IPads break isolation

ELDERLY Keysborough citizens can escape isolation thanks to a $10,000 grant.
Chap Chow from the Xinjiang Chinese Association of Australia said the group would use the Stronger Communities Grants Programme cash to buy iPads and cooking utensils.
“One big concern of the senior citizens is social isolation, and especially for those whose native mother tongue isn’t English,” he said.
“For the elderly, an expectation for them to learn a new language in a new environment is now a fantasy. It’s very difficult.
“To alleviate their problem of social isolation, now we’re talking about the digital world.”
Mr Chow said the iPad was “very portable and very powerful”.
“If these elderly people could learn how to use it, it would enable them to do things that we take for granted,” he said.
“They have been looking forward to it.”
The cooking utensils will enable the association to provide lunch for 220 people at a fortnightly gathering in Noble Park.
Isaacs MP Mark Dreyfus congratulated the Xinjiang Chinese Association of Australia.
“Computer literacy is essential in this day and age and I commend the Xinjiang Chinese Association of Australia on taking this step to help their members to access computers and the internet,” he said.
Applications for round two of the Stronger Communities Grants Programme are open until 1 April.
“I’m interested in recommending the best ideas in our community so I’m keen to hear from as many local community groups as possible about how they might spend this money,” Mr Dreyfus said.
Visit investment.infrastructure.gov.au/funding/scp for more information.