Mercantile Bank renewed its agreement to donate computers for the Computer for Every Child association.
Shuki Burstein, CEO of Mercantile Bank, said: “This is the 12th year that the bank is cooperating with Computer for Every Child, and to date, the bank has donated approximately 1,700 computers to children from all over the country, with an emphasis on peripheral communities.”
In the wake of the coronavirus, the annual signing ceremony for the renewal of the agreement between the bank and the association took place for the 12th year. The online ceremony was attended by members of the association’s management and members of the bank’s management, with each person present on his or her screen, including Burstein, Prof. Arie Scope, chairman of Computer for Every Child and Orly Tamir, CEO of the association.
Burstein, in his remarks, emphasized the importance of computer donations during this period, where studies are being held online.
“Over the years, Computer for Every Child has been able to touch and transform thousands of children and thousands of families, and to make a difference for them. We see a great privilege to have been a partner in this venture over the years and especially, these days. During our routine, this donation creates an opportunity for the children who receive the computers, training, software and Internet connection.
“But it is precisely these days, which are not regular days, that the importance of the project, of the opportunity and possibility you give to children, is so much more important. Thanks to you, many children, including those who have been in their homes for a long time, can do distance learning and communicate with the outside. We wish for all of us that we will soon return to a routine in good and sound health.”
Scope added that the demand for computers for school students is enormous given the current crisis, and that the association is doing its utmost to meet its growing needs.
“Throughout the project, we have provided approximately 95,000 computers to approximately 350,000 children. This is an unprecedented project in the world. The boy who receives the computer and the tutorials serves as an ‘agent for change’ in his family and, in fact, the whole family – the parents and other family members – follow him and learn how to use the computer and utilize the capabilities it gives them.
“I thank Mercantile Bank for the many years it has been accompanying us and its decision to increase its donation this year, when the need is rising more than ever. We see you as true partners in the project. “