An Overview

Computer Aid has provided PCs to organisations in more than 100 different countries in the last 9 years.

The majority of these have gone to schools and community organisations in sub-Saharan Africa. We have also shipped thousands to Latin America and the South Asian sub-continent.

Computer Aid International PCs are now being used in thousands of schools benefiting many hundreds of thousands of students. And it's not just schools, our PCs are also being used to enhance the capacity of not-for-profit organisations. Organisations whose work collectively encompasses a huge range of areas central to the development process including health, human rights, HIV/Aids, environment, too name a few.

Computer Aid International has supplied
ICT equipment for a Sightsavers project

for people with low vision and blindness

in the Caribbean.

Listed below are some of our partners.

• Christian Relief Development Association, Ethiopia
• SchoolNet Malawi
• SchoolNet Mali
• Computer Education Trust, Swaziland
• Fantsuam Foundation, Nigeria
• CIDA, South Africa

Current Projects

Computer Aid International works with those organisations who are best placed to make a real difference through the use of IT.

Shown below are examples of some of our current projects.

Computers for Schools Kenya

Computers for Schools Kenya was established as a non-profit organisation to facilitate the productive and sustainable use of computers in education on a national level in Kenya’s secondary schools.

Since August 2002 Computers for Schools Kenya has installed over 3,000 high-quality, fully refurbished PCs into Kenyan state secondary schools. Computers for Schools Kenya also advises upon and assess the preparedness of each school’s infrastructure and provides ongoing timely technical support to recipient schools.

A Kenyan teacher receiving IT
training from Computers for Schools
Kenya

Who benefits? The project will ensure an equitable balance of distribution between rural and urban schools, girls and boys institutions and ensure the inclusion of marginalised sectors, and schools for children with disabilities.

Over the coming months Computer Aid International International (through the generous financial support of a UK trust) will provide 450 professionally refurbished Pentium 3 and Pentium 4 computers needed for this project.

Computer Education Trust (CET), Swaziland

CET was established in 1998 to facilitate the productive and sustainable use of computers in Swaziland schools.

Before this project began, over 90% of students graduated from the state high school system without ever having seen, let alone had the opportunity to make use of a PC in the classroom.

The official opening of the Computer

Education Trust, Swaziland

Who benefits?

Under this project, Computer Aid International has provided 2,186 PCs to CET with which it has equipped schools across all regions in Swaziland. This represents a move from almost zero coverage to over half of all secondary schools in the country equipped since the project commenced in August 2000.

This project is making a massive difference to the quality and scope of education provision in Swaziland and provides an exemplar model of refurbished PC use that is transferable to other countries in the developing world.

CIDA, South Africa

The Community and Individual Development Association (CIDA) University was established in 1999 in South Africa. It's a registered non-profit higher education institution. It's the only university in South Africa to provide higher education that is affordable to gifted students from all sections of society.

CIDA student using the university's
new computer suite

Who benefits?

In sub-Saharan Africa only 3% of individuals (6% in South Africa source 1996 census) over the age of 20 have a post school educational qualification. CIDA develops future leaders and encourages them in a unique program to spread their knowledge to their home communities. In October 2001, CIDA students trained 300,000 students about AIDS and money management.

Computer Aid International has provided over 700 computers to CIDA in the last three years. CIDA and Computer Aid International are working in partnership to provide economically marginalised students with high quality low cost IT facilities.

Fantsuam Foundation, Nigeria

The award winning Fantsuam Foundation was established as a community enterprise for the empowerment of womens clan groups in Kaduna State in Northern Nigeria.

Who benefits?

Most rural communities in Nigeria are made up of clans, and women in these clans, usually form themselves in a support group. When women-led groups act as gatekeepers to resources, this helps ensure that they are equitably distributed and reach those in greatest need in their communities - rather than reflecting and reinforcing existing societal power balances.

PCs help the womens groups manage and administer their projects and communicate with other NGOs active in the region. In partnership with Computer Aid International, the Fantsuam Foundation is establishing a low cost computer provision service to complement and enhance its existing capacity building services.