Hungarian non-governmental organisation 'Inforum' invites grandparents and their grandchildren to take part together in an online competition focused on IT. The call opened on 24 March 2009 and will close on 1 May 2009. The 120 short listed pairs of competitors will be invited to the final championship which will be held in Budapest on 10 May 2009.

The "Online Grandparent - Grandchild IT Competition" intends to draw the whole Hungarian society's and decision-maker's attention to the inclusion in the Information Society of the population aged above 50. Grandchildren can have a key role in the inclusion process by teaching their grandparents how to use a computer and the Internet.

In Hungary, out of 10 million inhabitants, 4 million people are over 50.  The rate of Internet-users within the group of the above 50 barely reaches 16 % and it is only 6 % within the age group above 60. While this generation could really benefit from the help that the Internet provides, such as access to information, to networks (social life), to eBusiness and so on, they unfortunately do not use it.

The competition is a call not to deal with the elderly issue as a merely socio-political issue, but as a question of quality of life. Inforum calls for the children's help, asking them to take grandparents through the gate of the Information Society.

Inforum has been successfully organising the "Grandparent - Grandchild IT Competition" since 2003. This awareness raising program was awarded with the "Aging Well Award" by the European Commission in 2008.

The test of the competition has been made available (in Hungarian) at www.50plusz.net between 24 March and 1 May 2009. The 120 short listed pairs of competitors will be invited to the final championship which will take place in Budapest on 10 May 2009. The winners will be awarded with presents provided by supporters from the ICT field.

 

Further information:

• www.50plusz.net (in Hungarian)
• Website of Inforum (in Hungarian)