Kids go digital: The ERGO Foundation donates PCs for youth centre

A week ago, five brand spanking new PCs and monitors were installed in the PC room of the Hamburg “Wilhelmsburg Youth Centre”. Donated by the ERGO Foundation “Jugend & Zukunft” (Youth & The Future). Tested and approved by the kids.

This is what a proud internet rally winner looks like: Angelina with her brother Angelo.

The children curiously flock into the PC room. Graduate social education worker at the ERGO Foundation, Diana Hoffmann-Ratzmer, came up with the idea of an internet rally for the inauguration. A great idea, as it turns out. Many of the kids signed up for it. They eagerly search the internet to find out stuff like: Who invented the first computer? What's a pixel? What does www stand for?

The ERGO Foundation donated a total of five PCs equipped with state of the art monitors and a printer to the “Wilhelmsburg Youth Centre”. For four years Diana Hoffmann-Ratzmer has been providing open job prospects to young students in the rooms of the facility: “The computers have been a tremendous help when it comes to providing the kids with vocational guidance – whether through research, online application or printing application documents”, says the Hamburg-born native. 

Diana Hoffmann-Ratzmer has been working as a graduate social education worker for the ERGO Foundation for more than 15 years.

Daniel Siess also reiterates, “We are truly thankful to be so well equipped”. For about a year now, he has been working as an educator at the youth centre and, aside from his regular job, devotes his free time to looking after the technical equipment at the centre. Aside from vocational counselling, the PCs fulfil a further purpose for him: “Nowadays, schools expect that many projects – such as presentations, for example – be done by computer. Many families, however, do not have a computer – especially here in Wilhelmsburg.” This district is situated in the south part of Hamburg and, despite its upward trend, is still considered to be a socially disadvantaged area.

Even 15 year-old Yusuf thinks the new PC room is great: “Before, the computers were in the hallway and were old and slow.” At the school, the ninth grader already took a course in computer applications and, seeing him overflow with enthusiasm, it quickly becomes clear that he's excited about the subject of media. The first thing he's going to use the PC room for is to do his final presentation for his school internship he's currently completing at a tyre dealer. “With PowerPoint” of course, he adds.

In the meantime, the kids are almost all finished filling out the last rally questions. These have to do with the ERGO Foundation. 12 year-old Angelina is finally the first to call out ‘finished’ as she grinningly holds the completed questionnaire up in the air. Next to hand in his questionnaire is her twin brother Angelo. It's clear to see that both had lots of fun taking part in the internet rally. One by one the other kids finish and get a small reward. They’re definitely going to be using the new PC room again soon.

Text and photos: Sabina Rappold