Microsoft, UN kickstart "Uganda Green Computer Company"

Microsoft has worked with the U.N. to help create the "Uganda Green Computer Company," a firm in the capital city of Kampala. The company takes older PCs donated by American companies, freshens them up inside and out, and then sells them to small businesses like dress makers and coffee farmers. Prices start at around $175 which seems a little expensive, but that's a third of the price of a new PC in Uganda. (It also comes with Windows instead of a free operating system, which probably adds to the cost since the press release doesn't refer to any Windows licenses being donated.)

In all this is a good thing, preventing older computers that still have lots of life left from being junked, while putting computers that have warranties, support, and training into the hands of those who might not otherwise be able to afford them. The Uganda Green Computer Company will even accept the PCs back at the end of their lifecycle for recycling.

Press Release [Microsoft]

Image: The Funk Lab (Different project, same country!)