NetHope

Region of impact

Europe

Total funding

$5.7 million

Funding began in

2015

Focus

Crisis Response

Overview

Giving refugees access to connectivity and devices

What they do

NetHope’s mission is to empower committed organizations to change the world through the power of technology. NetHope’s efforts bring together leading nonprofit organizations and volunteers from technology innovators like Google.

NetHope is committed to developing innovative solutions that can be applied to amplify the impact of international development programs. Besides creating a roadmap by which technology can be harnessed to solve complex global problems, NetHope is equally committed to sharing its findings with others to improve the sector as a whole.

How we're helping

Google.org made two donations to support NetHope’s refugee relief efforts. The first $900,000 grant to NetHope addressed connectivity issues frequently experienced by refugees. NetHope installed low-cost WiFi and charging stations along migration routes in the Balkan Region. Under Google.org’s Disaster Corps program, Google volunteers joined Cisco volunteers to help NetHope install 75 hotspots within refugee camps and transit centers, giving over 500,000 inhabitants access to the internet.

Similarly, a second grant of $5.3 million allowed NetHope to purchase and distribute 25,000 Chromebooks to nonprofits working with refugees in Germany. The devices let the organizations distribute informational content and tailor programming to fit specific user needs like children’s education or job opportunities. To date, 25,000 Chromebooks have been donated and used by 500,000 refugees across Germany to aid in language courses and professional training. Moreover, Google volunteers have engineered a refugee education content platform that lets German nonprofits mutually share and download resources.