Zonta Club of Alytus meets up with Women in Technology Scholar Kristina Dūdonytė

Recently, the Zonta Club of Alytus, Lithuania, met up with 2019 Women in Technology Scholar Kristina Dūdonytė to see what she has been doing since becoming District 13's recipient.

Kristina continues to use her informatics engineering skills to serve her community by contributing to the creation of a social taxi in Alytus. Having a disability herself, Kristin knows that transportation and other essential services are not as developed in Alytus for those with disabilities. The social taxi service provides transportation for residents with disabilities who want to go to a medical institution, cultural events, a shop, or to take care of other important matters. 
 
"We fought for this for a long time. Four years ago, there was a public presentation of this service, and a survey was organized, which showed the need for it; only then the political will was lacking. But I am very happy that this service has finally arrived in Alytus," said Kristina.

Although Kristina will not be a beneficiary of this service as she drives her own car, she will always have peace of mind knowing that she can always call a social taxi if her car breaks down or the weather conditions are challenging. She is convinced that this service will take time to establish itself in Alytus and that demand for it will grow in the long term.

"People with disabilities have the right, the desire and the opportunity to participate in everything - events, visiting public institutions, going to work or anywhere else," Kristina explains. "Once the people of Alytus understand the benefits of this service, I have no doubt that they will actively use it. Later, when there is more demand, we can think about expansion."