World Computer Exchange (WCE) - Global

Founder Timothy Anderson has said that the group will take "anything that will get the kids online." The only requirement is that equipment be in working order and be Internet-accessible. WCE seeks to operate as virtually as possible. The WCE website is designed to leverage support for 180 local partners in 45 countries from teams of field volunteers, Programme Officers, global strategic allies, and teams of online support volunteers. The latter provide support (in Spanish, French, and English) in technology, content, and telecentre management.

Services include:

• Capacity Building: WCE provides 50 Programme Officers and online support volunteers to help partners, schools, and centres draft and implement sustainable plans to prepare and network schools, train teachers, maintain computers and networks, and encourage them to develop, adapt, and share local content.
• Computers: With the help of volunteers, WCE sources and gathers donated working computers, networking gear, and software from 35 cities in 10 countries in North America and Europe to be used to connect poor youth to the Internet.
• Cultural Exchanges: WCE brokers sister-school partnerships, online tech and website development among students, and visits by "Internet Ambassadors" to exchange training - designed to foster better understanding of others.

To support sustainability, WCE requires an implementation plan that responds to 25 questions about the preparation, maintenance, use, and connectivity of the computers. WCE usually ships in containers of 220 or 430 tested Power Macs or Pentiums along with some printers, spare parts, software, and network gear. WCE is a Microsoft Authorised Recylcer and also has teams that support partners that opt to use Linux.

Children, Youth, Education, Technology.

According to Mr. Anderson, the Exchange has to date sent computers to connect 969 schools, orphanages, and learning centres with 347,250 youth in 17 countries. Specifically, since its first shipment in April 2001, WCE has shipped to Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Cameroon, Ecuador, Georgia, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Lithuania, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Vietnam.

To site one particular example, in July 2002, WCE sent a container of 400 computers arrived in Kampala, Uganda. This shipment, which also contained donated children's books, enabled 15,000 students at 29 primary and secondary schools to connect to the Internet. The schools were then trained in the use of the technology.