From e-waste to empowerment
How a Rotary initiative turns old computers into new opportunities
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Millions of children around the world lack access to digital tools for learning. At the same time, millions of electronic devices end up as waste every year. But in southern Taiwan, a broken computer is no longer at the end of its life. Thanks to a Rotary-led project, it can become part of someone’s future.
Middle school students at Shoushan Middle School in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, guided by Rotarians and university volunteers from National Sun Yat-sen University, refurbish used computers.
The initiative, called Digital Waste to Digital Hope, addresses the dual challenges of e-waste and digital inequality. Guided by university mentors and teachers, students at Shoushan Middle School in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, disassemble, clean, repair, and reassemble used computers. The refurbished machines are then donated to elementary school students in rural areas, many of whom have never had a device in their homes.
“In Taiwan, like in many countries, electronics are being discarded at an alarming rate,” says Jackie Shih, a member of the Rotary Club of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. “This project tackles that waste while empowering our youth to take action through knowledge and service.”
The program is funded by a Rotary Foundation global grant and sponsored by the Rotary Club of Pingtung Feng-Huang, 11 other Taiwanese clubs, a Korean club, and National Sun Yat-sen University in Sizihwan, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Hands-on learning is at the heart of the program.
“I learned how to clean the CPU and install memory sticks,” said Kyuri Park, one of the student refurbishers. “I now understand that the Earth’s resources aren’t infinite. Every repair we do helps protect the planet, and it helps someone else.”
The project has fixed up and delivered more than 100 computers. For students like Jojo, who received a refurbished computer, the impact is tangible.
“I remember being nervous when we first brought it home,” she says. “It became the center of our home. I use it to study and play games, my sister uses it for homework, and my parents use it to watch videos.”
Elementary and middle school teachers receive training from professors in the Department of Information Management at National Sun Yat-sen University on how to use an educational board game focused on e-waste and environmental protection.
The global grant funded two dedicated labs, the “Zero Waste Aesthetic Lab” and the “Clean Creation Workshop,” where the students work on the computers and learn about environmental issues. Rotary members have helped secure donations, transported equipment, mentored participants, and celebrated each delivery alongside the students. The project also engages community partners, including local businesses and government offices, which donate used equipment and provide ongoing support.
“Rotary members showed up at schools, at repair labs, and at community events,” Shih says. “We were teachers, mentors, and collaborators. We got our hands dirty. We helped bridge the digital divide with compassion and action.”
The project has already led to a measurable reduction in e-waste, with an estimated carbon savings of around 53,000 pounds. But the long-term impact lies in the self-renewing system it has created. Every new school year brings a new wave of students. Those students then pass on the knowledge they gain, ensuring the project’s sustainability.
“It’s an ecosystem,” Shih says. “From teachers to tech experts, from students to donors, everyone has a role. Every child who learns how to fix a computer today may become tomorrow’s innovator, educator, or changemaker.”
Buoyed by the success of the pilot phase, the team is now looking to expand. The goal is to introduce the program in more schools across southern Taiwan and increase the number of computers refurbished and donated each year.
“We designed this program to be replicated,” Shih says. “Any school anywhere can take this idea. Our hope is that more communities will make this model their own, growing a network of repairers, learners, and changemakers.”
Learn more about how Rotary members are finding solutions to the environmental challenge of e-waste.
— June 2025