Partnership will provide 1000s of low-cost computers for development work in dry lands of East Africa
APC members ALIN-EA and Computer Aid have come together in order to extend low cost PCs to not-for-profit community development groups working in the rural dry lands across East Africa.
The partnership has already shipped 450 fully refurbished Pentium II and Pentium III computers to Nairobi for distribution by ALIN-EA to its member organisations and to wider civil society structures. The intention of the partnership is to be able to provide literally thousands of quality refurbished PCs at the lowest cost possible backed up by a first class technical support service and one year guarantee.
At the AITEC-organised ACT2004 Conference and Exhibition in Mauritius on Tuesday 7th September two APC members, Computer Aid International and the Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) officially launched their new partnership to supply ICTs for development in Kenya.
Attending launch were James Nguo, Regional Coordinator, ALIN-EA, Caroline Fuseau, Africa Programme Officer, Computer Aid International and Sean Moroney, AITEC Group Chairman, African IT Education Trust.
Arid Lands Information Network
ALIN implements information exchange activities that benefit over 1,000 grassroots change in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia. ALIN is a network of Community Development Workers who are involved in drylands development. www.alin.or.ke
APC members ALIN and Computer Aid have come together in order to extend low cost PCs to not-for-profit community development groups working in the rural drylands across East Africa.
Using start-up loan funds from the Open Knowledge Foundation the partnership has already shipped 450 fully refurbished Pentium II and Pentium III computers to Nairobi for distribution by ALIN to its member organisations and to wider civil society structures. The intention of the partnership is to be able to provide literally thousands of quality refurbished PCs at the lowest cost possible backed up by a first class technical support service and one year guarantee.
Computer Aid International
Based in London Computer Aid is the world’s most experienced not-for-profit provider of Pentium PCs for civil society organisations in developing countries. Computer Aid has already provided over 35,000 professionally refurbished computers to schools, universities and not-for-profit organisations in more than 90 different countries. www.computeraid.org
Distribution Hub
ALIN through Baobab Communications Ltd, will act as a high-volume local distribution hub in Kenya. Using its expert local knowledge, extensive membership network and existing technical skills ALIN will act to ensure that the computers get to where they are most needed. ALIN’s value-added includes customs clearance, software provision and key in ensuring sustainability ALIN will provide a one year, parts and labour, back-to-base warranty with every machine provided.
Baobab Communications Ltd, an entity owned by ALIN and its staff offers ICT solutions to development organizations, religious and educational institutions. It strives to reduce dependency on external funding by developing an income stream of unrestricted core funds to finance the non-profit work of ALIN.
Income Generating
The whole project is run using a self-financing model with ALIN cost recovering up to US$180 per PII/PII machine including software and one year guarantee. In this way the project expects to be able to extend sustainable ICT4Development use, distributing literally thousands of PCs at the same time as reducing dependency on external funding and developing an income stream of unrestricted core funds to finance the non-profit work of ALIN.
