Gavin Dixon, CEO of BITS. Image: BITS
If you have an old laptop or tablet, you can consider donating it to displaced Ukrainians through BITS or Tech Link Ukraine.
Kilkenny-based Business IT Solutions (BITS) has teamed up with a local non-profit organisation to provide technology to Ukrainians who have come to Ireland.
BITS is working with community development group Kilkenny Leader Partnership (KLP) to give Ukrainians fleeing war the tools to stay in touch with their families, do work, and attend school or college here in Ireland.
For the past few weeks, BITS has been reaching out to its network of clients and the wider community asking people to donate old laptops and tablets that they no longer use but are in good working order.
BITS is ensuring that any tech donated is securely cleared of any data. The company is refurbishing the donated devices and setting them up for use by their new Ukrainian owners.
“Like everyone, our team in BITS felt helpless when Ukrainian families began to arrive in Ireland several weeks ago,” said Gavin Dixon, CEO of BITS.
“We wanted to do something to help. We got together as a team, reached out to Leader and to our clients all over Ireland and are anxious to make a difference.”
Any laptops and tablets to be donated can be dropped off at the BITS office in The Smithlands Centre in Loughboy, Co Kilkenny. Once a device has been refurbished, KLP takes it from BITS and ensures that it gets into the right hands for best use.
“All we ask is that anyone donating signs a short form to confirm that they’re donating the laptop and that all data can be erased. That’s it. We’ll look after the rest,” Dixon said.
The managed IT services company is not the only tech group seeking donations of devices for Ukrainians. Tech Link Ukraine, a jobs resource group for tech workers affected by the war in Ukraine, is also on the lookout.
The group’s co-founder, Neill Dunwoody, spoke to SiliconRepublic.com in March about his team’s work to connect displaced people with job opportunities and careers resources in tech.
Dunwoody also spoke as part of a panel of people involved in tech in Ukraine during Future Human 2022 earlier this month. He and Tech Link Ukraine made a call for people to donate tablets to displaced Ukrainian children so they can continue their education in Ireland.
More information can be found on Tech Link Ukraine’s website.
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