New graduate starts business in the digital world

CONNECTED: Graduate Cherylee Hemopo shares her digital experience. PHOTO: KARLA KARAITIANA

Computer In Homes' graduates were congratulated on their digital citizenship at a ceremony held at Te Aroha Noa last Friday.

Members of the Highbury community completed the programme, which gave 13 families a refurbished computer, a subsidised internet connection and free training and technical support.

The 2013 Census showed 2574 families in the Manawatu/ Horowhenua region with school-aged children were without computer and internet access at home. Te Aroha Noa's own research found 78 per cent of families at Takaro school had no access at home.

PNCC digital strategist Leith Haarhoff says we're now on the way to changing these figures and becoming a smart city.

"Many of us here can't take the first step to digital citizenship. That's what this is all about. We all have the same goal - to enable these households to make the first step."

Graduate Cherylee Hemopo says she was resistant of technology and a bit old-fashioned.

"However I have a two and four-year-old and I knew I didn't want them to be like me so, initially I did this for my children."

She has since started her own reflexology business using her new skills.

"I used what I learned to create business cards and customer questionnaires as a part of the programme."

She says being connected means having access to information that isn't accessible any other way.

"What I have loved recently is looking outside of New Zealand and seeing what's going on. I'm getting to discover the world."

SPARK national service manager Mark Smith says his company are proud to assist people on their digital journey.

"At SPARK we have an ambition to unleash the potential of every New Zealander and thought, how do we help people to get on the digital journey sooner?"

SPARK Jump, a new social programme, was launched in October this year and provides subsidised internet by means of an easy-to-install, plug-in modem.

"This is our way of solving the digital divide by ensuring children have digital access both at school and home," Mr Smith says. The scheme provides selected families with 30GB of data each month for $15.

"What we are seeing here in Highbury is proof that it's working and it's growing."

Visit sparknz.co.nz or computersinhomes.nz.