a huge difference in their lives.”
Richter has witnessed firsthand the harsh conditions in which these children live.
“You wouldn’t keep chickens this way, but that is where the children have to stay during bomb alarms – on wooden platforms for hours with no internet, almost no water and minimal facilities,” he said.
Despite these challenges, the children’s education continues online with the help of laptops equipped with cameras for virtual classes. To date, the global appeal has received 2,000 donated laptops, but more than 12,000 are still needed to reach all displaced children.
Richter is appealing to businesses and individuals in Cayman with unwanted laptops to donate them to help Ukrainian children so that they can still attend school online. The laptops have to be in working condition with a working camera to enable the children to learn online. People can also donate money to the cause, which can be used to buy old laptops in Kiev for around $150.
Adrean Russell, president of the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise said, “As the Rotary Club is a global organisation, we have a reach that some of the organisations don’t have and [can] pull those resources to do more things throughout the community, both the local community and the international community.”
On supporting the laptop appeal, Russell said, “It is mind-blowing when you consider what those kids probably went through, being displaced and not having access to a normal classroom like a lot of us would have growing up.”
He added, “Anything we can do to create some normalcy, [such as] them being able to have a Zoom class and see other kids and interact, I’m sure will have an exponential effect on their life, bring some normality back to their life and help them to continue their education, which has been disrupted for years now.”
Anyone who is able to donate used laptops or funds to purchase used laptops can contact Richter directly on 916-6688 or via Rotary Sunrise, which will oversee the collection and distribution process.
