SJM and Luksic Foundation support migrant families in Central Station with connectivity program

14 •  agosto •  2020

Due to the pandemic, the need to be connected has become more imperative than ever, whether it is to study, work or talk to loved ones. This has also widened the already existing gap in our country.

With this in mind and within the framework of the Territorial Support Project of the Jesuit Migrant Service (SJM) supported by the Luksic Foundation, last Thursday, August 13, one hundred tablets with broadband connection were delivered to families in various parts of Central Station.

The action aimed to generate and deepen the connectivity of migrants and refugees in the area, especially those with school-age children, to support them in their schooling and inclusion processes.

“After the schools started with online classes, and due to the lack of a device with internet access, many children have not been able to connect to these virtual instances that the establishments are providing. The donation of tablets and internet devices seeks to support migrant children in the continuity of their learning processes. We want to prevent the gap in access to education from widening during this critical period,” said Michelle Víquez, SJM’s social director.

Estación Central is one of the communes with the largest number of migrants in the Metropolitan Region. Families from the Los Nogales and La Palma areas are the main beneficiaries. “In addition, through the devices we will be able to be more connected with these families and accompany them as they go through these times of crisis. For this we have designed different instances and methodologies that will allow us in a playful way to promote learning, intercultural coexistence and coexistence to get ahead,” said the professional.

“The pandemic has affected all of us who live in our country in different ways, and together with the SJM we have been working on a comprehensive plan to lend a hand to migrant families. This plan puts support for children at the center. We believe that these tablets will be an important tool for the training and development of these children, which will undoubtedly have a positive impact on their families,” says Alvaro Ipinza, general manager of Fundación Luksic.

This initiative was made possible with the support of other entities such as Fundación Colunga, Fundación Huneeus and parishes, schools and organizations in the territory.

The Territorial Support Project is part of the comprehensive plan that SJM has carried out together with the Luksic Foundation to support migrant and refugee families with a high level of vulnerability in our country, to face the crisis generated by Covid-19. One of its pillars is humanitarian aid, where food baskets and rent subsidies were delivered to hundreds of families, and legal assistance through the mobile application MigrApp.