OTTAWA -- A local Syrian refugee family received two new tablet devices on Thursday thanks to a program aimed at getting technology to those who otherwise wouldn’t’ be able to access it.
Ayoob Asat and his family, which includes five children, came to Ottawa in November 2018. Before Thursday, they had all been sharing one phone to access the Internet.
“Before, I just had a phone,” he said Thursday. “But now, I’m happy because I have two tablets and a laptop. This will make it easy to study for summer school.”
The donations are part of Ottawa-based Ruckify’s partnership with the United Way to collect new and old devices for people who need them.
“It’s something we take for granted, many of us. Having access to a cell phone, or laptop or tablet at home is something that is every day occurrence,” said Cameron Linke, Ruckify’s manager of strategic partnerships. “But in the case of many families across the city, that’s not the case.”
“As a lot of these services move remotely, including education, the ability to log into a zoom call can make a world of difference.”
The tablets for Asat and his family were donated by local IT company Fully Managed.
The need for laptops, phones and other devices is still high.
If you have a device that’s collecting dust in your home and want to donate it, you can head to Ruckify’s website, fill out a form and someone will come pick up the devices and give them to those in need.
- with files from CTV's Claudia Cautillo
