insideKENT Magazine Issue 51 - June 2016 | Page 150

CHARITY

FROM KENT TO TANZANIA:

Computers 4 Africa
In March 2016, insideKENT donated some computers to Kent-based charity, Computers
4 Africa. After dropping off the equipment at the warehouse, we were interested to
find out what happened next: they would be wiped, loaded with Windows 7, and
then sent out to someone who needed it in Africa. We spoke to Sharon Roberts of
Computers 4 Africa to find out more about what they do:

“Digital Pipeline (the working name of Computers
4 Africa) is a registered charity that offers a free
and secure alternative to the disposal of working
IT equipment, providing a win-win solution to
schools and organisations in the UK. The
donations of redundant working IT equipment,
once refurbished, are sent to some of the poorest
communities across Africa – this is under the
working name of Computers 4 Africa.
“Our objective is to bridge the digital divide and
provide digital equality anywhere in the world –
which includes the 8.5 million people in the UK
who cannot access IT.
“As the equipment is going to be reused it needs
to be working and less than 8 years old as
Window 7 is loaded on as the operating system.
We accept anything from laptops, tablets, smart
phones and complete PCs to peripherals such
as hubs, switches, monitors, mice, keyboards
and leads – basically anything that makes up an
IT suite.”
Why donate?
Donating is free of charge and a collection service
is available for larger quantities. All donated
equipment is refurbished, PAT tested and securely
data-wiped (up to MoD/InfoSec5 standard). As
a bonus, this helps businesses meet their
corporate social responsibility targets.
Schools can demonstrate good citizenship,
providing students with a community presence
both nationally and internationally by donating
working redundant IT equipment, and Computers
4 Africa looks to provide positive PR opportunities

for schools on websites, press releases and social
media platforms.
Donating is an easy way to begin to level the
playing field and impact whole communities. The
donated IT equipment is given to schools,
colleges, humanitarian and community projects
into over 23 African countries.
By supplying computers to schools and colleges,
students can be taught IT skills which broaden
and increase their education and career
opportunities, empowering students regardless
of gender, religion, disabilities or parentage. These
skills can increase earning potential to up to three
times the national average helping lift entire
families out of poverty forever.
Peter Kamau Kanini, the second of five children,
graduated with a C in his Kenya Certificate of
Secondary Education. Peter’s passion was in
computers and he had a dream to be a teacher.
With the help of sponsorship and IT equipment
from Computers 4 Africa, Peter graduated as an
IT teacher. Within three months Peter had a
teaching job at Branden Junior School as a
computer teacher. He says: “Since being
employed, my mum and others have not gone
without food again. I am very hopeful for the
future and I want to run my own business
providing a variety of IT services.”
Joyce, a nurse in Kenya, provides a service
across two villages. Joyce received a laptop
which is used for all her medical data and record
keeping. With it, she started keeping records of
measles in the community. Measles, although
treatable, can be fatal in impoverished areas

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where vaccines are not readily available. With
the aid of the laptop, Joyce was able to determine
the origin and extent of the outbreak, and the
direction in which it was spreading. As a result
she stopped the outbreak in its tracks, saving
many people’s lives and restoring the health of
the two villages under her care.
To date, 1.6 million children have accessed IT
with one of these computers and this month
345,000 students will be using one.

On arrival in Africa…
Working in conjunction with Computers 4 Africa
is the Chole Mjini Trust Fund – volunteers who
distribute the computers once they reach Africa.
This is where insideKENT’s donated computers
found their new homes, so we spoke to CMTF
representative Robin Cooke-Hurle to find out
more:
“The CMTF supports an entirely Islamic
community on the island of Chole in the Mafia