Softcat is providing a technological lifeline to 6,000 secondary school students in rural Tanzania, transporting more than 350 refurbished computers in a collaborative project with Greensafe.
A shipping container with the equipment is being transported to north-east Africa and will be received by Lyra in Africa and distributed to ten schools, set to arrive in Dar es Salaam in early September.
This will provide students and teachers access to digital tools and online resources and for many, it will be the first time in their lives.
All the equipment in the container has been donated by Softcat’s IT services and recycling partner Greensafe and some customers.
Items were securely refurbished and packaged by Greensafe ready for shipment, with some donated equipment also sold to other organisations to fund specific technology needed by the schools.
The refurbished equipment includes monitors, power cables, access points, switches, printers, keyboards, mice, headsets, projectors, projector screens and interactive whiteboards.
This collaborative project between Softcat, Greensafe and Lyra, marks the second time both IT organisations have engaged in this initiative, with the first container being shipped to Tanzania two years ago.
Ashleigh Baker, Cyber Architecture Services Team Lead and one of Softcat's Love2Give Network Leads said: “The work that Lyra is doing to provide safe, quality education for girls in rural Tanzania is nothing short of transformative.
“Thanks to the generous support of Greensafe, we’ve been able to donate vital equipment that will help unlock access to technical education, opening doors that were previously closed to these students.”
Softcat has supported Lyra’s initiatives over a three-year partnership by building a new hostel for girls at one of its secondary schools, delivering two containers of refurbished IT equipment in collaboration with Greensafe, helping to build a new donation platform, developing the Finnish area of Lyra’s website and through financial donations.