OUR PROJECT
IDEA
Initiative for Digital Education for All
We want to give refugees and socially disadvantaged people access to education and training by means of computers.
Project start: 2019
We want to create access to education and training by means of computers in places where there are otherwise no or hardly any educational opportunities. For this purpose we collect donated computers, equip them with learning content and then distribute them. Sometimes directly to the recipients, but often also to NGOs that provide educational services, to schools or to other places where there is an urgent need, such as hospitals. We also support NGOs that have a need for computers for their own organization but cannot afford them.
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About the origin of the project
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The project originated in Lesvos at the end of 2019. There were about 20,000 people in the Moria Camp at this time, including about 6,000 to 7,000 children and young people. Very few of these children and young people were able to attend a Greek school. Only about 600 children were lucky enough to be accommodated by other local school projects, while another 2,000 children only received some kind of schooling in a grassroots school set up by the refugees on their own. The majority of the children, adolescents and young adults thus had no access to learning opportunities at all.
That is why we started the computer project. We started collecting computers and sending them to Lesvos and later to Samos and Athens. The idea was to set up self-learning centers where the young people could learn on their own and, in the best case scenario, also be supervised by staff from various NGOs.
The emergence of Corona in 2020 made independent learning by means of computers an important issue not only for refugees, but also worldwide. Our idea, designed for a very specific use, suddenly became mainstream.
Computer donations to a group of refugee teens and children in Athens
How does it work?
The extensive educational software from Labdoo.org, an international NGO with which we work closely, is installed on the donated computers. The operating system used is predominantly Ubuntu, a Linux variant that is freely available to everyone as an open-source project. The learning content is mostly installed in the English version.
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This includes, for example, a complete Wikipedia reference work, about 2.400 learning videos from Khan Academy (school material from elementary school to preparation for university studies), hundreds of books, English courses, college courses that can be used to prepare for a bachelor's degree, learning games for children and much more. In addition, there is everything that makes up a normal computer: office software (LibreOffice), a browser and many other necessary and useful programs. All programs and the entire content come from Open Source projects and are provided free of charge.
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Since most of the refugee camps in Greece had no or very poor internet, everything was designed so that you can use the content even without an internet connection. All data is pre-installed on the hard drive.
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Since 2021, more and more computers have been brought into use in homes for unaccompanied children and young people, in schools and training centers, and by NGOs.
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We now also supply computers to projects in Italy, France, Ghana, Kenya and Liberia. By December 2023, we have shipped almost 2.000 computer devices, plus many smartphones, tablets and printers.
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How we handle this project
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The Meaalofa Foundation supervises all steps of the computer project: We know where there is a need for equipment, and we take care of the procurement of the PCs and the laptops. We store and process the devices at our premises in Munich. We securely delete all data on the devices and, in the next step, install the operating system and content. The devices are sent to the target countries on pallets in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner, where they are received and further distributed.
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How can you help?
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We are in need of donated computers, both PCs and laptops, and will gladly accept used tablets and smartphones as there is a great demand for these as well.
From a global perspective, the demand for used computers, tablets and smartphones is almost unlimited. Countless people can thus be given access to education and participation.
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At the same time, around one million used PCs and laptops are destroyed every year in Germany alone, often simply because there are no ideas for further use. This creates major environmental problems when it comes to disposal. In addition, it is a great pity that fully functional devices are destroyed before the actual end of their useful life. Even equipment that is ten to 15 years old can still be put to good use. A used computer can become a "school" or a "university" in places where educational opportunities are otherwise unavailable. Only with sufficient education do young people have a chance in the future.
Therefore, we are always happy to receive donations in kind, but also money, so that we can pay the transport costs.
Anyone who can provide us with one or more old computers, laptops and tablets can contact us here.
Donate your old computer
Every computer becomes a learning station
We give discarded computers, tablets and smartphones a new life.
Instead of disposing of your outdated equipment or storing it for years, you are welcome to donate it to us. We are also very happy about corporate donations.
We guarantee that all old data will be securely deleted.
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Send us your donation offer via the contact form or via mail to donations@meaalofa-foundation.org
Further links to the IDEA project
Khan Academy
Khan Academy provides free digital teaching courses for our computer project and other international projects.
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Labdoo
The organization Labdoo takes over the programming and equips the donated laptops with the teaching programs.
RACHEL
The collected teaching content is stored on the RACHEL server and made available offline. This is the platform on which the teaching content is accessed.
The offline teaching content is displayed on the donated computers
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More information about the RACHEL server at Worldpossible.org
Donation for IDEA
Would you like to support the IDEA project? Select "IDEA" as the donation purpose in the form below. Thank you for your help!
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To our donation website