Nightengale’s young residents can now explore world of technology on new Apple laptops

Children at the Nightengale Children’s Village now have better access to new technologies, thanks to the generous donation of a computer lab from the Orphaned Starfish Foundation.

Andy Stein, founder and executive chairman of the foundation, said during a recent handover ceremony at the Black Rock, St Michael home that he was happy to facilitate the project on behalf of the children to give them better opportunities such as accessing technology-based job training.

“Our mission for over 22 years has been to help orphans, victims of abuse, survivors of trafficking, indigenous children and at-risk youth, escape their cycles of abandonment, poverty, and abuse, through technology-based education and job training. I am beyond excited to announce that this programme today will be the 80th Orphaned Starfish programme and Barbados will be our 33rd country for Orphaned Starfish,” he explained.

The international organisation has helped over 18 000 children worldwide and over 90 per cent of them have attended university and others have found employment.

Andy Stein, founder and executive chairman of The Orphaned Starfish Foundation.

Stein also revealed that an upcoming partnership between the foundation and Apple TV, will help the children gain skills in the area of filmmaking.

“Through an existing partnership with a group called We Make Movies and Apple Computers, we will be starting movie-making classes this summer, with equipment that we brought here today. The children here will be empowered to make movies about their lives, about Barbados, about their vision, and those movies will be played on Apple TV when they are done.” 

Meanwhile, Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey., thanked Stein for bringing the new project to Nightengale at this time. He said interventions by well-financed organisations are needed to help reduce the numbers of children in vulnerable situations. 

“It’s clear to me that the current models that we use, a lot of them, will not work. This idea that wealth will trickle down to people who need the support is really a myth. The idea that if a country prospers it means the most vulnerable will prosper as a result is also a myth. What we need are deliberate, determined interventions, made to help people who are in need, and anything else will not work,” he said.

He added: “This [project] will be a tremendous transformation not only for the Child Care Board and the children in the Child Care Board, but for the people of Barbados.

“The children who reside with the Child Care Board should not be left behind in this digital revolution. Our intervention therefore must be purposeful, must be targeted, and it must be determined, and it must be consistent. That is why this particular programme will make a difference.”  (SB) ]]>