Computer Aid International
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[edit] Bridging the digital divide
Computer Aid International is a non-profit organisation with the objective of bridging the digital divide by supplying high-quality donated and refurbished computers to the developing world. It is based in London, England and was was established as a registered charity in 1998. Its 2005-2006 accounts record a total income of £1,044,520.
The charity was founded by its existing Chief Executive, Tony Roberts, in order to bridge the gap between the number of useable computers being unnecessarily disposed of in the UK (the majority of which end up in landfill sites) and the demand for affordable computers from disadvantaged communities throughout the developing world.
From its warehouse and headquarters in Islington, North London, Computer Aid International supplied over 21,000 refurbished computers in 2006 to hundreds of educational and community organisations all over the developing world. The charity is the world’s largest non-profit supplier of quality refurbished PCs to the developing world and, since its establishment in 1998, has sent over 80,000 computers to 105 countries. Recipients include the British Council in Eritrea, which has installed computers refurbished by Computer Aid to every public library in the country. The project is now rolling out to every school library in Eritrea. In Rwanda, Computer Aid International is sending thousands of PCs to secondary schools, complementing the Government's budget which has financed 4,000 new PCs for the sector. It is also rolling out 2,000 PCs to health institutions across the country.
The people behind Computer Aid International are a mixture of employed staff and volunteers, including techies, fundraisers and foreign language specialists. The organisation also has a number of programme officers based in Nairobi,Kenya who liaise with local non-profit organisations seeking affordable PCs. Having grown out of its previous premises, the charity is in the process of moving to a larger warehouse in Arnos Grove, North London.
To ensure maximium useful life, Computer Aid International places minimum specification requirements on the computers it supplies. At the time of writing, the minimum was a Pentium III processor with 128MB of RAM. A CD-ROM drive is also supplied as standard. Most computers come pre-installed with Microsoft software, however the charity can also provide PCs with free, open source software.
This year, the UK alone is expected to decommission over two million Pentium IIIs as individuals, companies and the public sector upgrade their PCs. Sadly, the vast majority of these perfectly useable computers will end up in landfill sites and, considering the toxic nature of CRT monitors which contain lead, mercury and barium, this is particularly harmful to the environment. So, the charity not only contributes to international development, it also operates in an environmentally friendly way.
