Message-ID: <v01530501ad134d2625c1@[10.0.2.15]> Date: Fri, 5 Jan 1996 23:04:00 EST From: Santiago Hileret <mailto:styago@INTERCOM.COM> Subject: Re: Computers for Africa To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
On jan 5 Catherine Briggs wrote:>I think your consortium/foundation idea is good, the more donations
>>like this the better..
SNIP > I do know the Boston
>>Computer Society (or a group affiliated in some way) does some of
>>this at least locally, for nonprofits. I imagine there are others
>>too in other locations. of at least one organization. Anyone with
>>info on groups doing this for overseas needs in particular?
Two points on the issue of "organized"/"programmed" equipment donations. A) Info I can share, from a recent issue of Science News (article by Janet Raloff). Here are some companies that are in the business of facilitating these transactions &/or absorbing trade-ins from companies.-IBC (Int'l Business Commodities), Dedham, MA/US. (617)320-0123. These folks are under contract from IBM to administer its trade-in program globally. What they do is they help reduce the sales tax that a buyer of new equipment gets to pay by deducting the value of IBM and non-IBM equipment traded in. They take machines equipped with all kinds of processors (even 8088s!) but they will only pay for 386-or better equipment. This suggeests they might be open to passing along older equipment at no cost. (There are adapter boards for 286s that let you upgrade them to 386 or 486, so you're not stuck forever with "decrepit" technology). -East West Education Development Foundation, Boston, MA/US (617)261-6699 These are probably the folks that Catherine refers to in her post. They mainly handle the transfer of equipment from donors to recipients *designated by the donors*. Therefore, the recipients have to first line up donors willing to pony up at least $250 for a machine with a 286 processor (at least $400 for a 386-class system). -Computer Reclamation, Silver Spring, MD/US (301)495-0280 works along similar lines, plus it runs workshops at local schools where computers needing repairs get fixed. According to the article, however, they charge only a $25 fee per unit, so they appear to be the bargain-basement provider.
Finally, for folks already organized as 501 (c) (3)s, there is Gifts In Kind America, of Alexandria, VA/US. (703)836-2121 or mailto:<ProductDonations@GiftsInKind.org>. These guys redistribute everything from food and clothes to computers and software. Their programs covering computers and software are "Productivity" and "Recycle Technology". Recipient groups pay a fee ($125 to $250 depending on their annual budgets) to join as members and receive monthly newsletters and other materials listing what's available. They only work with US and Canadian (tax-domiciled) organizations.
B) On the larger issue of forming a consortium or other effort to make this "hand-me-up" process (as I call it, since it truly raises the standard at destination) more systematic, I have also been trying to develop a similar proposal, although of a much more general nature. I thought that it might be easier to keep track of who has what equipment (that they might be willing to donate or trade-in) if enough manufacturers could be talked into adding a couple of lines to their registration cards for new equipment. These lines would ask buyers to give their consent for their names to be entered into a (highly secure/confidential) database of would-be donors along with the earliest date they would like to be approached. In other words, a system similar to what is in use for organ transplants. You agree in principle long before the actual situation comes up, with delivery and exact details of transaction to be decided at that time. The advantage of such a system would be that it would allow NGOs and others to have some idea of what is bound to become available within the next 6 months to a year and plan accordingly. Assignment could be decided on a combination of need, proven track record of efficient utilization of past donations and even some kind of a raffle for the turn to choose such as is done for basketball players and other athletes (an occasion for donors to trumpet their generosity and for NGOs to show video of what they do). I would personally love to be involved in getting something of the sort under way and my individual focus would be the needs of Africa, so if anyone out there is reading this and thinks it's a viable idea, don't hesitate to reach me by e-mail. More so if you know of an initiative already under way!
Thanks all!
Peace
Santiago ======================================== >> On jan 4 Chris Tighe wrote:
>>
>> I must add my 5 cents worth to this argument about sendind TRS-80
>> computers to Africa. For what it is worth, here is my humble
>> opinion:........
>>
>> > .....3. Solution: A consortium of developers to set up a non-for-profit
>> foundation to solicit computers and parts from Info Tech firms to be
>> donated to countries in Africa and other countries......Companies
>> benefit from the tax write-off, we benefit from being responsible,
>> and countries benefit from the up-to-date-technology.
>>
> I think your consortium/foundation idea is good, the more donations
>like this the better...It would be helpful in what we are doing too
>to have a clearinghouse to be able to call, say what we need, and
>hear about possible donors to contact. BTW, I do know the Boston
>Computer Society (or a group affiliated in some way) does some of
>this at least locally, for nonprofits. I imagine there are others
>too in other locations. of at least one organization. Anyone with
>info on groups doing this for overseas needs in particular?
> Catherine Briggs Hanafi
> Population Initiatives for Peace, Ltd
-- Santiago G. Hileret | Voice/Fax: (718) 858-1324 11 St. Felix St., #3F | Internet: mailto:styago@intercom.com Brooklyn, NY 11217-1205 | ---------------------------------------------- U. S. A. | 3rd World 1st!