The Digital Inclusion for Refugees and Immigrants (DIRI) program helps new and recently arrived refugee families by providing them with refurbished desktops or laptops and with a one-year subscription to Rosetta Stone language subscription software.
DIRI accomplishes two things: digital literacy and English proficiency. Digital literacy opens a wide array of opportunities to refugees and allows refugees to find jobs online, which makes them more employable in most industries. Proficiency in English boosts refugees’ capacity to integrate into their communities, pursue better jobs (or their previous occupation), and provides them with better access to community resources.
The DIRI program is well into its second year. In that time, 73 families have received desktops or laptops and completed over 600 hours of Rosetta Stone. The program has been very successful in allowing easy access to English language learning courses and supports at home so refugee families can build on what they are learning at work, school, and around the community. It also allows mothers who need to stay at home with their children the opportunity to learn, too.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the DIRI program also included volunteers who served as tutors to help refugee families learn English, how to navigate the desktop or laptop, and how to use the internet. We are hopeful to bring back volunteers to this program soon.
Our goal is to fund desktops or laptops and the Rosetta Stone software for 50 refugee families every year, but we need your help!