Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash
The Commission, together with the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation and DIGITALEUROPE, a European organisation that represents the digital technology industry, is organising a new initiative: laptops for Ukraine.
The aim is to collect and deliver laptops, smart-phones and tablets and respond to the fundamental needs of schools, hospitals and public administrations in Ukraine’s most affected war regions.
The Ukrainian authorities have identified laptops as one of the most pressing needs at the moment.
About 70,000 teachers are in need of laptops to continue teaching, and 5,000 schools in the war-hit regions require digital devices to ensure that 200,000 schoolchildren can continue learning.
Many more devices are needed in other sectors and, in particular, for nurses, doctors and public administration.
Companies can make larger donations directly through the EU civil protection mechanism
For smaller donations, organisations, companies and citizens based in Belgium can donate devices via DIGITALEUROPE.
Donations can include new or used and functioning spare laptops, smartphones or tablets lying around in homes or in offices.
The organisers are looking to expand the initiative to include other collection hubs across Europe.
The Commission said it is working with industry partners to receive donations as part of the new initiative, as well as to collect and deliver other tech equipment as part of EUTech4Ukraine
At the same time, the Commission will facilitate the collection of equipment within the EU institutions, it says.
Through the EU civil protection mechanism, the devices will be collected and shipped to Ukraine, in places where equipment is needed the most. With this mechanism, donations by private companies can also be channelled.
