Shubham Sawarkar
Young people all over the world are adjusting to the modern mainstream of digital and distance learning as a result of the current global pandemic. Samsung Electronics has donated 1,000 Galaxy Tab devices to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to provide better learning opportunities for affected refugee youths.
The devices will be delivered to 15 locations, including schools and community centers in Kenya’s Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps. This Samsung Galaxy Tab donation will allow them to engage in school classes and access a wealth of digital learning resources.
The refugee camps in Kakuma and Dadaab are two of the oldest ones in the world and, as of January this year, host approximately 380,000 refugees. It is estimated that 40%, or around 160,000, of those living in the camps, are school-aged children. However, even though the schools in these refugee camps reopened in January this year after nine months of lockdown due to COVID-19, it remains difficult for refugee students to have access to stationery, textbooks, and other necessities for learning – an issue that prevails even after the reopening of schools.
“The contribution from Samsung is a good practice of how a global company can help the most vulnerable people access to education with its technology. UNHCR Korea looks forward to developing a partnership with Samsung Electronics now onwards,” noted James Lynch, Representative of UNHCR Korea.
“It is important for us to be supporting the youth in refugee camps, who are considered as one of the most vulnerable groups to be hit hard by COVID-19 so that they could continue with their studies,” noted Won Kyong Kim, Executive Vice President and head of Samsung’s Corporate Sustainability Center. “Ensuring an inclusive and equitable quality education for all young people is essential for a sustainable future for all.”
