Theirworld and Kano team up to give computer kits to vulnerable children
Girls' education
Theirworld President Sarah Brown helps students at Mtien school in Lebanon unpack Kano computer kits Picture: Anthony Achkar
Hundreds of award-winning computer kits will be donated to help innovative projects for vulnerable children around the world.
Kano, which makes DIY computer and coding kits for kids, announced today it will give 300 kits to Theirworld, a British charity dedicated to ensuring all children have the best chance of living a healthy and happy life. Theirworld is the parent charity of A World at School.
Timed around this year’s Giving Tuesday, Kano’s donation is in line with its mission to put computing into the hands of all children around the world.
Inspired and created by people all over the world, the Kano computer and coding kit is specially designed with the mission of giving people a simple, fun way to create with technology and enabling a lifelong passion for code, computing and the arts.
The kits are designed to be built simply on site – just like Lego.
Students at Mtien School open their first Kano kit computers as part of Theirworld’s Technology in Classrooms programme Picture: Anthony Achkar
The first set of donated kits were rolled out in early November as part of a pilot project in Lebanon in a double-shift school teaching Syrian refugee children.
Theirworld President Sarah Brown was there to distribute the kits in the school where they will support learning for 600 Syrian refugee children.
Through its projects, Theirworld will continue to help children overcome barriers to learning even when a school place is available.
Access to technology provides a window to the world and access to thousands of learning resources. Additionally, enabling children to learn and create with code provides them with skills and confidence for a brighter future.
Sarah said: “This is a generous donation from Kano, marking the spirit of this global day of giving.
“On a recent trip to Lebanon visiting Syrian refugee children who have just returned to school, we were able to provide some of these kits to a classroom.
Kano co-founder and President Yonatan Raz-Fridman said: “We believe that every child should have the opportunity to make, learn and play with technology – and seeing the children using our computer kits in Lebanon was absolutely inspiring.
“Supporting Theirworld’s innovative projects is an exciting opportunity for us. It shows that any organisation can do whatever they can – big or small – to help give children a brighter future.”
In addition to the project in Lebanon, the Kano kits will be an integral part of Theirworld’s new girls’ code clubs that will be rolled out in the newmyear in four countries across Africa.
The aim is to create specialist clubs for girls to build, learn and create in a safe environment through technology and coding. The programme is a partnership led by Theirworld with Kano, Codecademy and Africa Gathering.
Sarah added: “These computer kits will also be an integral part of our new code clubs in Africa, which will provide a safe space for girls to come together and use technology to help their learning and provide them with the skills they need to thrive and build a future they dream about.”
There are 62 million girls around the world who are out of school, making them the most disadvantaged children in the world.
Theirworld and Kano believe that technology has the potential to unlock learning opportunities to empower girls.
The aim of these code clubs is to show that, through basic access to technology and to a safe space for expanding learning opportunities, girls can be empowered and given opportunities for a brighter future.