A RAD Solution: Getting devices into the hands of those who need them most
Many kiwis are being left behind because they do not have access to fit-for-purpose devices which allow them to be part of an increasingly connected world. Now there could be a RAD solution to get devices into the hands of those who need them most.
The “digital divide” is the term used for the gap that exists between people who are able to have meaningful digital lives online and those who are not. The divide is created by economic inequality, a lack of access to technology education, hardware and connectivity, and geography. “Barriers to digital inclusion are multi-faceted and are felt unevenly across New Zealand,” says Jordan Carter, Chief Executive of InternetNZ. The outcome: many kiwis are not able to participate in the increasingly connected world of education and mahi.
This is where Recycle A Device (RAD) comes in – an initiative that helps those who need a device be matched with a donated and refurbished device. There are many good quality devices that are no longer used or needed in our communities. They are stored in a top cupboard, under a bed, or often in the storerooms of Aotearoa businesses. RAD’s goal is to give these devices a second life in the hands of those who need them the most.
As a nation, we conduct a lot of our lives online. Research from InternetNZ shows that in 2019, people between 18–39 were most likely to find a job online. This age group is also the most likely to have completed their education, found a house to rent, or found a partner online. The Covid-19 lockdown also revealed that many school students do not have access to the devices they need to conduct their education at home. RAD is a collaboration between Digital Future Aotearoa, Spark Foundation, Spend My Super, Pam Fergusson Charitable Trust, The Southern Initiative and Remojo Tech who all see an urgent need to address the digital divide. “Covid-19 shone a spotlight on digital inequities in Aotearoa, and feedback from communities most impacted is that access to appropriate devices is a real barrier,” says Kate Thomas, Lead at Spark Foundation. Thomas continues, “In a digital age it’s not good enough to just have a smartphone in a household, or one laptop shared amongst several teenagers and adults.”
“We know just having a laptop or tablet isn’t a silver bullet to solving the digital divide, but it’s an important first step”
When people do not have a device at home they often must use computers at their local library or community centre, but this involves travel and cost, and public computers are only accessible at certain times and for limited periods – and not at all during a crisis. Public computers also may be inaccessible to the quarter of New Zealanders who have a disability or access needs, both in terms of computers being physically inaccessible but also not having accessibility software needed by the user. “We know just having a laptop or tablet isn’t a silver bullet to solving the digital divide, but it’s an important first step,” says Thomas.
RAD will provide an end-to-end process of device collection, storage, refurbishment, distribution, and finally disposal. A centralised device hub will be used to collect and store donated devices. All devices will have their data wiped, and then most devices will need to be refurbished to make sure they are up-to-date and ready to be used by a new owner. Imagine having a laptop at home for the first time – to be able to easily write that essay for school or university, to look for a job, or to take part in a digital education programme. It would feel like life was a bit easier, and that’s what RAD wants to achieve.
“Once devices are ready to go, they will be distributed to community organisations who are best placed to identify the families and individuals who are most in need”
Device refurbishment will be done in school-based programmes where students will be trained to refurbish devices. This approach achieves a refurbished device but also upskills students who want to learn about hardware, and full training will be provided for students and teachers running the refurbishment programme in their schools.
This grassroots approach has already been proven to work. Remojo Tech – who are made up of a team of students from Aotea College in Porirua and who are part of the Young Enterprise Scheme – repair community devices and train students how to repair their own laptops. Just before the Covid-19 level 4 lockdown, Remojo Tech distributed over thirty community-donated and refurbished laptops back into the community. “We have chosen to collect donated devices from corporate enterprises and the community to then refurbish so that they can be donated to students in need at our school,” says Remojo Tech Director Hadi Daoud.
“Being part of a refurbishment team will teach more than just hardware skills,” says RAD Project Manager Bronwyn Scott. “Students can also learn about social responsibility, giving back to the community, and how they can help with tech equitability and digital enablement,” she says. RAD’s goal is to provide high quality refurbished devices that meet consumer guarantees, electrical appliance regulations, that are fit-for-purpose, have the desired operating system, and that last a reasonable amount of time. Once devices are ready to go, they will be distributed to community organisations who are best placed to identify the families and individuals who are most in need of a device in their communities. A number of the devices refurbished by students will be given to those who need them within the school community.
Image: RJH School (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
RAD will focus on three main groups to donate devices. The first is large corporations who want to see their surplus laptops be used for social good. Second are small and medium businesses who want to support their local community through donations. Finally, individuals who want to donate a laptop or tablet that they no longer use. All three groups will be able to donate devices that are up to ten years old. Alongside reducing the digital divide, RAD also has environmental goals – reusing devices makes the best use of raw materials. Seventy-five percent of the fossil fuels and energy used by a computer are consumed during manufacturing, so extending a computer’s lifespan through refurbishment means less environmental cost and it also removes the item from landfill. The University of Illinois Sustainable Electronics Initiative estimates that each PC or mobile phone contains over half the periodic table. RAD also includes an end of life returns programme to safely dispose of devices and to make sure the initiative doesn’t contribute to further eWaste.
“The laptops … gave our Future Leaders not only the technology, but the freedom to engage in making their community shine”
The project completed an initial pilot in 2020 with Remojo Tech at Aotea College. Twenty laptops were refurbished by Aotea College students and then distributed to participants of the youth leadership programme – Future Leaders, run by Inspiring Stories. Future Leaders aims to make a difference for young people (aged 16–25) in some of New Zealand’s most challenged rural and provincial communities such as Kaikohe, Whangarei, Ōpōtiki, Kawerau, Whakatāne and Greymouth.
“We needed to shift our programmes online during Covid-19, which was a challenge because a number of participants didn’t have access to adequate devices,” says Future Leaders Programme Manager Bridget Cassie. “The laptops provided by RAD gave our Future Leaders not only the technology, but the freedom to engage in making their community shine, and to take on more responsibility as well. So thanks to RAD and the amazing partners for this support in uplifting our rangatahi!”
RAD’s next step is a second pilot where five schools will refurbish over two hundred devices. “It’s about to kick off,” says RAD Project Manager Bronwyn Scott. The pilot will see devices donated from the community refurbished alongside those donated by Spark Foundation, with the idea that students will learn how to refurbish a variety of devices.
“We’re working together towards the same goal”
“We are also learning what processes we need for RAD to be successful,” says Scott. “Where RAD differs from other refurbishment schemes is that it’s very community based. Devices are given by the community, students from the community refurbish devices, and then families and individuals in the community receive the devices. We’re working together towards the same goal,” says Scott.
RAD’s overall goal is a nationwide rollout of the initiative in 2021. Beyond that – it’s hard not to imagine a device refurbishment programme in most Aotearoa schools and the digital divide, at least in terms of devices, starting to disappear.
If you would like to take part in RAD register your interest at: recycleadevice.nz