Bridging the digital divide

 

 


Computer Aid International provides only the highest-quality, professionally refurbished computers for reuse in education, health and not-for-profit organisations in developing countries. Computer Aid has shipped over 100,000 PCs to where they are most needed in more than 100 countries, making us the world's largest and most experienced ICT 4 Development provider.

 
 

DFID Minister pledges 1000 PCs to Computer Aid International at 10th Anniversary

Shahid Malik MP with Computer Aid Founder Tony Roberts at Computer Aid's 10th Anniversary

 

April 2008

A large number of supporters joined us in celebrating our 10th anniversary this week including South Africa's high commissioner Her Excellency Lindiwe Mabuza and Shahid Malik UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development.

Shahid Malik congratulated Computer Aid for distributing over 100,000 PCs to developing countries since 1998.
Malik also announced on the evening that the Department for International Development (DFID) would be donating around 1,000 used but functional laptops to Computer Aid. He said "DFID is updating its old laptops, which still have life in them but are not up to running the software we need to make DFID work efficiently (…) I'm delighted to be celebrating Computer Aid's 10th anniversary. Computer Aid does some great work in Africa which I'm pleased to support”

Read some coverage of the event in Business Green and ZDnet

 

Brent Council’s PCs and laptops help combat AIDS


April 2008

Brent Council donated over 500 PCs, laptops and monitors to Computer Aid International.
Using Computer Aid’s asset tracking service, Brent has been able to follow its refurbished PCs and laptops to a variety of education, healthcare and poverty-reduction projects in Africa. These include the National Health Students Association of Ghana, where IT equipment is providing Ghanian healthcare professionals with access to a wealth of e-learning and e-health resources to equip them to handle illnesses such as AIDS and malaria, and Crescent Future Kids in Zambia, which is empowering Zambian youths with the skills to contribute positively to their nation’s economic development.

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Computer Aid PCs help fund sporting activities for street children in Mombasa


April 2008


Last year Computer Aid shipped out a batch of computers to Magongo in Mombasa which were used to get an Internet cafe up and running. The Internet café, which is run by the UK charity Glad’s House in conjunction with a local charity called The Mombasa Olympia Youth Organisation (MOYO) is now helping to generate revenue to support their work with street children which includes organising sporting activities such as football, basketball and boxing.

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Computer Aid International ships its 100,000th PC

Adane Semaw using the 100,000th PC in Ethiopia

 

February 2008

Computer Aid has now shipped over 100,000 PCs to schools, hospitals and community organisations in more than 100 developing countries. Our 100,000th PC, donated by the National Gallery in London, was sent as part of a container of 225 to our Ethiopian partner ITDA (Information Technology Development Agency). They provided it to 24 year old Adane Semaw a young disabled man who is using it in his road-side business and as part of his not-for-profit work to help other disabled people.         

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Read coverage in Computing Magazine

Computer Aid increases minimum specifications for shipments of computers

 

February 2008

As part of our commitment to providing the highest quality computers to the developing world, Computer Aid has doubled the number of Pentium 4 computers provided in each shipment. This means that every shipment of computers provided to schools and community organisations in the developing world will include at least 40% Pentium 4s, with the remainder of the shipment composed of minimum Pentium 3 computers.

We are also increasing the hard drive capacity of Pentium 4 computers which will now be shipped with a minimum of a 20GB hard drive. These higher specifications will ensure that beneficiaries in the developing world can make the best possible use of ICT.

To apply for computers online, click here.

 

Addison Lee Joins Computer Aid's Growing Roster of Computer Equipment Donors

 

February 2008

London 's largest minicab, courier, chauffeur and coach company, Addison Lee is the latest organisation to join the growing roster of companies who are supporting Computer Aid International.

The first consignment of PCs donated by Addison Lee has already been shipped to the Ministry to Street Children, an organisation set up to help street children in Zambia . They will be used to teach basic computer literacy skills to people from the local orphanage, the church community and school teachers, as well as introducing children from the kindergarten to computer games.

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Computer Aid International wins Nominet’s Access Award



October 2007


Access remains one of the great challenges facing the Internet community in the developing world. The nominet judges felt that the work of Computer Aid epitomized what their access category was about. Computer Aid has enabled many thousands of people in developing countries have access to the Internet, who wouldn’t normally have had the opportunity. Computer Aid’s partners are also able to provide training; capacity building and routine maintenance which help to ensure that the equipment is put to maximum and productive use.

Click here for more on the Nominet Awards

Summer donation record


August 2007

Many UK Colleges and Universities chose to donate their
old PCs to Computer Aid International this summer

A large proportion of these donated computers will be
reused by students and teachers in colleges and universities in developing countries. The largest donation of computers received by Computer Aid was from City and Islington College, who made a donation of 500 PCs this month. Click here for more information.

 
How to tackle the e-waste probem


August 2007

Computer Aid, GreenPeace and HP feature on panel of highly successsful Computing businessGreen WebSeminar series: "How to tackle the e-waste probem"

Click here for to view the webseminar
Click here for the series overview

 

Environment Agency licences Computer Aid


July 2007

The Environment Agency has made Computer Aid International one of the very first organisations in the country to be licensed to handle WEEE under new legislation implemented on July 1st.

Following on-site inspections of our systems and processes the Environment Agency has made Computer Aid an Authorised & Approved Treatment Facility (AATF)for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).

Computer Aid becomes the first international charity to be licensed to handle WEEE for re-use and to be able to issue the evidence notes that are designed to prove that original IT equipmentmanufacturers (OEMs) are complying with the WEEE legislation.

To download our WEEE Guide for Business click here >>>

   
  Computer Aid PCs improve food security in Kenya  
 

James Muthoka at his farm in Machakos

James Muthoka at his farm
in Machakos


January 2007

"James Muthoka is a miracle worker," writes Simon Birch in The Independent.

"For 27 years he has tended his small farm outside the dusty town of Machakos, a two-hour ride from Nairobi. That anything grows in this parched land is staggering enough, but this year Muthoka has grown four times more maize than his neighbours. How has Muthoka pulled off this agricultural wonder? With nothing more than a computer," says the article.

More...

 

 
 

 
 
BBC showcases Computer Aid's data security solutions
 
 



Fiona Bruce, BBC and Tony Roberts at the London workshops


August 2006

The bank details of thousands of Britons could fall into the hands of fraudsters, a BBC investigation has revealed, unless companies use professional PC decommissioning organisations such as Computer Aid. Investigative journalist Fiona Bruce exposed the danger of companies' confidential and sensitive data falling into the wrong hands.

Watch the programme [video streaming]


Read the report [text]

Click here to donate PCs

 

 
 
 
 
UN-HABITAT signs cooperation agreement with Computer Aid
 
 


Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT,
signs an agreement with
Tony Roberts


UN-HABITAT and Computer Aid International Monday signed a landmark agreement to help avail ICT to the inhabitants of Kibera slums in Nairobi, Kenya, one of the world's poorest informal settlements.

The document was signed by UN-HABITAT Executive Director Anna Tibaijuka and Tony Rober

ts Computer Aid International Chief Executive on the sidelines of the ongoing Third Session of the World Urban Forum currently underway in Vancouver, Canada.

The Agreement of Cooperation spelt out how the two organisations will work together to apply ICTs to urban development projects beginning with a pilot in Kibera, Nairobi called the 'Computers for Communities' project. Kibera is Africa's largest urban slum and is home to about one million people. The Computers for Communities project is part of the UN-Habitat 'ICT for Development' programme. Read more on the
UN-Habitat website

 
 
 

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