Computer Aid Celebrates 200,000th Donated PC to Reduce Poverty

Computer Aid International held an event this week to celebrate an impressive milestone – 200,000 PCs being supplied to developing countries to reduce poverty.

The UK registered charity data-wipes, tests and professionally refurbishes donated ICT devices from UK companies so they can be put to good use in non-profit programs in developing countries.

I found their event to be a real eye-opener into how redundant UK hardware is being used creatively to help some of the poorest people on the planet.

Presentations included:

• Gladys Muhunyo who gave a vibrant and passionate presentation into how ICT projects are making a difference on the ground in Kenya.
• The UK Met Office on how they are working with farmers to gather meteorological data to help them make better farming decisions.
• The supermarket chain Sainsbury’s on how donating over 10,000 devices to Computer Aid supported their hardware refresh project whilst also meeting their long term sustainability and environmental goals.
• Macha works on how ZubaBoxes are connecting remote villages to cities in order to increase their wealth.

The Computer Aid International 200K Event Panel

Image Credit

(Left to right: Neil Morgan from Sainsbury’s, Tom Butcher from the Met Office, Dick Uyttewaal of Macha Works, Gladys Muhunyo of Computer Aid in Kenya and David Grimshaw of the Royal Holloway, University of London).

 The Remotest of Remote IT Assets?

The ZubaBox particularly intrigued me. Surely this must be the remotest of remote IT assets to manage? Located in a remote village in sub-Saharan Africa, the ZubaBox is a self contained Internet café running on self-generating solar power, built from a second hand sea container and retired PC’s.

The result is a small remote village connected to the wider world – and with connection brings better crop yields, better healthcare and a self-sufficient economy.

ZubaBox Video Case Study (BBC Click):

Hardware Refresh on The Horizon? Windows 7 Roll Out?

Computer Aid are looking to process another 50,000 PCs in the next year – So if a hardware refresh is on the horizon and you want to do something really valuable for developing countries whilst also meeting your regulatory requirements – please give these guys a shout. A list of similar organizations outside the UK can be found under the ‘International Options’ section within this article.

Further Information

• Computer Aid International
• ZubaBox Solar Internet Hub
• Computer Aid IT Disposal Best Practice Guide