People Connected

Social issue: social isolation

KPN’s contribution:
Mooiste Contact Fonds
Nationaal Fonds Ouderenhulp
Stichting Mijn Kind Online

What’s it about?
Contact is not as straightforward as it seems. Research has shown that about 5% of people in the Netherlands regularly feel a lack of social contact and do not have access to education, facilities and servicing. Take for example sick children who lose contact with their school and classmates. Or senior citizens who are unable to work or who are unfamiliar or not sufficiently familiar with the possibilities of the Internet, SMS, MMS or MSN. KPN is helping to reduce their social isolation.

How do we help?
We established the Mooiste Contact Fonds as a fund to support certain target groups in society. We do this among other things through Stichting Ziezon, a foundation that enables sick schoolchildren to stay in touch with their classmates. This is important to the healing process and development of the sick child. Similarly, the Nationaal Fonds Ouderenhulp (a charitable
organization serving the senior citizens’ community) can rely on KPN. We drive a large bus around the Netherlands to offer information about the possibilities opened up by ICT. This can get them to use the computer or enable them to join in the discussion about the changing world around them. It is a way of reducing the social isolation of senior citizens and increasing their self-sufficiency.

Stichting Mijn Kind Online, a cooperative foundation established by Ouders Online (Parents Online) and KPN, addresses the question of how children can surf the Internet safely. It also looks at ways of making sure they do their homework besides spending time on the Internet. A free computer program called TimeSlot supplied by Mijn Kind Online (My Child Online) helps parents keep their children to agreements made about time spent at the computer.