UAE launches campaign to collect second-hand electronic devices for needy students

DUBAI, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched a campaign to collect 10,000 second-hand electronic devices for needy students, the official news agency WAM reported Wednesday.

The campaign, titled "Donate Your Own Device," was initiated by UAE's Digital School project, in collaboration with the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), said the report.

The collected devices, after being refurbished and recycled, will be offered to needy students worldwide, guaranteeing them access to education with digital means, it added.

The campaign called on individuals and organizations to actively engage in this educational, humanitarian, and environmental initiative by contributing either used electronics or providing financial donations.

By launching such campaigns, the Digital School aims to establish a modern education system that meets the need of refugee students and other underprivileged students who face obstacles to continuing education, said the WAM, citing Hammoud Abdullah Al Junaibi, the acting secretary-general of the ERC.

Noting around 50 million metric tons of e-waste are produced annually worldwide, Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, the county's minister of state for artificial intelligence, digital economy, and remote work applications, expected the campaign to play a more vital role in addressing e-waste and environmental challenges.

The Digital School, launched by Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in November 2020, is tasked with providing needy students with digital learning opportunities.

The school has served more than 60,000 students from eight countries, including Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Mauritania, Lebanon, Colombia, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. It has also successfully trained more than 1,500 digital teachers and provided courses in Arabic, English, French, and Spanish.