[GKD] Computer Shipping and Transport Costs

[Adam Nash]

Dear List Members,

In dealing with some recent requests for donated computers, it has
become obvious that the hardest aspect of the process is finding the
money to pay for the shipping costs.  We are based in Melbourne,
Australia, so it is a long way to pretty well anywhere in the world! I
am hoping to start a discussion on this list about possible solutions to
this problem.

As an example, we currently have requests for 150 computers to Kennedy
and his group in Kenya, only 6 computers to WATCH in Nepal, and 10
computers plus one scanner to The Monitor in Zambia. One ship container
holds between 250-350 computers, and costs around US$2000. Hiring one
whole container is the preferable approach, as it means that the only
people who handle the computers are us at our end, and the recipients at
the destination. However, for small requests such as the above for
Zambia and Nepal, a ship container seems way too much. Then of course,
there is the sometimes quite significant problem of transporting the
computers from the port that the container arrived at to the destination
(which may be some thousands of kilometres from the port).

Given that most requests we get are not for large amounts of computers,
it strikes me that the ideal solution would be to find a shipping
company that is willing to sponsor us in the form of offering free
transport whenever we need it. Otherwise, if it is done on a per-request
basis each request would require a new 'please help us' effort on phones
and email, which obviously presents some significant worktime and
'compassion fatigue' problems.

Does anyone have experience, contacts, or ideas to offer on this tricky
problem?


Best wishes to all,
Adam

--
Adam Nash
com.IT - The Community IT Project
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.vicnet.net.au/~comit




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Re: [GKD] Request for computers (Kenya)

[Adam Nash]

Dear Kennedy,

I read your post to the GKD list. I represent a Melbourne, Australia based
organisation called com.IT, which is short for Community IT Project. We
recycle computers that have been donated, and redistribute them for free
to non-profit organisations and disadvantaged members of the community.
Over the past two years we have supplied thousands of computers to
Australian organisations, including Amnesty International and a large
shipment to East Timor to help with the reconstruction there.

We are able to donate you up to 50 DX6-SX33 computers with 8Mb RAM and a
100Mb hard drive. In your mail you used the term 'cpu' - do you actually
want only the cpu's (ie, the processor chip only), or do you want whole
working machines? Whichever you want, we can supply up to 50 either way.
Is this level of machine too low -end for what you want?

Unfortunately, we cannot cover the shipping costs. Are you able to get
help with the costs of shipping? I can contact someone from Community Aid
Abroad here in Australia, but there is no certainty that they will be able
to help.

Anyway, please feel free to contact me at any time to discuss this
further, as we would be more than pleased to help you out in any way we
can. As a footnote, we also are currently building an Internet cafe here
in Melbourne that is for the use of members of the community on the wrong
side of the digital divide. So, good luck to you and to us!

Yours,

Adam Nash
for com.IT,
The Community IT Project,
115 Hoddle St, Collingwood, Vic, Australia 3066
ph: 61-3-94162604
fax: 61-3-94160663
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.vicnet.net.au/~comit


On 1 May 2001, Kennedy Otina [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

 I am the chairman of a youth group in Kenya and would like to tender our
 humble request.
 
 We will be pleased if you can help us aquire CPUs.
 
 We are planing to start up self help projects that will be of benefit to the
 youth by offering them income. Our first proposed project is to start a
 cyber cafe in the neighborhood, there is a great potential in this regard in
 our area because for the whole of our constituency there is not even a
 single facility.
 
 




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