Three groups have joined together to distribute laptops and tablets and provide free wi-fi access to more than 800 Indigenous learners in mid-Vancouver Island.
Kw’umut Lelum Child and Family Services, the Nanaimo Ladysmith Schools Foundation and the Mastercard Foundation are all part of the Staying Connected to Education initiative, which aims to help learners with online education and keep them connected to the social programs they need.
Kw’umut Lelum said the COVID-19 pandemic has had a big effect on Indigenous communities, which have one in four people living in poverty. With education and other services being provided virtually, it is hard to ensure that the most vulnerable have the proper technological resources, the organization said.
While graduation rates are rising, only about 44 per cent of Indigenous people ages 18 to 24 and living on reserve have completed high school, it said.
The devices and supports provided through the initiative will be a “lifeline” for those struggling with the transition to virtual education necessitated by COVID-19, Kw’umut Lelum said.
Families in need will be identified by the Nanaimo-Ladysmith, Qualicum and Cowichan school districts, Aboriginal friendship centres and First Nations governments.
“Kw’umut Lelum and its nine Coast Salish member nations realize that education is the pathway to betterment of our children’s lives, and during this pandemic we have to ensure all Indigenous learners do not fall behind for economic reasons,” said Kw’umut Lelum chief executive William Yoachim. “We have a duty as Indigenous people to ensure all Indigenous youth in our territories are treated as ours.
“This teaching comes from the land and is practised in our longhouse, where you feed all the guests before yourselves, ensuring the guests are nourished and feel welcomed.”
Ed Poli, board chairman of the Nanaimo-Ladysmith Schools Foundation, said the program is “much needed” and “fits perfectly with the foundation’s vision of helping every student reach their full potential.”
“We are pleased to have been able to partner with Kw’umut Lelum and are grateful for the support of the Mastercard Foundation.”
