Computers are an everyday way of life for most adults and children in the western world but for people in developing countries they are only just being plugged in. Echo reporter Tom Husband investigates...

THE pace of technology can render a computer worthless after just a few years in this country but in the developing world they remain priceless.

Pupils in rural Nicaragua were in awe when a Hampshire voluntary organisation supplied them with a PC rescued from the refuse tip.

They took to Microsoft Word like ducks to water after learning to type on their school's mechanical typewriter.

Back in the city the kids were all pros by now, already owning eight computers. They showed off their poster-making skills with Power-Point.

As Southampton volunteer David Smith left them to it, he glanced back to find their gaming ability was going great guns as well.

Three million computers are thrown away or put into permanent storage every year in the UK.

Southampton Computer Aid recycle as many of these wasted contraptions as they can before giving them homes in the developing world where they are desperately needed.

After processing, a 20-minute task involving removal of data from the hard drive followed by the reinstallation of a basic operating program, the computers are shipped by container.

Curious about where they were all going, David decided to follow a couple to their destination in Nicaragua.

Arriving in the capital Managua, his first task was to give a workshop to fellow technicians Coca, Julio and Gabriel at the trade union school where they work.

Here locals can take computer courses infinitely cheaper than they are offered by the private sector.

The trio do a lot of work elsewhere in the community as well, setting up and looking after PCs wherever they can.

"They were just as competent with the computers as me," said David, "but they were working with old software."

Old software is not the only problem - the environment is very important to maximise life span of the machines.

In San Marcos, the location of the urban school, the surroundings have been tailored for just this reason.

Metal bars over the windows of their IT room prevent theft. Grass has been grown outside to reduce the amount of dust in the air which would otherwise be fatal for the electronic equipment inside.

Inside, a fan circulates air to keep the computers cool, two of which are out of action owing to the lack of power stabilisers.

These are the conditions necessary to ensure the PCs stay working. In this room, used on Saturdays by teachers from neighbouring schools without such facilities, the environment is near perfect.

Down the road in nearby rural Dulce Nombre de Jess it is a very different story.

Here, the children had never even seen a computer before so it should not be a surprise that their facilities when compared to their city cousins are sadly lacking.

Besides the lack of stabilising equipment and measures to prevent burglary or dust erosion, a wasps' nest lurked behind a partition in their soon-to-be IT lounge.

If staff cannot make the necessary renovations there is little point supplying them with further PCs, even though they would be so gratefully received.

In the future, Computer Aid would like to set up an office in Nicaragua to ensure good homes for recycled contributions.

But at the moment they have their hands full in England processing a huge volume of cast offs.

"We're fairly sure the source of PCs isn't the problem," says David.

"Head office has more computers than they can process so they've asked us to look for bigger premises.

The Southampton arm of the London-based national organisation currently operates out of two garages and a spare bedroom.

"It's still in the embryonic stages but it's got quite a bit of potential. It's a situation that's been evolving as it goes along.

"With a bit of financial support from London we could get people working in a more productive way." says David.

"And if we have more support we can improve it here in order to deliver better out there as well."

Even with bigger premises there is still a need for more volunteers.

Anyone with even a small amount of computer experience is welcome to join Southampton Computer Aid.

"It's technical but not that technical. If you want to do it you can," says David.

"I could do a computer in 20 minutes, it's a case of imparting the knowledge."

"The basic thing about a computer it that it's stupid. It'll do whatever you tell it to whether it's right or wrong. You just have to tell it to do the right thing.

"We would hope for people who identify with this example and would bring with them a willingness to learn.

"Any time they could offer would be welcome - just a couple of hours a week would be a great help."

David's final advice is: "Donors donate, supporters volunteer, and volunteers, why not pick one of your PCs and follow it to its destination."

Computer Aid baby is growing up

DAVID, a computer technician in the physics department of Southampton University, has been doing voluntary work since he joined the anti-apartheid movement.

He became involved with Computer Aid when he was working for Cuban Solidarity which was in the same building in London.

Nicaraguan Solidarity also had offices there which was how he met organiser Graham Nicholson.

Graham, who is married to a Nicaraguan, was just moving home to England so the two decided to set up the Southampton arm in 1998.

"I found a charity that I can help where I've technical expertise but I don't have to organise it, that's the attraction of it," says David of their working arrangement.

Now the organisational responsibilities have been taken over by Graham Cleaver. And the drive for new volunteers is top priority.