The computer 14-year-old Cory Schaumleffel uses - the one his grandmother paid $50 for - helps him write reports about wood frogs and Alzheimer's disease.

And when Schaumleffel is older, he will likely begin a career in computers by tearing his machine apart and learning how it operates.

And the man who provided Schaumleffel the computer, who ran a ham radio as a young man and built his own transmitters, hopes to give more computers to kids across the city and throughout Saskatchewan.

Schaumleffel sits in front of a skiing computer game in the old building on Rose Street that houses John Schmidt's charity, Computers for Kids.

The news media ask Schaumleffel the obvious questions, and he politely answers, "I go to Dr. A.E. Perry School...Yes, I like my computer".

In fact, he loves his computer, a 486 MHz with Windows 95 operating system, with a CD-ROM drive and set up for the Internet.

Schaumleffel said, "I use it practically every day," to send his friends e-mail and play Junior Racing and Tomb Raider II.

And, of course, he does his school assignments with it.

There's the wood frogs report - four pages - and the one on Alzheimer's disease, which is only two pages, but Schaumleffel has to prepare a speech on the subject for his class. And, yes, he'll use his computer to write the speech.

Schaumleffel got his computer three months ago when his grandmother approached Computers for Kids and expressed their family's need. There was no problem getting the computer.

And what happens if this machine breaks down? "If I have a problem", said Schaumleffel, "I call John, and he'll come over and fix it".

Down the hall stands John Schmidt, a practical grandfatherly man, used to working with his hands, always "on-the-go." When he rebuilt his first IBM 8088 and created Computers for Kids four years ago, he made sure he would never really retire. Schmidt talked about how he networked hard to form the charity, about the people who have donated all manner of hardware to him and about the families who approached him for machines.

Computers for Kids will give a computer packaged with the necessary software, to any child from five to 18 whose family lives below the low-income cutoff line and who gets and endorsement from a teacher and another community leader.

The family must also pay a $50 fee - "one of the requirements of Corporations Canada", said Schmidt.

Schmidt and his colleagues will then provide parts and labour free.

Computers for Kids receives support from Credit Union Electronic Transaction Services and donations from the community, which are always welcome. And recently, Microsoft Canada has donated many currently programs, like Office 97 and the Encarta 2000 Reference Suite.

Schmidt's efforts seems to have paid off. Now he has the local news media swarming his office, talking to Schaumleffel.

And Schaumleffel? He shouldn't have to answer any more questions. He has to finish the wood frogs report.

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