- Saturday, 11 July 2009
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The almighty dollar is the only object of worship - Philadelphia Public Ledger
Brent Council gives PCs to Africa
BRENT Council has worked out a way of getting around its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme and the complicated Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations by packing its old PCs off to Africa.
The London borough has given more than 500 PCs and laptops to the Computer Aid International charity.
Thanks to Computer Aid’s asset tracking service, Brent has tracked the refurbished PCs and laptops to different education, healthcare and poverty-reduction projects in Africa.
Computers that once calculated poll tax demands have ended up in the National Health Students Association of Ghana. Keyboards that once bashed out letters about mould in council flats are now "empowering Zambian youths" in the Crescent Future Kids in Zambia project, according to a council press release.
Duncan McLeod, Director of Finance at Brent Council, said Brent could have recycled the PCs or sent them to a private company. But this way, the council could be sure the gear was used.
Computer Aid has stringent data wiping services which means that a council tax payer's request for a woman to come and do will not cause much merriment in the deserts of Sudan. µ
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Business Intelligence Software
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Enterprise Accounting Software
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Enterprise Systems Management
Another of Computer Aid's partners is:
Fantsuam Foundation, Nigeria

http://www.computeraid.org/wherewework.htm

If Brent Council wants to know more about how their recycled PC's are being used, they could always ask the locals if they've heard from "The Desk Of" various cashed-up dictators and lottery promoters.
I live in Wembley Brent. There is so much shortage of public nursery and school places for my children and those of my friends that we have to send them to expensive private alternatives. The road and the pavement in front of my rented flat is broken. Except for the park and library service , no other service seems working. Every time I call them or see them , they try to avoid me and if I persist , some highly paid manager earning 4-5 times my salary gives a diplomatic reply. I wish I had some more votes and get rid of the current council. Hope other tax payers can see and feel how the council squanders our hard earned money which they increase every successive year. They employ a army of cleaners but will not tell any one not to litter, making Brent the dirtiest place in whole greater london.
But... Africa is already getting a lot of PC's... in 'pieces' that is.