My Foster Family launches pioneering web project in Bradford

The pioneering project, forged by community leaders and education experts, will see laptops and dongles connect families without internet access or any electronic device, migrants, the lower working class, asylum seekers, refugees and single parent families with the digital world.

It’s estimated around 1,000 refugee and asylum seeker households live in Bradford, many single parent families.

The scheme, created by My Foster Family, has 10 laptops sponsored so far after Mercy Mission UK reached out.

Bradford East and Bradford West wards will be the first areas to benefit as two areas with some of the highest levels of child poverty in the country.

If successful, it is hoped similar operations will be copied in Leeds, Liverpool and beyond.

Shadim Hussain, CEO of MyFosterFamily which helps recruit carers in Bradford and across England, told the Telegraph & Argus: “If a child is off school for a week they fall behind the class. Imagine a child who is already coming from another country, already struggling to fit in and then they’re at home.

“Those at the bottom of society have been affected most.

“The key message is we’re worrying about Covid and staying alive. We need to start thinking about future legacy for all the kids who are going to get through this. We can’t afford for kids to have three or four months at home not doing anything, especially if they can’t afford books.

“We don’t want them to be any further behind than when they started.

“It’s a lot of money but if we look at the return on the investment, if that child goes through and gets good results, goes onto college or university and starts working.

“It’s about closing that gap between those kids and everyone else.”

Students from St Stephen's C of E Primary School and asylum seeker families supported by The Faith Centre are the first to receive the devices.

The school is also supporting the project by using its IT technicians to service the laptops.

Paul Urry, headteacher at St Stephen’s C of E Primary School, said: “It's all part of the bigger picture, seeing the opportunities. We can look to the future as well.

"If you don't have access to the internet you are missing out opportunities for learning."

Shadim is appealing for any tech companies and schools who would like to get involved to email info@myfosterfamily.com

The project has been backed by a number of senior religious leaders with Bishop Toby Howarth noticing some of his regular churchgoers have been unable to attend the virtual services as they have no phone or laptop.

Bradford's Bishop said: "There's a wonderful network in place whereby people of all different faiths are working together at a time of need that to me is so wonderful and a silver lining to this extremely dark cloud we're all in.

"The internet is critical for people getting the information they need but being able to access the services they need.

"The lockdown is accelerating a process that's been happening for a while.

"What we're recognising is some people are very well cared for and able to access services they need, there are significant gaps."

While Molana Fazal Dad, a senior teacher at Feversham Primary School and a senior Imam at Abu Bakar Masjid, said: "Education is important for all children and in particular we should be focusing on the most vulnerable who are often forgotten.

"It is important that we think about academic as well as the spiritual side for children of faith.

"We should make learning accessible at any level."