Every year, Clara Gregori collects discarded laptops from friends, family, and local businesses in Catalonia, Spain, packs them into a suitcase, and travels to Senegal. There, these refurbished computers are given a second life, helping students in need. This time, she set out with a suitcase full of repurposed gear to establish a solar-powered computer lab in the savannah.
Why Repairability Matters More in Senegal
While repairability is important everywhere, it becomes essential in places like Senegal, where access to new devices and repair services is limited. A MacBook with a failed SSD or RAM glitch is practically useless in such conditions. Moreover, dusty environments can shorten a computer’s lifespan if it cannot be easily opened for cleaning.
This initiative is part of the PUSA Foundation, a small NGO working on educational and infrastructure projects in and around Mbackombe village, Senegal. Their projects include building schools, digging wells, and promoting girls’ education.
A New Computer Lab in the Savannah
Previously, Clara refurbished laptops, tablets, and phones for a student residence in Mbour, enabling university students to own computers instead of relying on outdated university labs. However, this year, she set up a new computer lab in the Ecole Privée Laïque de Mbackombel, a school in the savannah. The lab is powered by solar panels, which ensure year-round operation except during the rainy season from July to September.
Former student Ibou, along with teacher Djibril, will manage the lab, ensuring the computers remain functional and accessible to students.
The Challenges of Refurbishing Old Laptops
Refurbishing laptops for Senegal presents unique challenges. Simply installing Linux to make them run faster isn’t enough—students need Windows to prepare for the business world. The donated HP laptops, mostly outdated models with 4GB RAM, needed upgrades. Clara and her partner Xavi salvaged RAM from other devices to boost some machines to 8GB. iFixit also donated RAM and Pro Tech Toolkits for repairs.
Why laptops? Their built-in batteries act as backup power sources in case of electricity fluctuations, which are common in rural areas. Even a ten-minute battery backup can make a significant difference in maintaining an uninterrupted learning experience.
Standardized Power Supplies: A Crucial Need
Older laptops often require specific power adapters, making replacements difficult and expensive. Modern devices support USB-C charging, a standardization that could greatly benefit initiatives like this. A universal charging standard would ensure that a missing or broken adapter does not render a laptop useless.
Maintaining Computers in a Harsh Environment
One of the most frequent repairs involves cleaning the fans clogged with dust from the savannah. Some laptops have easy-access hatches for cleaning, but others require near-complete disassembly, making the process riskier and more time-consuming.
Sustainable Learning Solutions
Instead of giving each student a USB stick for saving files—an easy-to-lose solution—the lab is designed for modular courses, where students can use any available computer to continue their work seamlessly.
Additionally, when a laptop becomes too slow or outdated for academic use, it gets a third life. By installing Linux, these machines are repurposed for use in homes and small businesses, extending their lifespan further.
The Bigger Picture
This project exemplifies why repairable, standardized technology is essential. Efforts like the EU’s push for universal USB-C charging ensure that devices last longer and stay in use where they are needed most. By making devices repairable and adaptable, we reduce e-waste and provide critical resources to students who would otherwise have no access to computers.
Through initiatives like this, discarded technology is transformed into a tool for education and empowerment in underserved communities.
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