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Computers for kids
''If we can't give street children an adequate material existence, we should at least give them a future,'' says Christina Haig, one of the founders of EuroKids.
With limited material resources, Christina Haig and Anne-Marie De Geer discussed means of attracting children off the streets back in school. They contacted IBM, which donated several computers that had been used for the Olympic Games in Lillehammer. IBM, while in the process of establishing its business in the Baltic Sea countries, also saw an opportunity to use its new staff in training.
In November 1997, the first EuroKids centre opened in Tallinn. Located in an old schoolhouse, earlier used by the soviet military, it operates as an afternoon and evening school.
To gain attendance to EuroKids, the child must show up for school. Each day he or she receives a stamp from their teacher to verify attendance. Previously, Tallinn's street kids showed up for school at the beginning of the term with attendance deteriorating and finally ceasing altogether. With regular school attendance a prerequisite for EuroKids, they are finding their way back to school.
The children are often referred by relief organisations. Today, 55 children - of whom two-thirds are boys - attend the Tallinn centre. With a growing waiting list, the centre has been forced to accept children only every other day in order to accommodate more students.
Upon arrival at EuroKids, children receive hot chocolate and sandwiches. They then play computer games and solve problems assigned by their instructors. Because English is the international computer language, language training is also given - an advantage also in regular classes.
EuroKids' current activities in Estonia include centres in Tallinn and Tartu with plans for expansion and new centres in Narva. In Kaunas, Lithuania, a EuroKids centre opened in 1998 at a home visually impaired children while another centre is located in Vilnius. Additional centres are planned for riga and St. Petersburg.
''We are presently working to provide all children with individual e-mail addresses'', says Christina Haig. ''By providing the means for swift communication, we hope children more easily can contact us if they need material support. We can, for example, deliver shoes or carpets for cold floors but we need to know what their needs are.''
EuroKids, phone +46 8 660 04 66, fax +46 8 611 05 60, e-mail eurokids@telia.com internet: www.eurokids.eurowomen.org
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The Swedish Special Group for Children at Risk in the Baltic Sea Region |
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17.03.1999 |
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