icrs 2010 scholarship finalists - overseas techies invited to recycling conference

8/8/2019 ICRS 2010 Scholarship Finalists - Overseas Techies invited to recycling conference

1/15

Scholarship Finalists

The International Refurbishers Summit (ICRS 2010) is the latest in a series of annual computer

Refurbishers conferences have been held in rotating cities around the U.S. and Canada over the past six

years. This is the only event of its type in the world. ICRS provides an opportunity for people from all

over the world working in the areas of computer refurbishment & repair, asset management, electronics

recycling, and digital inclusion to meet one another, develop business relationships, and learn new

techniques for doing their work efficiently and cost effectively.

PC Rebuilders & Recyclers is proud to announce the 2010 ICRS Scholarship Finalists. Please note this list

is not in any particular order and PCRR will continue to raise the funds for as many of the finalist to

attend as possible. Finalists have been urged to obtain their visas.

Company Name Contact Name Country

Rural World Resources International Matty fru Fombong Cameroon

Recylca Dominga Tomic Chile

Friends for Life Brother Bernard Sode Ghana

Sima Community Based Johnstone Wanjala Kenya

IDAP John Malamba Kenya

MC Jones Computer Christopher Uchenwa Nigeria

Save Visions Africa Peter Okereke Nigeria

Youth in Action Saa Moses Lamin Sierra Leone

Global Education Partner Hatibu Lugendo Tanzania

Interconnection Uganda John Kyakuwa K. Nsambu Uganda

SDK Foundations Ssettaala Dennis UgandaChildrens Vision - Uganda David Mukasa Uganda

Musalaba Mwekundu Ssimbwa Khalid Uganda

Laborite- Recycle It Nicholas Sundire Zimbabwe


2/15



Rural World Resources International Matty fru Fombong Cameroon

ABOUT:

We refurbish and upgrade computers for schools, hospitals, government institutions, banks,

private cyber cafes and individuals. The past year has witnessed a steep rise in the demand forrefurbishing and repairing of laptop and notebook computers. The tendency in the

rehabilitation and repairs of desktops is towards the use of LCD monitors while CRT monitors

are falling out of favor.

We refurbished 279 computers and 63 laptops in 2009. The refurbished desktop computers

were: 51 P2s, 171 P3, and 57 P4s. The majority were Compaq, HP and Dell. The laptops were

mostly HP, Dell and Toshiba.

Regarding this scholarship: you can't fathom how much we have craved for such an outing.

Our gratitude is boundless for introducing us to it. How I desire to come to the US for such anevent even for a couple days.


3/15



Recylca Fernando Nilo Chile

ABOUT:

RECYCLA was the first organization to recycle e-waste in Latin America properly, and is now

leading the electronic recycling industry in Chile. RECYCLA has the capacity to collect and

process the e-waste through its plant and truck fleet and benefits from solid partnerships with

public and private entities, including international OEM companies. We plan to lead the

refurbishment market within 5 years.

Our current sources are companies (from all industries) and other private and public

organizations, who wish to recycle their used, obsolete and/or broken computers from their

offices and warehouses. In the future we hope to include individuals who wish to protect the

environment.

Since we are just developing the refurbishment business, we still dont have a client base, but

we plan to offer this service to our actual recycling clients, which are mostly technology

producers, banks, communication companies, and retailers, as way to broaden up our waste

management services.

We hope to learn about potential clients for refurbishment in developing countries. Also we

would like to learn about how to get a refurbishment business started, first steps, key issues,

etc. Finally, we are interested in learning ways to include sustainability in the refurbishment

business, for example, how to guarantee that this equipment will be recycled at the end of its

life cycle.


4/15



Friends for Life Brother Bernard Sode Ghana

ABOUT:

We repair broken down computers sent to us by donors. Such computers and many others

repaired are then distributed to schools, churches, orphanages and individual needy students.

We have refurbished about fifty (50) computers over the past year. We, in the future, hope to

expand our coverage to cover other users like teachers, and cafe users in order to cover full

costs.

Our current sources of supply of computers are the Universal Society, Canada. Currently too,

we are talking with a NGO in Germany to see how far they can assist us.

I am very eager to participate in this summit as we are in contact with a German and Canadian

organization to set-up an I.C.T LEARNING CENTER soon in Ghana for schools in the volta-region

which is the most deprived region in Ghana.


5/15



Sima Community Based Johnstone Wanjala Kenya

ABOUT:

The organization collects used computers, repairs and distributes them for re-use to clients. Our

sources are financial institutions (banks, micro-financiers, etc) and computer collection agencies

(internationally). In 2009 we refurbished 65 computers for mainly educational institutions

(secondary schools and colleges) and self help groups /projects.

Thank you for considering me for a scholarship to attend the upcoming meeting. I hope

marketing strategies, networking and customer service will be among the topics included on

the agenda.


6/15



IDAP John Malamba Kenya

ABOUT:

Our organization is involved in refurbishment, repair and reuse. But in our country Kenya, we

do not have any recycling facilities in place for the equipment which is no longer functioning.

We offer Information and communication Technology trainings to our members and rural

communities to improve their illiteracy in computers. The refurbished computers have also

been used extensively by our organization to educate the less fortunate student in our society.

We have managed to refurbish more than 10 computers and this gives us the ICT knowledge in

our organization.The current customers who use our computers are both members of the

public and the youths in our society who have realized that computing knowledge has become

so fundamental in our day to day life. We intend to reach out students and communities who

are based in rural areas where these facilities are scarce so that they can also have access tocomputers and become computer literate. We also intend to have more teachers who can offer

training for members of the society and pupils in the local remote primary schools in Nyanza

Province Kenya.


7/15



MC Jones Computer Christopher Uchenwa Nigeria

ABOUT:

The Mc Jones Computer company is registered in Nigeria to carryout operations relating to

computer sales, maintenance, installations, refurbishings and networking and training. The

company has the responsibility of sourcing local contents and scraped computer systems and

laptops from the local markets, recycling them by changing the malfunctioned parts and

upgrading the computers according to the customers requirements.

The quantity refurbished is mostly determined by the market demand, although it was not a

bad year for us.. In the past year, the market was a bit dull due to influx of some substandard

products into Nigeria from China. This adversely affected the prices of refurbished computer in

the market. The company was able to refurbish a total of 4,732 junked and fairly used

computers.

I would love to attend so as to gain new knowledge in the area of our business.


8/15



Save Visions Africa Peter Okereke Nigeria

ABOUT:

Our organization repairs and refurbishes computers which we use for the training of Nigeria

youths in our established free ICT Centers.Currently we get used computers from corporations,

and sometimes we buy some as lots from the numerous used computers markets.

Our organization refurbished about 56 used computers last year. All are currently working in

our free ICT centers.Our current and future customers are the large pool of unemployedNigerian youths who used them for training for economic self sustainability.

Thanks for the scholarship offered to me.


9/15



Youth in Action Saa Moses Lamin Sierra Leone

ABOUT:

Since, 2007, we have been using refurbished computers to expose and give poor kids and

youths living in slum and peri-urban communities computer skills. We have supported our staff

to acquire training in software and the use of the internet. As an organization with strong

concerns for environmental sustainability, we are working with people in the private sector

engaged buying scrap metals for recycling.

We collect abandoned computers from friends, offices and repair for reuse in our center.

However, the task for recycling is huge in the country as most computers in the market are

secondhand or refurbished computers. This is because new computers are very expensive for

the average Sierra Leonean. Hence, we are working with the local council in the district to train

youth in computer hardware. We are developing an advocacy tool that will help us to collect

abandoned computers for repairs or disposal.

We worked on fifty computers in our center. We also helped repair about sixty five other

computers for other partners.Our customers are community based groups, concerned citizen

groups (CSOs) working with deprived children and womens groups.

We hope to build our capacity to be able to collect used and abandoned computers from

companies, NGOs and individuals. We are having this dream because many of the computers

used in Sierra Leone like other goods are used goods. Electronic goods like computers are easily

abandoned. We hope to enhance our capacity to help in refurbishing and in the disposal of

computers in an environmentally sustainable way. At the moment we use abandoned

computers to make one or two functional.


10/15



Global Education Partner Hatibu Lugendo Tanzania

ABOUT:

Global Education Partnership is dealing with training youths in how to use various computer

software. We are also training youths on how to make repairs with all the computer hardware.

We also recycle old age computers by selling, to plastic industries, parts of the hardware which

cannot be repaired due to old age and old version especially with the peripheral hardware andport accessories.

Our current and future customers are all the Primary and Secondary schools in Tanzania

including private and government owned colleges and Universities since our organization is

registered and works country wide. Our students refurbished more than 200 computers in the

past six months.


11/15



Interconnection Uganda John Kyakuwa K. Nsambu Uganda

ABOUT:

Our role is to import used computers from a reliable source. The process begins with a total

assessment of the system by inspecting the internal and external components of a computer.

We test the computer components thoroughly with erasing. We enhance original parts,

servicing and maintaining computer systems. We replace the used computer components with

new technology if need arises, such as the additional RAM, Hard Disk, DVD ROM. We installLicensed Operating system from Microsoft and other application software like office. In case of

schools, we install educational software, like Encarta, typing tutor, PIL, Digital Library, Learning

essentials and the free antivirus.

Since Interconnection-Uganda was launched in July 2007, we have refurbished over 3000

computers in the past 3 years.


12/15



SDK Foundations Ssettaala Dennis Uganda

ABOUT:

Setting Development and Keeping the Foundation (SDKF) is a non Governmental organization

which provides IT skills to low income disadvantaged young people as well as refurbish donated

second computer for local NGOs. Currently, SDKF partners with various UK organizations like

Tools With a Mission (TWAM), Afrinspire etc. All our partners send second hand computers to

Uganda and SDKF was chosen to refurbish their computers before they are given out to over 50

local Uganda NGO partners. Its also the role of SDKF to repair the computers of local partners

when they fail working. We also provide professional training on the efficient use of computers.

We have refurbished 430 computers for local NGOs and Ugandan disadvantaged youth.

I am so grateful that I am among the scholarship finalists.


13/15



Childrens Vision Uganda David Mukasa Uganda

ABOUT:

Children's Vision-Uganda is collecting used computers, repairs them for 426 local schools and

communities as well as computer trainings in Uganda. We are currently sourcing only a few

computers from schools, government offices, communities, and hospitals.

Our current and future customers for computer for refurbishment include 426 local schools,

and youth and community centres, hospitals, orphanage centres, police stations, prisons,

Government offices/Departments and NGOs in Uganda.

Please, the it sounds like a glass of cold water to thousand thirsty souls hearing of the very

good news of scholarship application for refurbishers summit in Chicago. It is has been our

prayers for one day to have a face to face discussion with you, express our experience in

computer distribution in schools, community groups, Hospitals, NGOs, Youth Centres,

Orphanage homes, among others places in Uganda, meet different partners, come with one

distribution mechanisms, discuss the challenges and successes among other issues.


14/15



Musalaba Mwekundu Ssimbwa Khalid Uganda

ABOUT:

Our company mobilizes resources for Uganda Red Cross Society which includes the selling of

computers.

We undertake all those activities in the company for Repair, Reuse and Recycling, and in this we

get useful parts from the older computer which can be re used again.

We have refurbished over 400 computers now at 100 per year in 3 centres. We mostly sell ourcomputers to Schools, Companies, Internet Cafes and Computer schools and Individuals.


15/15



Laborite- Recycle It Nicholas Sundire Zimbabwe

ABOUT:

Our organization has been working closely with schools and individuals. We provide technical

support, training & also buying some usable computers from other organizations and set upsome public internet cafes in the poorest locations in South Africa in KZN.

Computers refurbish in the past year estimated number around 50 for our current & future

customers, which include the Government & Private Schools and Poor disadvantaged home

users.

icrs 2010 scholarship finalists - overseas techies invited to recycling conference

Documents