Frequently Asked Questions

Company FAQs

Yes, Camara is regulated and accredited by the following:

  • • Camara Education Inc is a registered 501(c)3 organisation (EIN 383804011) in the USA.
  • • Camara Education UK Limited is registered with the Charities Commission (1135540) in England.
  • • Camara Education CLG is registered with the Charities Regulator (RCN 20062088) in Ireland.

Camara provides social and environmental impact reporting that can be incorporated into your end of year sustainability report. We also produce our own annual impact report.

Camara is fully compliant with all UK, EU and US Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), Data Protection (including GDPR) and Hazardous Waste regulations. Process audits are performed to ensure complete compliance.

Camara works with schools and education authorities in Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Tanzania and Zambia.

IT Disposal FAQs

Yes, most definitely! We have been working with some of our blue-chip IT donors for over fifteen years. Our partners use the latest Blancco erasure systems to wipe each drive three times before certifying it 100% erased. Disks or drives that cannot be successfully wiped for any reason – or on request – are shredded. We can also offer on-site erasure and destruction services. Once your data has been erased or destroyed, you will receive a certificate of erasure or destruction, along with a full audit. Our ITAD disposal partners are fully ISO 27001 or US DLA Logistics Information Service compliant.

Our ITAD partners operate to the highest level of compliance, and adhere to all local, regional and global environmental regulations. In particular all have ISOs 9001 Quality Management and 14001 Environmental Management, along with ISO 27001 Security Management or DLA Logistics Information Service certification for military-grade data destructon and transportation to US Department of Defense standards.

All collection vehicles are CCTV monitored and tracked, and your equipment is taken directly to our partners’ secure facilities. We will liaise over collection arrangements and any special requirements.

The most time-consuming part of the processing of your hardware is the data wipe. Each data device is completely rewritten, using the latest Blancco software. The speed of this process is determined by the write speed of the data devices. For larger hard disks this process can take up to 30 hours per device. Our ITAD partners can wipe dozens of devices simultaneously, but it remains a time-consuming part of the process.

The whole process, including pick-up, quarantine period, registration, physical check, data wipe and reporting takes around 21 days.

Yes, for donations of multiple items. We collect IT equipment from businesses and organisations of all sizes. If you require your equipment to be collected please let us know using our enquiry form.

We can help you to save money on your e-waste management costs. The cost will depend on where you are and what equipment you have, but we are always competitive.

The value that you may be able to claim as a charitable donation for your hardware is determined by its age and specifications. Based on the initial inventory form provided by you, we will make an estimation of the value beforehand. The final value of the hardware is determined during processing.

Yes. We have over 15 years expertise in IT asset management, including data destruction, computer refurbishment, reuse and recycling and can meet any of your specific requirements. We can also offer a complete solution including unplugging and de-racking servers and networking equipment safely and securely using highly qualified technicians.

No. We can achieve far more impact by using donated hardware to fund the purchase of appropriate, identical refurbished PCs to send to Africa. On receiving your equipment it will be assessed for reuse. Suitable items will be refurbished and sold to generate funds to support our projects. Any items that cannot be reused will be recycled at an authorised WEEE recycling facility.

All ICT equipment eventually reaches the end of its usable life and will need to be disposed of properly without causing harm to the environment. Camara Education strives to become an innovative leader in e-waste management by creating a closed loop system for all e-waste generated through our projects. We have therefore partnered with licensed local partners to ensure proper disposal of all end-of-life equipment that ensures proper recycling and collection of all e-waste from schools in Africa.

We recognise the need to protect the natural environment and keep our environment clean and unpolluted to benefit all. Our aim is to avoid waste altogether by re-using IT equipment that organisations are disposing of. However, there are times when equipment becomes faulty beyond economical repair. In these cases our partners worldwide follow best practice when disposing of waste and recycle whenever possible with an aim to achieve zero landfill. Our ITAD partners operate Environmental Management Systems that have been certificated to ISO 14001.

Yes, we provide social and environmental impact reporting that can be incorporated into your end of year sustainability report. We also produce our own annual impact report.

Please see below for more detail on the IT equipment that we accept.

Computers

  • Desktop PCs
  • Laptops with their chargers
  • Tablets / iPads with their chargers
  • Smartphones with their chargers ( icloud unlocked)

Computer Parts and Spares

  • Hard Drives
  • RAM
  • Micro USB Chargers & Cables

Accessories

  • Monitors and Cables (VGA / HDMI)
  • Switches
  • Keyboards & Mice
  • Headphones
  • Projectors
  • Digital Cameras
  • Power Cables
  • Surge Protectors / Extension Leads
  • Cat5e Cable (and above)
  • Laptop Locks
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