Smith Family launches fundraising appeal to provide laptops to Queensland students in need
Education is highly valued in Belinda Finlay’s household.
The mother, who lives in Toowoomba, is putting her four daughters through high school while completing her own TAFE course as part of a career change.
“I made an album of all their awards, certificates and everything,” he says.
“Seeing them struggle a little bit with math and science and stuff, but then later in the year seeing them get higher grades and being so proud of themselves… [it] wonderful.”
But education comes with a price that families often struggle to pay.
During COVID-19 restrictions, three of Finlay’s daughters (Meagan, Merlinda and Mackye) completed their work at home almost exclusively via the two phones she and her husband had.
“I remember at one point a math teacher emailed me and said that Meagan would get a low grade for a particular program if she didn’t have Wi-Fi and internet access,” Finlay said.
“I emailed him and said, ‘we don’t have a laptop.’
“He was so adamant that she needed this, he needed this, he couldn’t understand why he couldn’t do it. [a laptop]And that made me feel really bad as a parent.
Meagan has since graduated from high school and the family purchased two laptops from the Smith Family for Merlinda, 17, and Mackye, 12.
Finlay said computers were a lifeline.
The Smith Family supports approximately 12,800 students in Queensland whose families would otherwise struggle to meet their basic educational needs.
Survey data from 1,109 Australian families like the Finlay family found more than half expected their children would be without a digital device due to financial constraints.
Smith Family chief executive Doug Taylor said the charity launched its laptop access program seven years ago and has since supported 14,000 students across the country, including 3000 Queenslanders.
“Most education departments and schools have a policy of lending a laptop to a student who doesn’t have one at school,” he said. “What we’re doing is raising money to buy these laptops so families can access them from home.”
Taylor said the charity is also partnering with the National Appliance Bank to purchase old government laptops that have been decommissioned and refurbished.
The Smiths also found that two in five families surveyed were worried they wouldn’t be able to afford new shoes or uniforms.
“We have been steadily increasing support in terms of the number of families and students we reach,” Taylor said.
“Although we are growing, this has become more difficult in recent years due to cost-of-living pressures, particularly in terms of fundraising… the number of Australians giving through tax-deductible donations has decreased year on year for the last 15 years.”
On Thursday, the Smith Family launched its back-to-school appeal, one of its three major fundraisers each year.
Taylor said 45 percent of the charity’s funds come from extra program to sponsor a child.
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