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Engineering students donate laptops to students in Direct Provision
A group of enterprising engineering students from UCC’s Enactus Society have spearheaded an innovative campaign with Cork-based multinational Qualcomm Technologies to donate 13 laptops to students and parents in direct provision. The donation forms part of the Enactus Society’s ‘Ceangal’ project, which aims to improve the lives of residents in direct provision in Ireland.
Enactus is a worldwide organisation for student entrepreneurs dedicated to making the world a better place. UCC’s Enactus team founded Ceangal in 2019 to create opportunities for entrepreneurship for asylum seekers in direct provision centres in Ireland.
Ceangal is a local candle project with all products handmade by asylum seekers, with profits helping communities within direct provision. Ceangal plans to improve its social impact by upskilling participants and engaging in outreach activities and diversifying into other products.
Sam Spillane, Ceangal Project Lead commented:
“Enactus is all about innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurship. We hope to pass those ideals to a new generation by giving them access to laptops of their own.”
In September of this year, Qualcomm Technologies, with the support of Embedded Systems at UCC’s School of Engineering and Architecture, provided the laptops to Ceangal for donation to students in direct provision.
Dr. Emanuel Popovici, Director of the Embedded.Systems@UCC Group, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, UCC added:
“These laptops will provide a vital link for students to receive online tutoring which is made available through the Cork Migrant Centre, Nano Nagle Place. Embedded.Systems@UCC is delighted to be part of such a wonderful project and the response from the laptop donation has been overwhelmingly positive”.
One student who benefitted from the scheme remarked:
‘’I’m so excited and delighted. It was my dream to have a personal laptop. Thanks a million’’.
This initiative has forged a unique partnership with Qualcomm that supports some high impact projects from students at UCC. It reflects the mission of Enactus to empower third-level students to become the socially conscious leaders of tomorrow and enact positive social change using social entrepreneurial business models.
Follow Ceangal on Instagram @ceangalucc to keep up to date with all future projects.
Left to right: Elvanis Seporatis, Enactus, UCC, pictured with one of the laptop recipients; Naomi Masheti, Cork Migrant Centre, and Dr. Emanuel Popovici, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, UCC.