We spoke to 75 year old Tika Ram who has had lessons about how to use his laptop.
“I had a laptop but I wasn’t confident in how to use it. Our Nepalese Group Leader suggested that I might find the project useful, so I agreed to get involved.
Now, I know how to book an appointment with my GP, join Zoom meetings and do shopping online.”
Tika Ram has used his newfound skills to help other people. He completed the Census for nine Nepalese families and has booked the Covid vaccine for 10 people in his community. Without his help, they wouldn’t have been able to do that.
Talking about the project, Pauline from Kent Coast Volunteering said, “It’s great to see Tika Ram’s confidence growing. We teamed Tika with one of our Digital Champions who has given him new skills. Now he has become a Champion himself and is helping other people to get online. I was more than happy to support his enthusiasm, and I am very proud by how much he has achieved in such a short amount of time.”
So far, the Folkestone Nepalese Digital project, which is funded by Engaging Kent and Folkestone & Hythe Council, has helped four people from Folkestone’s Nepalese community to get online. Six people have been trained to become Digital Champions with a further four more being recruited. If they need it, learners are loaned a computer to help them get online.
Talking about the project, Engaging Kent’s Sue Alder said, “This project has already made a huge difference to peoples’ lives. We started it before lockdown, but its importance has grown since Covid as so many people have become even more isolated at home because they don’t have a computer or know how to use it. Thanks to Tika and others in his community, more people are now able to connect with others and use the internet to get what they need like booking their vaccine.”
About Engaging Kent
Engaging Kent is a community interest company which means that any money we make is reinvested in the company and our community. We specialise in hearing from people from all walks of life, especially those who are traditionally harder to reach. We deliver a range of projects including the award winning Healthwatch Kent, Healthwatch Medway and a family of Forums across Kent and Medway. We also undertake bespoke commissions to help organisations hear from particular communities.