BSI, the British Standards Institution, is a national standards body in the UK, producing standards for products, services, and certification standards for businesses and personnel.

As part of our collaboration with BSI, we would supply laptops directly to selected beneficiaries in 7 locations across South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria, with the aim being to enhance their productivity and prospects in education or employment.

Identifying the Need

Supplying the laptops through Computer Aid’s network of Solar Community Hubs (SCHs) was the most logical approach, since the SCHs already have a network of beneficiaries in need of support and the respective hubs were able to shortlist young beneficiaries.

Our criteria for selection were youth and young people who were hard-working and dedicated, with no prior access to a laptop and no alternative means of getting one. This ensured that the project would serve those most in need but also most likely to benefit. This included a range of beneficiaries such as secondary school students, university students, entrepreneurs, and young people seeking employment.

The Rollout of Laptop Devices

The laptops were supplied to the following locations through our network of Solar Community Hubs:

South Africa: Mamaila, Mankosi, Nxarhuni, Xitlhelani

Kenya: Kajiado, Malindi

Nigeria: Surulere

In total, 140 laptops were distributed and each location received 20 laptops.

Once the selected beneficiaries had received their laptops, they completed a baseline survey to help us understand their previous exposure to digital technologies, their goals, any concerns, and how they intended to use the laptop.

The survey found that the majority of recipients had not attended university and were currently educated up to secondary school level. Most were seeking educational development and greater career opportunities.

Recipients were also keenest to use their devices for emailing, coding, word processing, spreadsheets, and learning about image and video editing.

One student, Oluwadurotimi David Okonkwo, an 18-Year-Old Secondary School Student in Surulere, Nigeria said the following:

“As someone who’s already started coding, having a laptop will be crucial for me to continue and expand my skills. I had to pause my coding because I lacked a personal computer to practice on. With this laptop, I can dive back into coding, work on projects, and even contribute to tech communities. This will help me become well-rounded and versatile in the Nigerian workforce.”

Long Term Goals and Next Steps

The next steps for the BSI project include supplying a further 20 laptops across each location, expanding to new locations including Tanzania, conducting endline surveys to understand how the laptops are benefitting the recipients, and offering students formal training, assessment and certification in the ICDL Computer & Online Essentials module.

This certification will offer beneficiaries a competitive advantage in jobs which require digital skills and is a key aspect of the collaboration with BSI given their expertise in certification standards.

Projects like these are made possible through the support of corporate partners. Get in touch with Computer Aid if you are interested in supporting a project like this.