The Camara Galway computer drop-off is taking place on Wednesday 1st of February from 10am to 6pm, so why not drop-off your old PCs, laptops, monitors, keyboards and mice?
The drop-off hub is located on Distillery Rd. in the NUI Galway campus, (travelling towards Moycullen on the Newcastle Rd., turn right into NUIG at the AIB bank). You can check out the hub in Google streetview here.
This also marks the two year anniversary of Camara in Galway.
“On behalf of the youth polytechnic in Mbale, we would like to thank you for your support in
equipping our institution with computers and educational materials. As a very small community of
6,000 residents, many of whom have never used a computer, the new computer courses have added a
sense of optimism to the village. With 89 students, 45 females and 44 males, we have greatly enhanced
not only our enrollment and retention, but also our expectations and proficiency.
During the recently held Taita Youth Polytechnics Event in Mwatate, our institution, Mbale
Youth Polytechnic, placed second in the computer training competition. We would not have been able
to do so without the support of Camara Kenya. The criteria, creativity and practicality, is what we
strive to teach our students who are pursuing a career in the computer technology field.
Shak, Zuhura, Casper, and the whole Camara Kenya team, we thank you for your support in
what will make the Mbale Youth Polytechnic among the best in all of Coast Province. Asanteni sana.”
-Boniface Kiriva
Manager of Mbale Youth Polytechnic
Demissew Bekele writes about the ICT role of Camara Education in the Ethiopian Education System.
Camara Education is offering FREE recycling to any household looking to dispose of unwanted computers for the month of February
Camara has drop off centres in Chapelizod Industrial Estate, Dublin 20 and Townsend Enterprise Park, Townsend Street, Belfast. For more information, call 01 6522671
Camara Education, a social enterprise and charity, specialises in the re-use of computers to educate children in disadvantaged schools in sub-Saharan Africa, Jamaica and Ireland. Camara Education refurbishes computers sourced from Irish businesses, government departments and individuals, loads them with educational software and distributes them to disadvantaged schools. This enables thousands of marginalised communities’ an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty they find themselves in.
To date Camara has dispatched over 27,000 computers in this way, improving education for over half a million disadvantaged children and giving them the opportunity to acquire the digital literacy skills needed for the 21st century.
This year alone the charity has processed and shipped over 9,000 computers as the demand for affordable technology increases year on year. Currently Camara’s partner Hub in Kenya has 200 under-resourced schools on a waiting list to receive Camara computers and training. A similar situation is seen by Camara’s partner Hubs in Zambia, Ethiopia, Lesotho and Jamaica.
Due to this ever growing demand, Camara is offering a free computer recycling option for the Irish public in January. With Camara, each computer that is sent abroad has a positive educational impact for at least 10 disadvantaged children each year. Each computer also defers the release of 650kg of CO2 emissions.
To help Camara continue its work in disadvantaged communities, it’s Learning Shop Gift Campaign is now open. This provides the ideal gift by sending a computer loaded with educational software to Africa for only €15, £12 or $20 in the name of family and friends – a perfect way to show how much you care. You will be given a unique tracking number for you to send to your family and friends which will allow them to follow the progress of their computer to a school in Africa. Click on the link below to give the gift of education.
Students in Grandsons of Abraham School experiencing Camara computers for the first time
Happy New Year!!!
The workshop will be open this Thurs evening, 5th Jan, for any volunteers who would like to come down and get stuck in.
We will be closed for Christmas from Dec 23rd- Jan 3rd. We would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
The Camara Workshop will be closed on Thurs 22nd Dec in the evening from 5pm. Thanks
Well done to Niall Dennehy, an employee of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, who raised an amazing €1,500 for Camara Education through competing in the IronMan triathlon held in Frankfurt, Germany earlier this year.
The IronMan (in case you didn’t know) is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run. Thanks to all those who have helped Niall achieve this target and also to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the global learning company, who have matched the money raised and have donated €1,000 towards the work of Camara Ireland, bringing the overall total raised to €2,500.
Niall Dennehy, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt presents cheque to Joanne Callanan, Camara Education
Camara Education launch urgent Computer Reuse appeal
Today Irish charity Camara Education launched an appeal for old computers that will improve education in some of the world’s most disadvantaged communities.
Camara Education, a social enterprise and charity, re-use computers to educate children in disadvantaged schools in sub-Saharan Africa, Jamaica and Ireland. Camara Education refurbishes computers sourced from Irish businesses, government departments and individuals, loads them with educational software and distributes them to disadvantaged schools. This enables thousands of marginalised communities’ an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty they find themselves in.
To date Camara has dispatched over 29,000 computers, improving education for over 350,000 disadvantaged children and giving them the opportunity to acquire the digital literacy skills needed for the 21st century.
With Camara now established in ten countries, the demand from schools has never been greater. Camara Kenya alone has over 200 under-resourced schools on a waiting list to receive Camara computers and training. A similar situation is seen by Camara’s partner hubs in Zambia, Ethiopia and Jamaica.
Camara is struggling to meet this level of demand and has today launched an appeal for people to drop off their old computer(s). Camara Education CEO, John Fitzsimons commented, “Each year in Ireland we throw away 250,000 PC’s. We would encourage people and businesses to give them to Camara for reuse rather than recycling them. There is a moral imperative to seek a reuse option.” Fitzsimons also added “We are not asking for money, just your old technology; each PC will give the gift of digital literacy to 21 disadvantaged students so we urge people to support this campaign.”
Camara’s drop-off locations are:
Dublin – Chapelizod Industrial Estate, Dublin 20
Belfast – Unit 10 Townsend Enterprise Park, Townsend Street, Belfast
Galway – 18 Distillery Road, National University of Ireland, Galway
Cork – Bandon Storage, Bandon Bypass, Cork
For further information, please call (01) 6522665 or go to www.camara.ie
Notes for Editors:
Camara (Camara Education Limited) is a registered Irish Charity dedicated to using technology to deliver education more effectively to disadvantaged communities in Africa, Jamaica and Ireland. Camara is a West African word that means “one who teaches with experience”
For further press information contact Joanne Callanan at joannecallanan@camara.ie or call (01) 6857121/087 9223949