Recycling creates jobs, provides training opportunities and supports creating a sustainable world.
Israeli & Palestinian Peace
One day John called. John is part of a missionary group of more than 7000 missionaries world wide that Chimorel periodically works with.
“Warren can you come to a meeting with a major hospital to negotiate the donation of 500 computers?” As the project unfolded we would be sending computers to an Israeli University. This university would coordinate Israeli students whose responsibility would be to acquire monitors and distribute computer systems to Palestinian schools. What a fantastic way to establish a supportive relationship between students on both sides !!!
Several months later we had 500+ computers ready to go. There were many challenges. A big challenge was to raise $2700 to ship the computers. You can learn the outcome of this story in Computers 2 Africa.
This is a true story. We also provided a laptop to one of the missionaries John works with.
Palestinian Issues
A Palestinian friend agreed to help raise funds to send the computers to Israel, even though they eventually went to Africa. He would assist as we wiped hard drives. We got to talking about things that were going on in Palestine. He told me about a pregnant cousin who died standing in line waiting to cross the border to get to a hospital to deliver her baby. He told me about schools with no heat in the freezing winter cold. He told me about a lot of other things, also.
Just wanted to bring to your attention a few of the issues we uncovered as we pursued wiping hard drives on 3000 computers. These are literally matters of life and death that lead to the tensions in that part of the world. Perhaps, someday, you will help us develop the resources to deal with some of these issues.
This is a true story. The pregnant cousin died waiting in line at a border crossing. The schools are still freezing. Providing computers was intended to be a bridge to move beyond these issues. We’d still like to support these struggling people.
Computers 2 Africa
This is the follow up to the story about Israeli and Palestinian Peace. To recap, John brought to our attention the need of a large hospital to recycle computers safely. The original estimate was 500 computers. We actually recycled over 3000 computers plus other items including printers, monitors, etc. The original intention was to send 500 computers to Palestinians in Israel as a means to bridge the tensions there.
When the computers were ready to ship, tensions in Israel were too great. A decision was made to move the computers to the warehouse of a friend in Dayton, hoping the tensions would subside enough to assure the computers could reach their destination. After several months a decision was made to send the computer to a program in Africa instead.
Before the computers actually got to Africa, a lot of things had to happen. First a deal had to be made with the hospital. They had real concerns about the hard drives being safely wiped. They wanted us to enter into a contract, part of which required a million dollar insurance policy. We had to move the computers from the basement under a child care program that was part of their operation to a Kohl’s warehouse they rented. The sewer pipes in the basement leaked. Warren got a severe kidney infection after handling monitors that had been dripped on. There were other hurdles to cross, but that is enough for now.
We solved all the problems. We got additional computers to recycle which paid the cost of the insurance and added a little cash to Chimorel and to Warren’s income. Warren invested well over 200 hours in this project. We established an ongoing relationship with the hospital and were able to recycle beds, TVs, furniture and many other items that have been useful to our Work for Rent program and for other nonprofit groups. Funds were raised and a little more than 500 computers were shipped to Africa.
This is a true story. The hospital is part of one of the largest medical programs in central Ohio
Computer Schools in Africa
One day John called. This time we were preparing books to send to another country. He introduced me to a missionary who was also a Vice President of a major news bureau. This man had already established four computer schools in Africa. His home base was in Cameroon.
I asked, “What are some of your needs?”
Capital to start micro businesses. We agreed that $10,000,000 would be appropriate to create a bank and brainstormed how to approach ten banks here in the U.S. for $1 million each. This could be a someday project.
Hospital Equipment. The World Bank will provide funds to build beautiful hospitals, but nothing for the equipment to put in the hospitals. So people sleep on the floors. There is no operating equipment or x-ray machines. There are barely any supplies, medicines or other necessities for minimum care. As equipment and funds are identified, we can implement this project. Through a recent recycling contact, at least part of this project has actually been addressed.
Computer Schools: We also determined that every time we raise $10,000 we can establish two self-sustaining computer schools, each with 50 computers. This amount will provide everything needed: sending 100 computers, a building, initial salaries, etc.
As students graduate they get jobs or create businesses. They pay back their tuition and can acquire their own computers. The payback rate is over 98%. Not only do these schools become self-sustaining, they can also help develop an ongoing market for our computers.
The VP from Cameron promised to send me his marketing package to raise funds for the schools and a lot of other information. It never came. About a year later, John told me he had been beaten up and died. Just recently I learned that he had survived, but is a ghost of the man I originally talked to.
This is a project we’d like to return to someday.
Recycling computers and ewaste is expected to become a major part of Chimorel’s I Got a Job program. Recycling computers can lead to developing solid skills that can transfer to other areas. For example, we need telemarketers to call businesses, churches, nonprofits and individuals encouraging the use of our recycling programs. We need drivers who pick up the materials from companies and homes. We need warehouse trainees and workers. We need people to process the materials. That is enough for now, but I think you get the picture. All of these skills and more can be developed as part of our I Got a Job program. Recycling requires a lot of hard, somewhat dirty physical work. This kind of work tends to break down the “gimme attitude” many who have difficulty getting/keeping jobs tend to acquire.
To learn more about Chimorel’s I Got a Job program, click the link above. This story looks forward to future possibilities, based on real past experience.
Local Computer Recycling
We do not give our computers away. We do sell them and individuals and nonprofits can earn our computers.
We attended a program at Teach (a local nonprofit). After the program we began talking about working together. The end result was that we sold twenty computers to Teach. First we sold ten which their staff used. Then one day candidate George W Bush was going to visit their program. We installed another ten. On the front page of the Columbus Dispatch the next day was a picture of a client and candidate Bush sitting at one of our computers.
Bread(another nonprofit) wanted to set up a computer training program. We sold them ten computers. RICH (another nonprofit) needed two computers. The Neighborhood House needed printers, large TVs and supplies. Ethiopian Tewhado Social Services acquired another 20 of our computers. Many other nonprofits, businesses and individuals have purchased or earned computers, printers, software, supplies and other electronic items from us.
In the future, if you visit our shopping mall, you will be able to purchase new computers, printers, supplies, etc. If you are close to Columbus, OH, you can buy or earn used computers, etc, when we have them available. If you have computers to donate, continue to explore the computer section of our recycling area to learn more.
