Close the Gap is an international non-profit that helps bridge the digital divide by donating used computers to projects in developing countries that have social value in areas like education, health, and microfinance. It collects donations of hardware from Europe, refurbishes the equipment, and ships it to partners in developing countries for installation and support. It also manages an e-waste recycling project in Kenya to responsibly dispose of end-of-life equipment. Close the Gap works with various partners and seeks both individual and corporate donors and strategic partners to further its mission.

1. Close the Gap
Bridging the digital divide
Jean-François Soupizet,
Counselor @ Close the Gap

2. Agenda
1. Introduction
2. Activities in Europe
3. Activities in developing countries
4. WorldPC
5. How to contribute?

3. 1. INTRODUCTION
- The Millennium Development Goals
- The digital divide
- Mission
- Key facts and figures
- Board of recommendation

4. The Millennium Development Goals
• Context
In September 2000, the world leaders adopted the
United Nations Millennium Declaration.
• Objective:
To reduce extreme poverty and setting out a series of
time-bound targets.
Deadline: 2015

5. The Millennium Development Goals
MDG 8 – Target 5:
In cooperation with the private sector, make available benefits of new
technologies, especially information and communications.

6. The digital divide
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can be
used to achieve the MDGs
BUT
a lot of people don’t have access to ICT.

7. Mission
Close the Gap is an international organisation that
helps bridging the digital divide
by giving used computers a second life.

8. Key facts & figures
Since the start of Close the Gap (2003):
– More than 200,000 assets donated – 50,000 in 2011
– 70,000 computers implemented in projects
– More than 700 projects...
– in 40 countries

9. Board of recommendation
- Archbishop em. Desmond M. TUTU - Noble peace price 1984
- Count Jacques ROGGE - President International Olympic Committee
- Prof. h.c. Dr. Harold E. ROBLES - Founder & President Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI)
- Viscount Etienne DAVIGNON - Vice Chairman Suez – Tractebel – Former Vice-President of the EU Commission
- Mr. François-Xavier de DONNEA - Minister of State in Belgium
- Prof. Dr. Marc DESPONTIN - Professor at Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- Mr. Dieter FRISCH - Former Director General Development at the EU-Commission
- Mrs. M.M.F. HEIJN EVERWIJN LANGE - Ambassador D.G.O & Amsterdam Dinner and Ambassador Stop Aids Now!
- Mrs. Corinne LEPAGE - Member of European Parliament - Former Minister of Environment, France - Partner at Law firm Cabinet Huglo
Lepage Associés
- Prof. Em. Dr. Silvain LOCCUFIER - Honorary Rector of Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- Baron Dr. Peter PIOT - Chairman King Baudouin Foundation and Former Executive Director of UNAIDS
- Prof. Dr. Jan PRONK - Former Minister of Development in the Netherlands - Former Deputy Secretary General United Nations - Former
Special UN envoy for Sudan
- Mrs. Sylviane TOPORKOFF - Founder and Partner at Items International, Founder and President of Global Forum, Lecturer at Paris VIII
University (Dauphine)
- Prof. Dr. Frank VANDENBROUCKE - Former Minister of Education in Flanders, Belgium
- Mr. Tony VANDEPUTTE - Honorary Delegate Administrator at the Federation of Belgian Companies
- Baron Prof. Mr. Benjamin VAN CAMP - Pro-Rector and international affairs president at Vrije Universiteit Brussel

10. Close the Gap and the
United Nations
• United Nations Department of Public Information
(UN DPI)
– Member since June 2010
• United Nations Global Compact (UN GC)
– Signatory since December 2009
• United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and
Development (UN GAID)
– Participant since December 2009

11. 2. ACTIVITIES IN EUROPE
- Material donation
- Material reconditioning
- Supportive partners
- Transport

12. Material donation
Hardware donation:
– Desktops
– Laptops
– Screens
– Printers
 Minimum standards matching
the needs
 Minimum 30 computers

13. Material reconditioning
The donors receive certified documents:
– Status report of the donation (including material
quality)
– Certificate of destruction (if needed)
– Data wipe certificate (Blancco)
– Donation report

14. Supportive partners
Close the Gap collaborates with North-based
supportive partners who provide:
– training
– educational software
– content

15. Our supportive Partners in 2012

16. Transport
The computers are transported by
air or sea
– Smaller orders:
• air transport
– Bigger orders:
• container sea freight
– Partnerships
• KLM CARGO
• other NGO’s

17. 3. ACTIVITIES
IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
- Selection criteria
- Type of projects
- We provide more than hardware
- Service partners
- Follow up

18. Type of projects
• What?
– Educational projects
– Microfinance projects
– Health projects
– Medical institutions
– Social projects
– Good governance institutes
– Cultural organisations
• Where?
– Developing and emerging countries

19. We provide more than hardware
Close the Gap gives the possibility to receive:
– Software
– Networking systems
– Printers/Photocopiers
– Guarantee

20. Service Partners
Close the Gap collaborates with south-based
service partners who support projects in terms of
local
– transport
– installation
– training
– maintenance
– take-back of end-of-life assets.

21. Our Service Partners
in 2012
Upsilon
- Computers for Schools Uganda
- Schoolnet Uganda
- Uconnect
Great Lakes Initiatives for
Computers For Education Communities Empowerment
and Development
Computers for Schools
Kenya
Education Science Experience
PromoTic
Benelux Afro Center
- Affordable Computers and
Technology for Tanzania
- ViAfrica
World Links Zimbabwe
Belgian campus

22. Selection criteria
• No commercial project
• Only projects with social added value
• Only request driven (where computers are
needed)
• Only organisations who have the necessary
capacities
(implementation, transport, maintenance, logis
tic, etc) or
• Organisations in touch with service partners

23. Follow-up
Throughout a strong project management:
– Monthly contacts
– Annual survey
– Evaluation

24. 4. WORLDPC

25. WorldPC: An E-waste project
• Mission:
– Taking care of the end-of -life of ICT’s that are sent to
developing countries
• How?
– Through an E-waste centre in Kenya (Pilot project)
inaugurated by European Commissioner Neelie Kroes
in Sept. 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5mLd4KVy1M

26. 5. HOW TO CONTRIBUTE ?
2 types of partnerships
- Friends of Close the Gap
- Strategic partners

27. Friends of Close the Gap
Computer donation only

28. Strategic partners
Computer donation
• Financial contribution: For corporations willing
to support Close the Gap in its mission and/or
• Project adoption: Tailor-made approach to
support a specific project and/or
• Philantropic contribution: In-kind for Close the
Gap development and/or
• E-waste contribution: 1 certificate (10€) for
1 recycled PC in Kenya

29. Our strategic partners in 2012

30. Thanks for your attention
“The importance of information technologies for educational
use cannot be underestimated. It gives developing countries the
opportunity to skip an entire generation of infrastructure by
going directly to internet technology.”
Archbishop Desmond Tutu

31. Questions?
Close the Gap: info@close-the-gap.org