Laptop appeal ‘Computers can help get Ukrainians back on their feet’
ABRISTOL-BORN woman who has been helping displaced Ukrainian refugees at the Polish border, is calling on Brits to donate their old laptops to help women get back into work.
Faye Savage, 30, who now resides in Poland, says people should not just clear out their closets to help their conscience but provide crucial items to evacuees.
“I opened a bag of aid from the UK and found someone’s old wedding dress.
“No Ukrainian is getting married right now in Poland.
“Please don’t clear out your closets of junk and old holey or inappropriate clothes,” she added.
With more than two million Ukrainian refugees in Poland, the Krakow resident now spends the majority of her time at the border alongside NGO groups and aid organisations trying to find homes and jobs for the Ukrainians.
But now these people are in desperate need of a lifeline as they embark on a new way of life. It is mainly women who face the pressure of caring solely for their families because their husbands, partners and sons have stayed behind to fight.
In recent weeks Faye decided to team up with business consultant Peter Boolkah to collect secondhand laptops from the UK to send to Poland in a bid to help families rebuild their lives.
“Remote work means that these women can find the flexibility to care for their children as well as earn money to feed themselves.
“They weren’t able to bring their laptops and iPads out and we have a lack of tech for them. These are things that they need.
“We need surplus, second-hand laptops for them to access work here,” she added. Peter, who is
Essex-based, said: “The world itself has become accepting of remote working, and the Ukrainians could get their lives back in order to earn money, build self-confidence and self-worth and start building towards their future.
“The harsh reality of the war in Ukraine is that many of the men that have been asked to stay behind and fight will never be reunited with their families.
“We don’t know how long this conflict is going to go on for and, for millions of these displaced women, the reality is that there is only going
to be so much they can take in terms of support from other governments.
“They’re going to have to rebuild their lives. It’s scary – war is a brutal thing and these women now have to step up.”
The pair are calling on individuals and companies to donate their old machines so that they can be put to better use and provide further opportunities.
“We need your old tech, not old clothes,” added Faye.
To donate, visit https://boolkah. com/laptops-4-livelihoods/
Remote work means that these women can find the flexibility to care for their children as well as earn money to feed themselves Faye Savage