Google's Plan to Help Refugees Stay Connected
Search engine giant is helping refugees get online.
— -- Google is helping refugees return to their studies with a new $5.3 million grant that will be used to distribute Chromebooks to non-profits in Germany, the company has announced.
The search engine giant is teaming up with the nonprofit group NetHope on the initiative, Project Reconnect, which will distribute the computers to nonprofits working with refugees, according to a blog post from Jacquelline Fuller, director of Google.org, the company's philanthropic arm.
Google has already provided humanitarian support on the front lines, but Fuller said this initiative is focused on the long term as refugees settle into their new homes and continue to pursue their dreams.
"As they make it through a dangerous journey, the first thing refugees need is to find shelter, food and access to care. 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," she wrote in the blog post on Monday.
The grant will cover 25,000 Chromebooks, which won't be enough for every refugee to take home. The goal of Project Reconnect is instead for nonprofits working with refugees to apply for the Web-based laptops, according to the website. The idea is they'll then be able to set up community learning centers or Internet cafes where people can come by to get online and use language learning apps.