Crossing the Digital Divide: Paule's Story

Sudden strife left Paule homeless and digitally isolated

Paule was living in London when family problems meant she became homeless without warning. Lacking stability and sleeping outside meant she was struggling mentally, a strain made heavier without any digital access.

Because she didn’t have a phone, she was unable to stay in contact with her children, which left her feeling more isolated, digitally, mentally and physically. To change her plight, she wanted to organise her formal documents and find a job in the cooking industry. However, due to lacking internet and a device, she was unable to apply, complete the processes and be reachable by the employer. 

Finding digital support gave her hope

Desperate and feeling her lowest, she sought out help from Digital Inclusion Hub Tech Together, who are members of the National Digital Inclusion Network, and supported by Assisted Homes.  

They gave Paule a phone from the National Device Bank and free data from the National Databank, as well as digital skills support. The phone has helped Paule stay in touch with her children, who she can reconnect with, alongside managing her finance and job search.

Thanks to this support and digital access, Paule can share her cooking and work on her social media to reach more people. She no longer feels alone as she can talk to her children over the phone whenever she wants, and can mend her fractured relationships and find her way to stability. 

Her confidence has soared and she hopes to strengthen her skills and career so she can provide stability for her children to stay with her.

"I'm a chef. I'm a hard worker and I know I'm good at what I do. Having this phone and data will help me set up some social media channels where I can post everything I'm doing and about the recipes. It's given me a lot of motivation and I feel good - and now I'm also able to keep in touch with my family. I'm really grateful to Good Things Foundation for supporting me with this. The problems I had before have disappeared."