The DigiTruck Kenya
Supports IT Training and African Tech Entrepreneurs
THE SILICON SAVANNA TOUR & ARROW DIGITRUCK
What Is the DigiTruck?
The DigiTruck is a mobile, multi-functional IT lab powered by solar energy, able to reach remote areas and function without access to electricity.
GOAL #1
Teach digital literacy
to students, teachers, and
community members.
GOAL #2
Launch an e-waste awareness
campaign with workshops and
e-waste collection.
IT equipment inside the DigiTruck includes laptops, tablets, printers, routers, and flat-screen TV monitors, all provided by Arrow’s CSR program.
The flexibility in design enables the DigiTruck to be used as a mobile classroom, while doubling as a cyber cafe and e-waste collection unit.
The repurposed 40-foot shipping container is insulated against the heat. Double steel shutters and a locking door provide security.
Inside the DigiTruck is a fully-equipped classroom for teaching 18 students. Laptops refurbished by Arrow’s Value Recovery business give students hands-on experience in basic computer instruction and IT education.
Solar panels provide power so the DigiTruck can operate independent of the electrical grid.
Storage batteries provide two days of power.
A large LED screen enhances the learning experience, supported by 20 fully configured laptop computers, a printer, two routers, and two SSD disks.
Who’s Behind the DigiTruck?
Close the Gap and Arrow Electronics.
Close the Gap designed and constructed the DigiTruck, while Arrow Electronics funded its construction and equipment acquisition.
Close the Gap is an international social enterprise based in Brussels that aims to bridge the digital divide, delivering access to today’s technology to underserved regions. Since 2004, Close the Gap has
supported over 5,000 projects
in more than 50 countries.
Close the Gap and Arrow work with local non-profits to staff and program DigiTruck so it can serve entrepreneurs and students of all ages with training and certification on computer skills, business software training, and e-commerce education.
The Silicon Savanna
Tour & Arrow DigiTruck
Mission to Kenya: October 1–4, 2019
Support Africa’s growing tech ecosystem and entrepreneurship with digital resources
Empowering Africa’s booming tech scenes
Propelling Kenya into the digital age
Teach digital literacy to local students, teachers, entrepreneurs, and community members
Raising awareness about and collecting e-waste
Expose locals to the environmental and social challenges of e-waste
Bridging the
digital divide
Strengthen computer skills in vulnerable communities in the most rural regions
Launch an e-waste awareness campaign with workshops and e-waste collection
Local Supporters of the Silicon Savanna Tour
GEARBOX:
Supported by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, USAID, and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development
ANDELA
Building high-performing engineering teams with Africa’s top developers
Committed to environment conservation through the
efficient, safe, and conservative disposal of e-waste
WEEE Recycle Centre
United Nations Regional Headquarters
DigiTrucks in Africa and Their Positive Impact
In 2015, Close the Gap launched its first DigiTruck with Arrow. Presently, Close the Gap deploys seven DigiTrucks with the help of partners such as Analog Devices and various other sponsors. Arrow supports three of the units in Kenya, Tanzania, and Belgium.
IMPACT MADE IN 2003–2018
Educating for the Future
For more than a decade, Arrow has worked with Close the Gap to facilitate the donation of 857,000 refurbished computers to schools and clinics in developing countries, where they’re used by 3.2 million people. Much of the work is focused on East Africa, including Kenya.
Computer literacy is a requirement in the 21st century economy. Together, Arrow and Close the Gap are helping students and entrepreneurs in Kenya learn essential skills, develop new markets, and address social challenges with technology solutions.
857,000
5,700
2,500
857,000
Assets
Collected
5,700
Projects
Supported
2,500
Tonnes of E-Waste
Collected
3,220,000
Beneficiaries
What Is the
DigiTruck?
Bridging the digital divide
ANDELA:
Supported by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, USAID, and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development
Committed to environment conservation through the efficient, safe, and conservative disposal of e-waste
WEEE Recycle Centre:
UNITED NATIONS REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS
GEARBOX
Supported by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, USAID, and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development
Building high-performing engineering teams with Africa’s top developers