Donated computers depart Ottawa for Kabul

A container of 230 donated used computers from individuals and groups around Ottawa departs in early June for Kabul, Afghanistan. 

The computers are being shipped to connect youth centres in southern Afghanistan run by a 25 year old nonprofit called Afghan Social Services Coordination.  They will come to Karachi, Pakistan to get the computers and drive them back to Kabul.  They are working in coordination with the Higher Education Commission and Kabul University.

The costs of this shipment were donated by the West Ottawa Rotary Club, Global Education First, Aaxix Group, Thought Genesis, Dental Plan, Andrew High School National Honor Society, Andrew High School Student Council, and many individuals in Canada and the States who were born in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Irfan Niaz of Corona, California coordinated the individual fund raising.

The computers were tested by WCE Ottawa volunteers who were joined by the packing three months ago by volunteers from Rotary Club.  It took longer than usual to get a booking for the shipment because the weakness of the dollar has increased exports from Canada as well as the USA.  WCE-Canada thanks Boyds Warehouse for their generous donation of space during the months since this equipment was packed. 

Afghan Social Services Coordination has just been re-established in Kabul as the refugees have returned from the recently closed UN camps in Pakistan after 25 years.  During these years ASSC has provided, through a staff of 100, a wide range of social services to the refugees. Rotary Club Hayatabad, Dist. 3270 has been helping the Center in arranging for this shipment and has supplied a letter.

The WCE president has met with Dr. Faheed Pushtoonyar the Managing Director and with Dr. Rahim Pushtoonyar, the founder and Board Chair of the Center who is now a Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Public Health for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. 

Assistance for the installation of these computers will be by grant-funded staff hired by the Center. After the first six months of operation, the ongoing maintenance will be done by Center staff.

This is WCE's first shipment to Afghanistan.