Computer Aid International is calling for donations of monitors to meet demand from schools, hospitals and charities in Africa and Latin America. The charity requires donations of over 2,500 monitors per month, however it is only receiving 30 per cent of this number.
David Barker, CEO of Computer Aid, says: “We are calling for all IT managers who have unwanted TFT or CRT monitors to help us meet demand from schools and hospitals in developing countries. Hundreds of schools in Chile are waiting to receive computers and, while we currently have over 4,000 refurbished base units ready and waiting to go, we don’t have the monitors to match them with.
“The shortage of monitors is a problem that looks set to continue for the foreseeable future. Most companies refresh their base units every three to four years, however results from a recent donor survey show that most people do not upgrade their monitors at the same rate and the use of longer lasting TFT and LED monitors means that screens might only be refreshed every six years. While this is definitely a good thing as it means that companies are extending the life of their IT equipment, it has resulted in a critical shortage in donated screens to Computer Aid. Consequently, we are urging any individuals or companies that have unwanted monitors to get in touch – your donation could make a huge and immediate difference to hundreds of people.”
The need for ICT in developing countries is great. In Ethiopia, for example there are still only seven PCs per 1,000 people, while in Uganda there are 17. To date, Computer Aid has shipped over 175,000 PCs to over 100 countries to help tackle poverty and facilitate improved education and healthcare in some of the world’s poorest countries.
Barker says: “We are always on the lookout for donations of PCs and monitors. Just one refurbished computer can provide 6,000 hours of further use – enough to educate 60 children to a vocational level in IT and significantly increase their employment prospects. Alternatively, one computer can also allow a rural doctor to communicate with specialists in cities, thereby allowing them to provide life-saving medical treatment which they might otherwise have been unable to diagnose or carry out.
“Rather than recycling your ICT and especially your monitors, please consider donating your equipment to Computer Aid so that we can send your unwanted PCs to those who need them the most.”
Computer Aid is a UK registered charity, which aims to provide IT to schools, hospitals and charities in Africa and Latin America. Computer Aid offers a full removal and decommissioning service to UK businesses who wish to donate PCs and laptops, refurbishing each PC to a standard that will allow at least three further years of use in a developing country. All donated equipment is data-wiped to US and UK military standards using Ontrack Eraser data wiping –
http://www.computeraid.org/decommissioning-services.asp?section=2
– software. Donating to Computer Aid is also a carbon efficient means of IT disposal since reusing a PC is 20 times more energy efficient than recycling.
Computer Aid needs donations of base units, laptops, keyboards, mice and cables as well as monitors to continue its work. Some examples of the types of projects which Computer Aid has facilitated with donated ICT include:
e-learning – Over 15,000 PCs have been shipped to teacher training institutions, colleges and universities in Kenya, providing the teacher-training that is essential for the effective education of a generation of children who need digital skills to partake and compete in the digital economy of the 21st Century.
e-inclusion – Working in partnership with Kenyatta University, Computer Aid have provided 1,000 PCs and IT training to marginalised groups such as women in rural areas and people with disabilities.
e-health – Laptops and peripherals are helping doctors and nurses across Africa to save lives and stem the spread of disease through remote diagnosis for those in rural areas who are unable to reach specialists in central hospitals.
e-agriculture – Weather forecast data compiled and recorded by computers in meteorological offices in countries throughout Africa, including Uganda and Zambia, is helping farmers to maximise yield, allowing them to not only feed their families but also trade their harvest to provide a source of income.
If you want to find out more about donating equipment to Computer Aid International contact them direct on 020 8361 5540 or [email protected] or visit their website:
