MANSFIELD, Mass. — Trevor Flint and Vishnu Kchittibhooma are putting their passion for computers to good use.
The 17-year-old seniors who attend Mansfield High School launched a nonprofit during the pandemic called PC For Everyone.
“We got like over 50 messages when we put up our ads so many people said they really needed one,” Kchittibhooma said.
The boys work together to refurbish old computers and then donate them to those in need.
Their goal is to promote equality in access to technology.
>> The Digital Divide: Remote learning not possible for all families
“If everything is going online and you don’t have a computer you’re disconnected from the world from the 21st century and that’s a really big issue you don’t see a lot of people talking about,” Flint said.
Flint and Kchittibhooma ask each person requesting a computer to fill out a questionnaire and write a paragraph saying what the computer would be useful for.
They’ve been flooded with requests from college students to workers who have been laid-off from their jobs. Others say a computer is a lifeline for getting ahead.
“One person we donated a computer to he said he had to complete an OSHA certification course that would unlock more opportunities for him in the future. So it feels really good knowing, even though it’s just a computer, this could be a life-changing thing for them based on what they could access in the future,” Kchittibhooma said.
The boys want to eventually meet with state legislators to help solve the inequality gap of access to technology.
>> Tech Goes Home program helps low-income families gain access to computers
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
