So I just got off the phone with Becky Morrison, the founder of Globetops, an organization that receives your unused old laptop, cleans ’em up and sends them to social entrepreneurs in remote or technologically-deficient parts of the world. Maybe this sounds trivial, but as an active member of humanitarian organizations, I can tell you that it isn’t being done until someone is doing it. – And who better to start it, than a natural globe trotter.
It came quite naturally, I had a good friend in Guinea who asked that I bring him back a laptop next visit. At first I thought it was a little excessive, being that laptops can run hundreds of dollars, so I threw up a request for someones old laptop on facebook and within a few minutes had 10 responses. This is how Globetops was born.
– Becky Morrison
And lets face it, these days most “old laptops” are just laptops that you were too lazy to fix so instead you got a newer one. It would be a shame to keep such a powerful tool desolate in a shaded part of your home.
Over the last few years Becky has been creating friendships with grassroots, social entrepreneurs in Guinea, Nepal, India and even in her very own backyard of New York City. She finds people who have a real need for laptops, uploads their interviews, and donors choose which reality to help manifest.
Globetops doesn’t just serve to deliver these precious boxes of opportunity directly in the hands of those who need it most – helping them realize their dreams and passions. They also hold a moral responsibility to ensuring the system is harmonious and sustainable with our ecosystem. Globetops created Hubs in Guinea responsible for:
- Laptop Pickup
- Laptop Training
- Laptop Maintenance
- Laptop Recycling
Laptop Recycling is difficult but a priority for Globetops.
In 2012 the global recycling rate was still under 30%. There’s lots of room for improvements to be made, I’m going to start now! To begin considering the full experience of my purchases; first there’s a barter, then periods of use, then … we know what’s right.
Tools are essential, but without knowledge or experience, they are useless.
-Becky Morrison
The Wrap
So try to remember the first time you used a computer, and how it leapfrogged your ability to create, connect and learn. Extending this ability to our brothers and sisters, particularly the ones working for social and ecological development, will allow them to go beyond being sustainable. It will give them and their communities the opportunity to thrive.
Don’t let your old laptop collect dust, visit
(1) Facts_and_Figures_on_EWaste_and_Recycling
They’re not mine, but If you like my words, here.
#1Love #Jah