Portable
Connectivity Centers for Ukrainian Refugees
About the Project:
The N50 Project team is collaborating with a coalition of partners to develop and implement Portable Connectivity Centers (PCC). These PCCs are designed to help provide essential power and connectivity for refugees, fleeing the Ukraine to neighboring countries.
The PCCs, built from “flatpack” containers, will include device charging capability, access to laptops and necessary equipment to support access to vital information about resources available in close proximity, including shelter, food, water, etc. In addition, telehealth services will be available for those seeking medical support.
The N50 team and partners are working diligently to support the quick launch and implementation of Phase I PCCs and customize the configuration as additional needs and new solutions are determined for critical updates to serve the community. As of today, we have deployed 12 PCCs, in areas where there are large concentrations of refugees alongside the borders, transit routes and to other communities centers serving refugee groups.
6 of the PCCs were deployed in Romania, with 2 in Poland and 4 in Ukraine. In one of the PCCs in Bucharest, around 200-250 people, many of whom are children, stop by each day to either use the WiFi or participate in one of the organized activities. Most of the users are under 18 years old, and the vast majority are Ukrainian. Among users who were surveyed, the majority said the centers felt comfortable, safe, and accessible and provided them with what they needed. The PCCs in Ukraine are providing vital services to local authorities in Dnipro, Lutsk and Lviv where government infrastructure has been overwhelmed by the amount of displaced people arriving from other war-affected regions.
The team will also support the work on Phase II adoption of the PCCs where they will continue serve the community and users' needs with telehealth, child education and much more.
In April 2022, the first of many PCCs was delivered and donated to World Vision at the RomExpo in Bucharest, Romania. Staff of N50/Geeks Without Frontiers, World Vision and ComputerAid were on the ground in Romania completing the setup of the PCC and surveying additional sites for future PCCs. (Photo Credits: Geeks Without Frontiers)
In July 2022, multiple PCCs were delivered to the World Vision Rapid Dispatch Center in Bucharest. (Photo Credits: Geeks Without Frontiers)
In September, a PCC was delivered and installed at a Refugee Transit Facility at the Poland-Ukraine border. (Photo Credits: Geeks Without Frontiers)
In October 2022, another PCC was delivered and installed to the Help Ukrainians Center in Galati, Romania (Photo Credits: Bogdan Dinca for CORE)
In January 2023, we worked with Health Tech Without Borders to support their educational process for nursing students in the Ukraine at the Volyn Medical Institute with a Portable Connectivity Centre (PCC). As the healthcare workforce in Ukraine have been experiencing disruptions and obstacles, we are proud to help build for a sustainable future for students and professionals.
Over 4 million refugees have been forced to flee Ukraine. The N50 Project and partners has teamed up with organizations on the ground in Romania, Poland, Moldova and Ukraine that are working hard to support displaced persons, families and children with vital connectivity and resources.
Your gift will help us provide connectivity, power, telehealth and educational support services to families whose lives are being devastated by the conflict in Ukraine. Your gift becomes a powerful mean to support our vital work and we appreciate any amount given. Please donate what you can today!
Gifts and in-kind donations have helped us further our work, and can provide additional opportunities and resources to families in need of connectivity, technology, tele-health and educational solutions. Contributions large and small continue to make a difference, and we believe there is something every company can give to allow us to help even more families build better futures.
our project team today to coordinate your gifts and in-kind donations!