Melbourne librarian Coralie Kouvelas’ plan to help people who can’t afford wifi

·

Coralie Kouvelas is the Thomastown library branch manager and according to The Guardian, a trip to the car park during Melbourne’s sixth lockdown planted the seed for a project to help people who can’t afford wifi.

Kouvelas noticed it was always the same vehicles in the library car park and after approaching them to say hello, she found out the children were there to do their homework – using the library’s wireless internet.

“They mentioned they did not have wifi at home. One family had four kids from the ages of 19 right down to eight or nine. They were a migrant family and they were quite fearful, but more than anything they were incredibly embarrassed that they were sitting in the car park,” Kouvelas told the news outlet.

The pilot program is now currently operating out of Lalor and Thomastown libraries.

In response, Yarra Plenty Regional Libraries allocated $50,000 for a pilot program to give wifi dongles with 60GB per month of data to 100 families for a year. The library partnered with a not-for-profit support service, Whittlesea Community Connections, to help identify families in need, and Vodafone, who supplied a suitable product.

The pilot program is now currently operating out of Lalor and Thomastown libraries and Kouvelas said many of the households accessing the program are migrant families without strong English skills, or people living in insecure housing.

“We’ve had some schools who have taken the hotspot on board for people who are in domestic violence situations. It’s providing a simple service and it’s vital,” she said.

Source: The Guardian.

READ MORE: Marrickville Library could soon be named the best in the world.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

ISIS suicide bomber kills 22 at Greek Orthodox church in Damascus

A suicide bombing at the Greek Orthodox Church of Prophet Elias in Damascus on Sunday left 22 dead and dozens injured.

Earlwood’s Greek spirit centre stage as ‘Plateia’ Festival secures state funding

The City of Canterbury Bankstown will host the “Love Earlwood” festival thanks to the NSW Government’s Open Streets 2025-28 Program.

Greek Consul General honoured at Hellenic Club farewell event in Sydney

Sydney’s Greek community came together on Thursday for a dignified farewell dinner in honour of Greece’s Consul General, Ioannis Mallikourtis

Field of candidates announced for 2025 Greek Community of Melbourne Board election

Greek Community of Melbourne has officially called elections for a new Board of Directors, with members set to head to the polls on June 29.

Australia Cup 2025: Strong Greek heritage club presence as Final 32 locked in

The cast for the Hahn Australia Cup 2025 Round of 32 has been decided following the completion of the Preliminary Rounds.

You May Also Like

Man charged over crash that killed mother-of-five, Tammara Macrokanis

A man has been charged over the death of mother-of-five, Tammara Macrokanis, whose body was found on the side of the Pacific Motorway.

Kytherian World Heritage Fund works to preserve almost 100 year Kytherian legacy in Australia

The Kytherian World Heritage Fund, operating since 2003, has been preserving the Kytherian heritage for 17 years, publishing books on the Kytherian legacy.

Embracing change with women in charge: The rise of next-gen Greek community leaders

Older diasporans are learning to, despite concerns, give the younger generation of Greek women space to preserve their traditional heritage.