Gladys Ow, Channel NewsAsia 6 Sep 09;
SINGAPORE: Personal computers are a luxury many low-income families in Singapore cannot afford.
A pilot project has been launched to ensure they are not left out of today's wired society.
Under the project, volunteers from the Youth Wing of the National Trades Union Congress or Young NTUC will collect used PCs, clean them, reformat and install basic applications in them before distributing the PCs to low-income families.
Young NTUC adviser, Mrs Josephine Teo, said those involved in the project have been introduced to the idea of volunteerism, environmental concerns and caring for the needy.
She said: "Yes, the equipment may be a bit older and are not as up to date as what you find in the stores today. But they are definitely still usable. They will still make a difference in the children's education. And that is what we want. We want the children to be able to access IT as well, even if their families find it difficult to afford brand new computers."
On Sunday, volunteers from Young NTUC distributed 100 refurbished computers to children of needy families. The four-year-old PCs were given away by the National University Hospital, which was upgrading its systems.
600 low-income union families will benefit from the PC project. Beneficiaries have a combined household income of less than S$1,800.
