Syrian refugees in Germany to get Chromebooks worth $5.3 million from Google for education and assimilation
Google has announced a new $5.3 million grant to help refugees in Germany by equipping nonprofit aid organizations with Chromebooks. Announcing the grant on a blog post, Google director Jacquelline Fuller said that the Chromebooks are to “facilitate easier access to education for refugees.” The funds for Chromebooks will come from Google’s charitable Google.org arm in support with Project Reconnect, a program by NetHope.
Chromebooks are laptops which run on Chrome and use apps running in the cloud, meaning they require Internet connectivity for most of their functions.
Google’s philanthropy is well known. Earlier it had pledged to match $5.5 million in donations to help with the refugee crisis that has been unfolding. When the refugee crisis was in full motion, Google announced a new open-source project called the Crisis Info Hub that helps refugees access key information on their journey to safer countries, such as lodging, transportation, and more.
Germany has decided to accept millions of people who have been fleeing from war torn countries like Iraq, Syria and Libya. After its open door policy was announced, it has received more than one million migrants in 2015 alone.
However the basic problem faced by the refugees is lack of education which in turn creates social conflicts with the locals. Google hopes that it’s Chromebooks will help the refugees educate and assimilate faster. “As they make it through a dangerous journey, the first thing refugees need is to find shelter, food and access to care,” explained Fuller. “But soon enough, they have to learn the local language, acquire skills to work in a new country, and figure out a way to continue their studies — all in an effort to reclaim and reconnect with the lives they had before.”
