One organization, Camara, is bringing in computers and charges the end user 5,000 Ksh each. They are distributed on the Ubuntu Open Source platform. They also provide follow up services. At 5,000 Ksh each with a fully functional operating system, that blows new computers out of the water. With the lower computing demands of Open Source systems the schools save money on both hardware and software. If they had to purchase new computers it would be at least 20,000 Ksh each plus they would have to buy upgrades on the Microsoft software. Using Open Source gives the computers a longer lifespan, especially those without complex requirements such as the basic functions necessary to teach the basic to students. The used computers do not require higher power consumption than a new desktop. As a matter of fact since they come from corporate donations, the computers are usually less than 2 years old. <div>
<br></div><div>When looking at socio-economic development, the younger we can provide access to the computers the more potential we have of being able to compete in the knowledge economy. Forcing institutions on already tight budgets to purchase brand new equipment is foolish. Every school in Kenya needs to have computers and until that occurs we need to facilitate cost effective measures for implementation.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Crystal <br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 1:16 PM, Barrack Otieno <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:otieno.barrack@gmail.com">otieno.barrack@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">Crystal the term "affordable" is relative in the context of Socio - economic development, could you elaborate on your position?<div>
<div></div><div class="h5"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 12:56 PM, Crystal Watley Kigoni <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:crystal@voicesofafrica.org" target="_blank">crystal@voicesofafrica.org</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left:1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex;padding-left:1ex">We have to start somewhere. Bringing in used computers is a simple and effective way to bring computing power into schools and villages. Yes, Computers for Schools Kenya does charge for these computers (too much if you ask me in comparison to other groups doing the same), and yet the schools pay for them so they can give their students a fighting chance at joining the knowledge economy. We need to consider the welfare of our young people before we sell out to the "new" game as Uganda has. Can Kenya really afford to equip ALL of our classrooms with brand new computers? And has anyone considered the monopoly given to Microsoft when we push for only new equipment? The license fees involved for software? There is a lot more to consider than simply e-waste. <div>
<br></div><div>Crystal<br><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div><div></div><div>On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 12:48 PM, Areba Collins <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:arebacollins@gmail.com" target="_blank">arebacollins@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
</div></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left:1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex;padding-left:1ex"><div><div></div><div>
I cant believe this, are you guys actually arguing that having no<br>
computer is better than having one that is old, consumes lots of power<br>
and has only a few years left in it? Cause as far as the rest of it<br>
is concerned, quality is a function of competition.<br>
<div><div></div><div><br>
On 8/28/09, Barrack Otieno <<a href="mailto:otieno.barrack@gmail.com" target="_blank">otieno.barrack@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> Listers Evans has raised a pertinent issue, we might not have made some of<br>
> the strides we have achieved in the sector without the used computers, on<br>
> the other hand there is an environmental concern that is valid, this calls<br>
> for a multistakeholder approach to create a win win situation for our local<br>
> business men (Remember the used car parts issue that sprang up early this<br>
> year), NGO and any other organisation involved in the importation process,<br>
> may be its time KEBS got involved in the process, reading through Bills<br>
> email i am of the opinion that there might be some imbalance in the way the<br>
> importation of the computers is handled, by the way i had there is a<br>
> facility for disposing off e-waste in Dandora, maybe Mr Tom Musili could<br>
> shed some light on the issue, i wish we had statistics to help in evaluating<br>
> the impact of the used computers.<br>
> Let the debate continue..<br>
><br>
> On Fri, Aug 28, 2009 at 11:26 AM, Bildad Kagai <<a href="mailto:billkagai@gmail.com" target="_blank">billkagai@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
><br>
>><br>
>> On Aug 28, 2009, at 8:12 AM, Victor Gathara wrote:<br>
>><br>
>> I am thinking here of donations of used computers that can<br>
>> make their way into the country through a regulated and monitored<br>
>> channel (such as ComputerAid) who will also have responsibility to<br>
>> ensure EOL disposal according to WEEE standards to prevent dumping of<br>
>> electronic waste.<br>
>><br>
>><br>
>> Victor,<br>
>> In your position, you know very well that these second had computers are<br>
>> not donations. You can ask Tony Roberts how much he is paid to dispose a<br>
>> computer from Barclays in UK, that eventually finds its way to a school in<br>
>> Mau. And the Mau school pays for shipping and other costs....but besides<br>
>> all these politics......DFID<br>
>> might consider to fund a specific study comparing the final 'landed' cost<br>
>> of<br>
>> a dumped computer versus a 'clone' assembled with new parts at Crescent<br>
>> Technologies or JKUAT taking into consideration the kazi kwa vijana<br>
>> created....if it has not been done already. PS. I am speaking as a<br>
>> 'contributor' to this mess here, because I also have problems disposing my<br>
>> old computers and printers in the office. Most of the times, its easier to<br>
>> take them to a school in shags that cannot afford the electricity bills of<br>
>> running them...and... just live with the guilt like everyone else despite<br>
>> being labeled as The Hero who brought us computers.<br>
>><br>
>> One reason IBM sold its hardware unit was because Moores Law states over<br>
>> time, the cost of hardware approaches zero and the cost of power<br>
>> consumption<br>
>> and capacity of the hardware doubles every 18 months. Thus, bringing 5<br>
>> year<br>
>> old computers to Kenya only drains too much power when we should strive to<br>
>> bring consumption per watt down. At least, just based on power consumption<br>
>> alone, dumped computer should never see the 'light of day' at the Kenyan<br>
>> port if locally assembled computers will consume half of the wattage<br>
>> today....especially now when everyone is striving to go green.<br>
>><br>
>> <a href="http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000868.html" target="_blank">http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000868.html</a><br>
>><br>
>> Google, for example, has watched its energy consumption almost double<br>
>> during the past three generations of upgrades to its sprawling computing<br>
>> infrastructure. *It recently unveiled a major new datacenter site in a<br>
>> remote part of Oregon, where power costs are a fraction of those at<br>
>> Google's<br>
>> home base in Silicon Valley.* But cheap power may not be enough. Last<br>
>> year, Google engineer Luiz Andr� Barroso predicted that energy costs would<br>
>> dwarf equipment costs -- "possibly by a large margin" -- if power-hungry<br>
>> datacenters didn't mend their ways. Barroso went on to warn that<br>
>> datacenters' growing appetite for power "could have serious consequences<br>
>> for<br>
>> the overall affordability of computing, not to mention the overall health<br>
>> of<br>
>> the planet."<br>
>><br>
>><br>
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> Tel:<br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Crystal "Naliaka" Watley Kigoni<br>Voices of Africa for Sustainable Development<br><a href="mailto:crystal@voicesofafrica.org" target="_blank">crystal@voicesofafrica.org</a><br>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Barrack O. Otieno<br>Administrative Manager <br>Afriregister Ltd (Ke)<br>P.o.Box 21682<br>Nairobi 00100<br>Tel:<br>+254721325277<br>+254733206359<br>Riara Road, Bamboo Lane<br>
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</div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Crystal "Naliaka" Watley Kigoni<br>Voices of Africa for Sustainable Development<br><a href="mailto:crystal@voicesofafrica.org">crystal@voicesofafrica.org</a><br>
<a href="http://www.voicesofafrica.org/">http://www.voicesofafrica.org/</a><br><br>"You must be the change you wish to see" - Gandhi<br>
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