Digital Links, based in London, has provided 30,000 reconditioned computers to people in Africa in the three years since it was set up, but now has a goal to provide another 300,000 by the year 2010.
” To us, computers are tools like a pen and paper and a way in which we communicate with people around the world. Digital Links is trying to ensure that children in Africa also have these tools “
– Rt Hon Hilary Benn
This, says the organisation, will mean that 10 million school children in Africa will have access to a computer.
Project ten twenty ten was launched yesterday by the secretary of state for international development, the Rt Hon Hilary Benn.
Showing his support for the initiative, Mr Benn said: “Only a week ago I was in Rwanda visiting a school which had been given some computers. To us, computers are tools like a pen and paper and a way in which we communicate with people around the world. Digital Links is trying to ensure that children in Africa also have these tools.”
High profile
The organisation has already received computers from the likes of Barclays, Microsoft, Sony, Reuters and Sainsburys, which it has reconditioned before sending to Africa. The company estimates that it costs about 60 to collect, refurbish and transport each old computer.
The cost of training people in Africa to use the equipment is also included in this figure and the money is covered by a collection of donations.
A part of the cash comes from the companies which are discarding the computers in exchange for the removal of the equipment from the place of work, in compliance with waste electrical and electronic equipment legislation (WEEE).
The schools receiving the computers also pay a nominal fee of around 15 per computer which Digital Links believes makes them value the equipment more.
Offer
At the event Mr Benn admitted that his office has given its old equipment to other recycling companies in the past, but that he was intending to work with Digital Links in the future. He offered the organisation 1,500 waste computers as a start in its bid to collect 300,000.
David Sogan, CEO of the organisation said Digital Links was also working to ensure that computers used in Africa when they do finally reach the end of their life. He said: “There is some infrastructure in place for reusing plastic and metals, although a lot of it will probably get exported back to Europe.
“We are currently working out what to do with glass from the monitors, such as whether we should crush it or keep it whole for recycling.”
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