Kobzar Society announces "Computers for Ukraine" project (01/21/01)

Kobzar Society announces "Computers for Ukraine" project

LEHIGHTON, Pa. - The Kobzar Society Ltd., a non-profit organization chartered to improve access to knowledge for Ukrainian students, has announced it is ready to ship its first installment of recent model computers to Ukraine as part of its "Computers for Ukraine" humanitarian initiative.

The society, which consists of volunteers who are business and community leaders as well as private citizens throughout the United States, has been working diligently over the past year to prepare for the first shipment. Society members have met with the vice prime minister of Ukraine and other government officials to gain acceptance of the program there as a humanitarian aid project, and to ensure that no importation or taxation barriers prevent the computers from reaching the country's schools and libraries.

In addition, the Kobzar Society has secured initial funding from donors, and to date, has collected more than 100 computers. The society has also established a technical and logistical center in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and has staffed it with volunteers who will test donated computers and prepare them for shipment.

According to Orest J. Hanas, president of the Kobzar Society, the goal of the program is to "empower a nation by connecting the people."

"Computer technology is a vital pathway to a free and democratic society and a strong economy," explained Mr. Hanas. Many American businesses have perfectly good first-generation Pentiums collecting dust in storage room. For the children of Ukraine, these discarded computers are like gold. Our program is simple, but it is expensive. We are calling upon all members of the Ukrainian community in North America to help us by donating used computers or money, and, in doing so, help empower Ukraine's younger generation."

Mr. Hanas calculated that it will cost the society about $200 to collect, test, modify and ship each computer, and about $300 per year for Internet access. To leverage the benefits of the program, the society wants to set up computer labs with Internet access in schools and libraries throughout the country, in both rural and urban areas.

To help administer the program in Ukraine, the society has established partnerships with a number of non-profit organizations, including Rotary Clubs of Ukraine, which are working with the Rotary Clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Lviv Charity Foundation for Humanitarian Initiatives, the Lviv Regional Ecological Children's Center and the Caritas Foundation of Ivano-Frankivsk.

The computers that have already been funded are being sent to schools in the Lviv, Ternopil, Volyn, Kyiv, Rivne and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts.

Individuals or groups wishing to support the program may offer a suggestion as to a particular city or village where they would like to see computer lab installed. In such an event, the society would honor such requests by placing plaques in the specified labs listing the benefactors.

Establishing a lab in a town or village from where their family came," Mr. Hanas commented, "is a terrific way for Ukrainian Americans and Canadians to honor their parents and grandparents."

For those who wish to donate computer hardware, the society prefers Pentium I or later model PCs, or comparable-generation Apple computers. It is also collecting printers, modems and other peripherals.

Individuals wishing to support the program are encouraged to contact Mr. Hanas at the Kobzar Society, P.O. Box 37, Lehighton, Pa. 18235; fax (610) 377-3383. Additional information is also available at the society's website at http://www.kobzarsociety.org/.

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