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The people at Tracs have volunteered to help a non profit group in Kenya. You can drop off your working computer equipment at the MCC warehouses across Canada. If it is not working or you would prefer all data be removed we will accept computers at our office. We will wipe all data and ensure computers are functioning and meet the requirements listed. Working systems will be delivered to the calgary MCC location and unusable parts will be recycled with the Alberta Electronics Recycling program. Please read the request for a complete description of the project and locations. Hello,
Some time ago I emailed a number of you -- my business associates, friends and colleagues to see if they were aware of used computers which could be donated to a project that we are implementing here in Kenya. I’m emailing again to let you know that we have secured a method or collection and shipment to Kenya. I've again included a brief summary of the project and wanted to also inform you that MCC warehouses in Canada are able to receive your used computers as donations. Please indicate that this donation is for the Kenya Peace Project. (see locations of drop-off points later in this email). Please feel free to forward this email to anyone that you know who might help -- Thanks
Project Description:
We have launched a project here in Kenya to try and build some bridges between ethnic groups within Kenya. Ethnic groups is a euphemism for tribes or tribal differences. Kenya has 42 major tribes and we are planning to launch a project later this calendar year which assists the "next generation" (primary and secondary school aged students) to begin to
communicate across tribal boundaries.
The way we want to do this is:
- create "Peace Clubs" in at least one larger primary/secondary school in each tribe (this is underway and going well)
- provide this school with some technology (see below) to enable electronic communication with other Peace Clubs from other tribes (reason for this email). Social networking.
- we will also publish a newsletter for circulation throughout schools (even where computers do not exist)
- once a year, we will try and host a conference to facilitate face-to-face communication (this will depend on funds - not the highest priority)
Our partner to accomplish this is Lari Peace Museum who have an enthusiastic project team. We have worked with them before -- they are a "community based organization" (CBO) and there is not a religious theme or "gate" for participation in this program. In fact, if we can, we'd like this to cross religious boundaries as well.
We have some funding to enable installation, training for use of software and we are well along in the establishment of peace clubs. MCC funding is being used to fund a technologist (a volunteer from the US) to assist with hardware/software installation, training and travelling to the various schools to train local teachers on the software, troubleshooting and networking setup.
What we need.....
- computers for 50 schools (preferably 10 per school) for a total of 500 (or 550 assuming a 10% DOA rate) capable of running Ubuntu Linux. The recommended minimum requirements are:
* 700 MHz x86 processor
* 384 MB of system memory (RAM)
* 8 GB of disk space
* Graphics card capable of 1024x768 resolution
* Sound card (we could procure this later and add-on)
* A network or Internet connection port
A nice to have would be 110/220 power capability - but, we can convert the power supply.
The Ubuntu software is used in various countries of the African continent -- it solves the licensing issue and is a "education" version of Linux with some educational software embedded. We do not need XP/Vista or Windows licenses. We will use open-source.
As you can see, modest technical hardware requirements - in fact, the kind of computers that organizations in North America would be looking to replace. If you have your own machines that you are looking to replace, or are a part of an enterprise or service organization that comes across computers that would be useable here, please consider donating these to this worthy project.
My request of you:
- use your Rotary, Mason, technology, business and any other connections to see if there are systems available. Please feel free to forward this to other contacts.
- bring these computers to local MCC warehouse locations. These warehouses are located in the following locations:
Calgary:
MCC Alberta Material Resources Center (this is the same building as
the Thrift Shop -- please make sure it gets to the warehouse -- 2nd floor)
2946 32nd Street NE.
Calgary Alberta T1Y 6J7
(403) 275-6935
Fraser Valley -- B.C.
MCC British Columbia
31414 Marshall Road
Abbottsford, B.C. V2T 3T8
(604) 850-6639
Manitoba:
Canadian Central Warehouse
231 Railway Avenue
Plum Coulee, MB R0G 1R0
(204) 829-3005
Saskatoon/Sask.
MCC Saskatchewan
600 45th Street West
Saskatoon, SK S7L 5W9
(306) 665-2555
Southern Ontario:
MCCO Kitchener Office
50 Kent Avenue
Kitchener, ON N2G 3R1
(519) 745-8458
MCCO Niagara
#22-595 Carlton St.
St. Catharines, ON L2M 4Y2
(905) 646-3161
We will arrange shipping from these collection points as MCC has the capability to ship overseas.
BTW, the side benefit of this is that this project would provide some tech training to students -- not normally available here. We have visited one of these schools who had one Dell desktop -- 1000 students trying to "learn" on one old Dell machine. The network connection we would use is a cellular modem -- we would partner with Safaricom, a local cellular network provider. (we would set up a local LAN in each school with one cellular modem link per LAN to the Internet).
This is your chance to help some of the needy students here in Kenya. Who knows, you might enjoy it so much that you might want to come and help with a project here in East Africa. You could do worse J
Thanks for reading and responding,
RonRon and Martha RatzlaffRepresentatives for MCC Kenya47 Rhapta Road, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenyaemail:
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Office: 4443149Mobile: 0726513226
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