The
Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the largest countries in
Africa, about the size of the U.S. east of the Mississippi. Congo is
a country rich in natural resources, but which have been exploited
to the advantage of a few, and to the neglect of the general
population. With the addition of years of war and economic
instability, Congo has some of the highest mortality rates in the
world (see "Conflict
in Congo Deadliest Since World War II, Says The IRC."
Congo also has a well defined
health care system of 515
health zones, one-third of which are
co-managed by Faith-Based Organizations. Each health zone
management terms providing health care for around 100,000 people.
Those teams are making tremendous efforts to promote good health and
prevent thousands of deaths each day through effective public health
prevention programs - vaccinations, water/sanitation, maternal child
health, malaria control, and HIV/AIDS prevention. Those teams also
work hard to report health statistics, maintain inventories of
medical supplies, develop training materials and provide transparent
financial accounting. However, handheld calculators and ink pens are
often the only tools they have for this laborious and time consuming
work. Desktop computers and laptops are simply unavailable, or there
is no electricity to power them. They are also too expensive for
most people (even used laptops). A government doctor in Congo is
paid about $100 per month.
I lived and worked in DR Congo
for almost 20 years (1973-1991), and helped to develop Congo's
current health zone
system. (Click here for my credentials). I am now based in the U.S.
working as an public health systems consultant for
Interchurch Medical Assistance and their programs in
program in Congo. I travel to Congo several times a year,
and usually take along a half dozen ThinkPads (usually purchased on eBay) to
sell (without profit) to Congolese colleagues. However, the demand for these
laptops is huge (like the country), and my resources are simply too limited
to satisfy the needs.
Laptops for Health is a donation program to make quality
used laptops (especially ThinkPads) available to health professionals throughout DR Congo.
I propose to concentrate, at least at the beginning, with the
distribution of ThinkPad T23 and T30
model laptops. However, the donation of any functional
Pentium III (or more) laptop is welcome.
Donations are managed in collaboration with
Interchurch Medical Assistance. I.M.A. is a fully registered
nonprofit corporation holding tax-exempt status under Section
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to I.M.A. are
deductible pursuant to provisions of Section 170 of the Internal
Revenue Code. I.M.A. has earned a 5-star efficiency rating from
Ministry Watch and a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, two
national charity watchdogs. For three consecutive years, for every
$1.00 given, more that $0.99 has gone directly to program costs.
Here is how you can help Laptops for Health:
A) Make an in-kind
donation of a fully functional laptop by following these
steps:
-
Complete the Online
Form to
send us a description of your functional laptop.
-
If
found acceptable, we will send you an email with instructions
about where to send your laptop.
-
Upon reception and inspection, I.M.A. issue you a tax deductible receipt
for your donation. This may take up to one month, since
these receipts are batch processed periodically.
-
Your laptop
will be shipped sent to Congo if it matches our current
specification. This could require
2-6 months. If your laptop model does not match those being
distributed it will be sold to support the operating costs
of this program, e.g., spare parts, software, new batteries, and shipping costs.
-
You will be
able to track the final destination of your donated laptop by its Serial Number.
- Note: It is your
responsibility as the donor to determine the Fair Market
Value (FMV) for your donation.
Click Here for
possible sources of information for
Fair Market Value.
B) If you don't have a
laptop to contribute, but like the concept, we can Purchase a
Laptop and send it to Congo on your behalf (unless you prefer
to remain anonymous). A ThinkPad T23 costs around $500 and a T30
costs $700 (depending on its
speed and features).
You will receive an acknowledgment of the full amount of your
cash donation from I.M.A.
Click Here to make a cash donation.
C) Finally, you can also Make a
Cash
Donation in any amount to support the work of this worthy program. There are modest costs for
rehabilitation of donated laptops, e.g., to replace worn out
batteries, or to replace/increase RAM. There are also costs involved for packaging, shipping, and
distribution within Congo. Cash donations of any amount are
welcome, and will be used for these purposes. You will receive
an acknowledgment of the full amount of your donation from I.M.A.
Click Here to make a cash donation.
Laptops For Health
is a program that not only transfers technology to a developing
country in great need, but also empowers and trains health
professionals of DR Congo to improve the health and well being
of their population. The Congolese are doing their part with the
limited resources that they have. You can help them save a few
more lives with your generous donation. Thanks!
Click Here to View an online
presentation of Laptops For Health
Or, you
can download the
presentation to view offline
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