There's a whole new kind of e-trash flooding into East Africa.
Forget yesterday's story of boat-anchor PCs, the worthless jumbles of miss-matched hardware dumped into developing countries to "help people."
This stuff is brand-new, stocked neatly on shelves, and comes with an attractive price tag. That's what makes it so insidious. And a crying shame.
Let us back up a little. Our non-profit, Computers for Africa (CFA) started providing quality refurbished computer labs and follow-up services to East African schools back in 2000 when both were rare in the region. Ten years later, we're still at it, still hoping to work ourselves out of a job.
Thankfully, quality refurbished PCs are much easier to find, ten years later. But rural, and otherwise isolated poor schools, still cannot afford them - even at the going rate of $170 for a refurbished Pentium III. The average wage in rural areas is only $2 a day.
Without CFA's services, our beneficiaries could not purchase a lab and certainly could never afford the critical support services we provide. Two-thirds of our budget goes toward building sustainability into the technology programs we help launch, providing maintenance and repair skills and strengthening neighbor-to-neighbor relationships. Our labs will last from four to five years after which schools will be advised where to take the "dead" computers for proper recycling .
Back to the latest development in techno-trash.
2005 saw an influx of "cloned" computers from East Asia and Dubai into East Africa - clones meaning PCs assembled with parts from non-major brands. With a starting price of $400, they put brand new hardware within reach for small businesses and the middle class.
Alas, the no-namers are far less robust than refurbished "Branded Computers." In a school setting, clones begin developing problems at three months, and continue needing repair as part after part, spare after spare fails. Their life span is about 18 months.
I (Herbert) stand among the duped. Back in 2001 when computers in general were rare, I purchased a clone for $750. The machine began breaking down within 9 months. Though I had an advanced degree in computer science, I was quickly disgusted with the thing as spare parts were no more reliable than the original machine. I confess, I sold it off (sorry about that) and purchased a refurbished, branded computer for $467 which served well for seven years. The only solace I have is swapping similar stories with other computer teachers and administrators all over the country.
Today the clones are flooding in by the thousands. A May, 2008 report by UNIDO, put the number of computers imported into Uganda in 2007 at 27,000 units. Of these, only 4,000 were used computers. The vast majority of the 23,000 new units were sold by the 50+ Ugandan businesses selling clones verses not the handful of companies selling new, branded computers.
Dead clones are accumulating all over the country with little public outcry. There is no meaningful warranty when purchasing them. Buyers typically have little knowledge of computers and assume either they did something wrong or perhaps, after all, the machines were never meant to function for more than a few months.
The importation of this techno-trash is enabled by unscrupulous business people taking advantage of unsuspecting locals and a National Standards Agency which has neither the resources nor the expertise to stop the practice. Sadly, no one is held accountable.
Ironically, it is the new computers themselves that are making a case for challenging the old assumption: "New is good. Used is bad." Uganda and Kenya parliaments are having lively discussions as proposals for banning all used computers are debated. Those serious about protecting the environment know opting for the "new" can seriously aggravate an old problem.
That's why Computers for Africa outfits computer labs in rural schools in Uganda with quality, refurbished machines. We are committed to ensuring that our computers don't become e-trash a year after they're sent over. We also focus on one region at a time, helping 25 schools each year collaborate as they progress through our program - Schools such as those in the former war-zone of northern Uganda where thousands of students are former child soldiers. In this region, to date, 50% of high schools have computer labs through our program - labs that won't contribute to toxic landfills, but that will assist African students with access to an international world of resources.
Unfortunately the people of Africa have had enough challenges without us further contributing to anything that will lower their quality of life or negatively impact their environment.