How recycling computers can help education in Africa

As its Recycle Week – we’ve talked to a lesser known recycling project that universities and colleges can get involved in. Did you know you can help improve education in Africa just by donating your computers to be recycled? Jenny Evans – Donations & Marketing Co-ordinator at IT Schools Africa tells us more.

IT Schools Africa (ITSA) is a UK registered charity founded in 2004. Our mission is to create positive lives through education by providing access to e-learning to schools throughout Africa.

We collect and refurbish computer equipment in the UK and distribute it at a low-cost to schools in Africa. By providing children in Africa with the chance to gain an education in IT, our aim is to reduce the digital divide between nations.

The seed for ITSA was sown as an old computer was thrown into a skip. Monis Khalifa, ITSA’s IT Manager, watched as it was dumped and thought to himself, is there not a better way to recycle old computers?

In 12 years we have sent over 50,000 fully refurbished computers to schools in Africa which has given access to IT to at least 3 million children. The computers are distributed to schools via our sister charities in Africa.
In the UK we are always in great need of IT equipment. It would be fantastic if you could persuade your University or College to donate its old equipment to IT Schools Africa. We are registered with the Environment Agency and are WEEE compliant, All hard drives are wiped using specialist data erasure software.

For further details please contact Jenny Evans – 01242 228800 or email  jenny@itschoolsafrica.org