Relevant Bits isn’t a big company.
It isn’t even an old company.
But when the coronavirus pandemic began wreaking havoc around the world, we decided we wanted to do something — no matter how small — to help.
Our first decision was to make sure our contribution would align with our company values. We didn’t have to look far for the opportunity.
Bálint Kléri, our CTO, grew up in Encs, a small town in northeast Hungary (Bálint lives in Budapest now). His mother, a teacher, is also the founder of an organization called Ferenc Kazinczy Elementary School Foundation for Talented Children.
As many schools have closed around the world, some kids are left without consistent access to education. This is true in Encs, too. There have been students from the foundation who have had to receive assignments from their teachers by mail. Not email, mail.
Education is important to us and so is technology. Many of us have children at home who are now going to school in the kitchen or the living room. Many of our relatives and partners are teachers. We know how lucky we are to have access to technology and resources to help make education easier. And from our teacher friends and relatives, we also know how hard it is when that access isn’t there.
We decided to donate to the elementary school foundation in Encs so they can buy tablets for students who don’t have access to computers at home.
So far, school leaders have purchased 43 tablets for the students who were receiving their assignments by mail. And they’ve set aside some of the money to purchase more tablets for classrooms once the school reopens.
We’re not writing about this because we want recognition. (Our blog audience is mostly just our family and friends, anyway). We’re writing about it because we’re proud of our team and our company and that we collectively can make a choice to help those in our community.
This contribution doesn’t make us different or special. Like many other individuals and companies lending help where and how they can, it just makes us human.
And if there is one good thing happening around the world right now, it’s that many of us are acting more human and doing what we can to take care of each other.
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If you’re interested in helping the Ferenc Kazinczy Elementary School Foundation, please contact us and we’ll put you in touch.
We’ve also put together a very short list of other organizations we know and like:
- Canada Learning Code
- KidsTek (United States)
Share your story
Of course, donating money is not the only way to help. If you have organizations you like or ways you prefer to contribute (time, products, resources, etc), we would LOVE to hear. Shoot us an email.
