The education charity has now sent 10,000 refurbished computers to schools in Africa.
Camara is a social enterprise that provides digital literacy training and sends refurbished computers to schools in Africa. They say that unwanted Irish computers afford the chance to millions of African students to educate themselves.
If Irish businesses hand over their old computers, they can be reused in Africa to dramatically boost education before finally being recycled.
In Ireland this year, a quarter of a million old computers will be broken down and recycled. However, it does not have to be like this. Since 2005, Camara has been cleaning up old computers and sending them to Africa. The organisation takes donations of computers from private individuals and corporate organisations. The computers are refurbished, wiped and shipped to Africa. The cost of shipping has the financial backing of the government.
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan says that these computers find a new lease of life.
We don't have to dump it. We don't have to recycle it. We can actually get it used again and it has a real good life giving people an education.
Cormac Lynch, Chief Executive at Camara, reassures companies that the data on the machines is destroyed before being sent to Africa. Camara believes that the number of computers sent for recycling in Ireland this year could potentially educate five million people in Africa.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 3 May 2009. The reporter is Paul Cunningham.
