Computers 4 Africa

A submarine cable linking West Africa to Europe went live in July 2010 which is opening doors to cheaper faster and more reliable internet access. The cable is 4350 miles long, delivering 10 times the broadband capacity than the existing undersea cable and 20 times the entire capacity of the satellite.

At Computers 4 Africa, we are very excited about this new progression and development. This will mean better connection for schools helping their education and helping us to reach one of our goals; to bridge the digital divide.

Lydia Harris, C4A’s Office Clerk says this of the Submarine Cable:  “It will have immense implications both for C4A and internationally.”

It has been another exciting few months in the world of computer donation.

Computers 4 Africa are regularly searching out the most effective and viable sources of hardware for their projects across Africa. Every so often, someone comes along and meets them half way. This time it was Newark based ForLinux.

ForLinux are a dedicated; Linux only business that specialize in Managed Hosting & Linux server support solutions. They contacted Computers 4 Africa looking for a solution to their redundant IT hardware situation. Eveready to meet the needs of like-minded people, Computers 4 Africa were able to provide an eco-friendly, ethical way of dealing with this old equipment.

ForLinux donated a massive 62 working server units! These pieces of kit were in excellent condition, ranging in age from 2-5 years old - Some of which had barely been used. With donations like these, Computers 4 Africa are able to establish full IT networks within the African communities. Opportunities like this rarely come along, and because of the consistency in brand and model, the final product in Africa is destined to be of the highest standard.

Rebecca Thomas of ForLinux says –
"The nature of our business, as a Managed Hosting provider, means we have a high turnover of quality IT equipment. Looking for an opportunity to put this redundant hardware to good use, we discovered Computers 4 Africa.  ForLinux are delighted to support this charity by donating hardware and network equipment to be used by schools across Africa. We would encourage all companies to consider donating their redundant hardware, as this is a fantastic way of reducing the environmental impact of hardware waste whilst simultaneously supporting developing communities."

Computers 4 Africa expects to be working closely with ForLinux in the future; endeavouring to further the expansion of IT experience and opportunities across Africa.

Please remember that you can help just as ForLinux have, and that donating is simple, easy and free.

ForLinux can be found here: http://www.forlinux.co.uk

Computers 4 Africa is regularly building new relationships with local and national businesses throughout the UK.  Some relationships have developed into long standing alliances, providing continual support for the charity’s on-going projects across Africa.

One of these long term friends is Lloyds Pharmacy.  The company required an ethical and responsible method of removing redundant IT equipment. Computers 4 Africa was approached by Lloyds Pharmacy over a year ago, and since then the company has generously donated over 700 working PC’s to the schools in Africa and rumour has it that more are on the way.

Many projects across Africa have benefitted from the vast number of PCs given by Lloyds Pharmacy. One of which is the Josiah Kibira University which is located in the historic town of Bukoba on the western shore of Lake Victoria. The Lloyds Pharmacy IT equipment was shipped to the university in December 2009, ensuring that everything would be in place for a smooth opening in June 2010.

The debut was a success with the university now capable of offering four courses encompassing secondary education, IT and business administration. We would like to thank Lloyds Pharmacy for giving their computers a second life, and giving university students in Africa a chance in life.

I knew about Computers 4 Africa from my Dad as he donates computers from time to time, and I wasn’t able to get any local work experience so we decided to contact the local branch to see if I could work there. They were more than happy to have me helping out and everyone made me feel very welcome. On my first day I was shown how to wipe, clean, fix and enter computers into the database and then load them into the vans. I was really glad that I was doing something worthwhile and the guys in the warehouse were easy-going and friendly. For the rest of the week I would go in at the morning, have a great day helping out and get home in time for dinner. I would highly recommend doing work experience, volunteering or getting a job with Computers 4 Africa as I joined feeling nervous about working but left confident and happy in the knowledge I had helped a great cause.

Article by Tariq Moore