Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life-cycle thinking
Free computers
Free computers for all
Donate a Computer collects used computers, repairing them and donating them to vulnerable citizens. So far we have collected over 5000 used computers and lap tops. We have repaired 3350 and send them for free all across North Macedonia in families that cannot afford to buy. Also we have equipped 70 school cabinets with it equipment. One of our biggest donor is the Delegation of the European union in Skopje!
North Macedonia
National
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Early concept
No
No
As a representative of an organisation
The start of the COVID-19 pandemic in North Macedonia (March, 2020), has led to a series of restrictive governmental measures, implemented with a purpose to contain the spread of the disease and mitigate the health risks for citizens. As a result, twenty thousand pupils and students from socially vulnerable categories were suddenly placed in a disadvantaged position. Faced with a lack of proper infrastructure, with no internet or adequate computers, young people were cut from their social and school surroundings, and left with no opportunity to keep pace with their peers or continue their education. “Donate a computer” initiative was established in 2016 by Borce Stamenov, and tailored to help the most vulnerable categories: the poor (low-income households with unemployed individuals), the minors (school-aged children) and various minority groups (socially and ethnically underrepresented people). The initiative gained momentum during the pandemic, marking a twelve-fold increase over a two-year period (from 100 computers in 2016-2019 to nearly 4000 computers in 2020-2024) and becoming a movement of sorts (that quickly spread across the country). Supported by a wide number of citizens and companies, it grew into a solidarity action and a corrective force of the government, compensating for the lack of educational resources. The action consists of donating refurbished computers to people in need and no proper resources. It is a transparent initiative that unfolds in front of the public eye via six simple steps that are repeated on a frequent basis and disseminated via the largest social networks under the hashtag #donirajkompjuter (translated as “Donate a computer”).
Donation
Computers
Digital Inclusion
Education
Green initiative
The facilitated rhythm of work created a need for efficient management and organization of all ongoing activities. In addition to technical tasks (e.g., repairing and restoring computers), the range of activities included various administrative duties: registering demands from various corners of the country, filing proof of unemployment and other evidence that would satisfy criteria for acquiring refurbished computers, creating priority lists, contacting people and companies that offered donations, archiving finalized donations. To secure long-term sustainability and endurance of his initiative, Mr. Stamenov founded a non-profit and non-governmental organisation in September, 2021. The organization kept the original name and the initial cause to help improve the life and health of the people in need. “Donate a computer” is an organization that is mostly supported by voluntary donations: computers, information technology (IT) equipment or financial means for such amenities. The list of benefactors and supporters is very long, and extends to include private citizens and official representatives from the business, industrial, governmental and the non-governmental sector. The current network of partners consists of brands and entities with longstanding tradition and international recognition: banks and insurance companies, private organization and public faculties, domestic humanitarian organization and foreign embassies, governmental bodies and representatives.
The initiative bears long-term benefits for many prospective generations of pupils and students in North Macedonia, protecting their physical health, improving their emotional wellbeing (socialization with peers), and promoting their cognitive capacities (vie online education and enhanced digital literacy). Beyond the national borders, the initiative is gaining regional and international support and recognition from many important organizations.
At the beginning, Mr. Stamenov invested all his time, efforts and skills to push the initiative forward. However, he was often perceived as a solitary hero and a quixotic individual, set on an impossible quest to correct the shortcomings of the educational system during the COVID-19 crisis. Soon enough, his tireless enthusiasm and the endless will, became ‘infectious’ for the community and started attracting large followership across social networks. This served as an additional motivation for Mr. Stamenov, to try and increase the work output by inviting a handful of volunteers to help in his humanitarian mission. Hence, what started as a solitary action, soon became a national solidarity action, spanning across the eight statistical regions in North Macedonia, covering most of the larger cities and the smaller towns, and extending over half of the population in the country. As for now, Donate a Computer counts as many as 50 volunteers lead by young people Zhivko Kocev and Dragan Rizov.
The nationwide initiative for donating refurbished computers expanded across the eight statistical regions in North Macedonia, covering most of the larger cities and the smaller towns, and extending over half of the population in the country. “Donate a computer” is a non-profit initiative with practically zero gains or expenses. It is a result of the voluntary work and enthusiasm of Borce Stamenov, Dragan Rizov, Zivko Kocev and support of citizens. Mr. Stamenov envisioned, initiated and developed the initiative, and acts in the capacity of a contact person (who receives computer donations or inquiries), a computer expert (who assembles fully functional computers from old and dysfunctional units), and a delivery person (who makes sure the computers reach their end-destination) within the framework of this project. In essence, he is a planner, manager, restorator and deliverer of refurbished computers, setting a positive example and attracting a wide base of supporters across social networks and different communities.
Here is one example to show engagement form different stakeholders: We got contacted by the EU Delegation in Skopje, who were renewing their computer and other IT equipment, and had heard about this initiative from the social media and news articles. The EU was willing to provide us with around 140 computers and IT equipment. This was marvelous and one of the biggest donation that we have received so far. And we have many examples to share!
The initiative is mostly supported by voluntary donations (i.e., computers, IT equipment, or financial means for such amenities) from individuals or companies. The list of supporters includes: private citizens, legal entities from the business sector, non-governmental institutions and humanitarian organizations and governmental representatives including the President of North Macedonia and ex EU Ambassador Mr. David Geer. In terms of companies with big roles, we have Neptun stores which serve as our drop-off locations where people can leave their old IT equipment with more than 50 stores. We have Dadi Kompani as our sponsor for refueling our vehicle and Eko logostic services who deliver our donations free of charge.
Unlike mainstream e-waste recycling or digital inclusion initiatives, Donate a Computer introduces an innovative, scalable, and sustainable approach that maximizes the value of used technology while directly benefiting those in need. Here’s what makes it stand out:
1. Circular Economy Approach
2. Cost-Effective & Scalable
3. Bridging the Digital Divide with Open-Source Technology
4. Community-Driven & Volunteer-Based
5. Tailored for Local Needs
6. Social Impact Beyond Hardware
1. Circular Economy Approach
2. Cost-Effective & Scalable
3. Bridging the Digital Divide with Open-Source Technology
4. Community-Driven & Volunteer-Based
5. Tailored for Local Needs
6. Social Impact Beyond Hardware
1. Public calls for collection of broken, old or spare (parts of) computers are posted online.
2. The donated computers are repaired, restored and transformed into functional units.
3. A public announcement for donation of usable computers is posted on social media.
4. A priority list for donations is created and computers assigned to families in urgent need.
5. A delivery of the refurbished computers is organized and efficiently executed.
6. The remaining electronic waste is disposed in a safe and ecological manner through a company that deals with e-waste (Zero waste)
2. The donated computers are repaired, restored and transformed into functional units.
3. A public announcement for donation of usable computers is posted on social media.
4. A priority list for donations is created and computers assigned to families in urgent need.
5. A delivery of the refurbished computers is organized and efficiently executed.
6. The remaining electronic waste is disposed in a safe and ecological manner through a company that deals with e-waste (Zero waste)
The Donate a Computer initiative has several key elements that can be replicated or transferred to other locations, groups of beneficiaries, and contexts. These include:
1. Methodology & Process:
• A structured approach to collecting, refurbishing, and distributing used computers.
• Partnerships with businesses, institutions, and individuals to source donated devices.
• A transparent system for assessing, repairing, and ensuring the functionality of the donated computers.
2. Technology & Tools:
• Use of open-source software to refurbish older computers, making them useful for education and work.
• Implementation of lightweight operating systems and cloud-based solutions to maximize performance.
3. Target Beneficiaries & Adaptability:
• While our focus has been on socially endangered families, this model can be adapted to support schools, NGOs, refugee communities, or even small businesses in underserved areas.
• The same approach can be applied to other types of digital devices like smartphones or tablets.
4. Community Engagement & Awareness:
• Public awareness campaigns to encourage responsible e-waste management and promote digital inclusion.
• Volunteer involvement for technical support and mentorship.
5. Learnings & Best Practices:
• The importance of clear logistics for collection and distribution.
• Building strong partnerships with local governments, businesses, and NGOs to ensure long-term sustainability.
• Continuous monitoring and feedback from beneficiaries to improve the program.
This model can be adapted to different countries or communities with modifications based on local needs, infrastructure, and available resources.
1. Methodology & Process:
• A structured approach to collecting, refurbishing, and distributing used computers.
• Partnerships with businesses, institutions, and individuals to source donated devices.
• A transparent system for assessing, repairing, and ensuring the functionality of the donated computers.
2. Technology & Tools:
• Use of open-source software to refurbish older computers, making them useful for education and work.
• Implementation of lightweight operating systems and cloud-based solutions to maximize performance.
3. Target Beneficiaries & Adaptability:
• While our focus has been on socially endangered families, this model can be adapted to support schools, NGOs, refugee communities, or even small businesses in underserved areas.
• The same approach can be applied to other types of digital devices like smartphones or tablets.
4. Community Engagement & Awareness:
• Public awareness campaigns to encourage responsible e-waste management and promote digital inclusion.
• Volunteer involvement for technical support and mentorship.
5. Learnings & Best Practices:
• The importance of clear logistics for collection and distribution.
• Building strong partnerships with local governments, businesses, and NGOs to ensure long-term sustainability.
• Continuous monitoring and feedback from beneficiaries to improve the program.
This model can be adapted to different countries or communities with modifications based on local needs, infrastructure, and available resources.
By collecting and selecting IT waste we have also successfully created a network of so called green initiative. All the computers that are no longer operational are been handed to company that deals with IT waste. So in a way we are addressing one of the biggest problem of today, pollution.
This is the plan for the following year:
- Online posting of public calls for collection of broken, old or spare (parts of) computers;
- Repairing, restoring and transforming donated computers into functional units;
- Online posting of public announcements for donation of usable computers to people in need;
- Creating priority lists for most urgent donations of computers;
- Managing and coordinating a timely delivery of the refurbished computers;
- Safe and ecological disposal of the remaining electronic waste.
- Promotion on all social media platforms.
- Online posting of public calls for collection of broken, old or spare (parts of) computers;
- Repairing, restoring and transforming donated computers into functional units;
- Online posting of public announcements for donation of usable computers to people in need;
- Creating priority lists for most urgent donations of computers;
- Managing and coordinating a timely delivery of the refurbished computers;
- Safe and ecological disposal of the remaining electronic waste.
- Promotion on all social media platforms.
