Building digital confidence in western Bay of Plenty
Powerco Community Fund is helping improve digital literacy across western Bay of Plenty with the donation of refurbished laptops and mobile phones to Tū Mai Digital.
Following a recent rollout of new laptops and mobile phones at Powerco, many of the old laptops and phones were found to be in good working condition, prompting the decision to give them a second life.
Tū Mai Digital collaborates with community organisations to ensure some of western Bay of Plenty’s most vulnerable community members can confidently connect and participate in the digital economy.
“Originally, their application to the Powerco Community Fund was financial support to deliver digital literacy workshops, however, through further conversations and engagements, we identified an opportunity to extend our support beyond funding alone,” says Stuart Dickson, Powerco General Manager Customer.
“Following our recent internal technology upgrade, we were able to supply 10 refurbished laptops and 10 iPhones to the group. As a company, Powerco believes in supporting and giving back to the communities in which we operate. Donating these devices is also a sustainable way of extending the life of the technology,” he says.
“It also meant there were practical tools to sit alongside Tū Mai Digital’s training – ensuring participants not only learned new skills but had the equipment to continue building confidence at home.”
One of the workshops delivered supported kaumātua and kuia from Maketū. Ten elders attended five training sessions delivered at the Maketū Community Centre, facilitated by Tū Mai Digital kaiwhakaako, Kimi Katene.
As mature students, utilising modern technology is no easy task. Kimi simplified each session, providing personal attention and walking participants step-by-step through setting up usernames and passwords, creating Google and Gmail accounts, navigating Word, Excel and PowerPoint-equivalent applications, and learning how to safely access the internet.
The sessions were described as a success, with participants expressing gratitude for Kimi’s patience, clarity and willingness to go the extra mile. The refurbished devices have helped “open doors” of communication with whānau, tamariki and mokopuna - not just locally, but across Aotearoa and the world, the fund recipients say.
Following a recent rollout of new laptops and mobile phones at Powerco, many of the old laptops and phones were found to be in good working condition, prompting the decision to give them a second life.
Tū Mai Digital collaborates with community organisations to ensure some of western Bay of Plenty’s most vulnerable community members can confidently connect and participate in the digital economy.
“Originally, their application to the Powerco Community Fund was financial support to deliver digital literacy workshops, however, through further conversations and engagements, we identified an opportunity to extend our support beyond funding alone,” says Stuart Dickson, Powerco General Manager Customer.
“Following our recent internal technology upgrade, we were able to supply 10 refurbished laptops and 10 iPhones to the group. As a company, Powerco believes in supporting and giving back to the communities in which we operate. Donating these devices is also a sustainable way of extending the life of the technology,” he says.
“It also meant there were practical tools to sit alongside Tū Mai Digital’s training – ensuring participants not only learned new skills but had the equipment to continue building confidence at home.”
One of the workshops delivered supported kaumātua and kuia from Maketū. Ten elders attended five training sessions delivered at the Maketū Community Centre, facilitated by Tū Mai Digital kaiwhakaako, Kimi Katene.
As mature students, utilising modern technology is no easy task. Kimi simplified each session, providing personal attention and walking participants step-by-step through setting up usernames and passwords, creating Google and Gmail accounts, navigating Word, Excel and PowerPoint-equivalent applications, and learning how to safely access the internet.
The sessions were described as a success, with participants expressing gratitude for Kimi’s patience, clarity and willingness to go the extra mile. The refurbished devices have helped “open doors” of communication with whānau, tamariki and mokopuna - not just locally, but across Aotearoa and the world, the fund recipients say.
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