Subscribe to Our Monthly E-Newsletter
We had a lot of customers who, when they bought new equipment, they would leave the old one with us. That’s how the initiative “Donate a computer” was born.
Borche Stamenov is writing one of the most humane stories of today. The initiative “Donate a computer” was born because of his desire to ensure that everyone has a computer. His concept experienced incredible growth, with more and more people and companies donating their old computers to him, resulting in more children, young people, and vulnerable families receiving computers. So far, he has donated 3,000 computers, with his goals set much higher.
From a very young age, he wanted to work with computers, and by the third grade, he had already enrolled in a computer club.
The first commands that made my name scroll endlessly on the green-white screen were a wonder to me. That’s where the desire to work with computers and IT technology in general comes from. I attended the computer club for almost a year before it was discontinued, and I was quite successful. In high school, I was the one constantly around the only computer in the computer lab. When I finished high school, I worked in a local internet café during the summer. That was when I bought my first computer, on my own, in installments. The plan was university. Just as I enrolled in Computer Science and Pedagogy in Bitola, I got sick and had a very difficult brain surgery. It took me a long time to get back on track, so I left university education for better times – says Borche.
A few months after a long recovery, he got a job at the company where he still works today – “BIDAT Informatika.”
I started working as a graphic designer because I had previously attended a Photoshop course. But, as in every private company, the work tasks expanded depending on needs, and someone had to perform them. Our company is involved in creating accounting programs. At the same time, fiscal devices appeared, and we were representatives for Kavadarci and the Tikvesh region, so I quickly learned to service them. Gradually, I learned a few commands from the programmer colleagues that were necessary to maintain the program we were selling. Today, I can confidently say that I can perform any task or position in the company, or, in other words, I became indispensable – Stamenov shares.
During our conversation, he recalls his first work experience.
I was lucky to work in an excellent work environment where we were all, first and foremost, people, friends, colleagues. I could and did ask them about anything I didn’t understand. Thus, with great ease and understanding, I mastered all the tasks assigned to me. As a worker, I am quite dedicated and persistent. If I decide to do something, I will do it, even if it means staying at work for two days. We had many clients who, when buying new equipment, would leave the old one with us. That’s when “Donate a computer” was born, when a single mother asked for a used computer so her children could be happy like all other children – Borche recalls.
As he says, “Donate a computer” was never envisioned in the form it has today.
It was a small idea to donate about thirty computers that I had collected over the years. I can say this idea made me stand out. People recognized the sincere desire to help, and the idea came at the right time. At a time when literally the whole world was locked at home, and all children, pupils, and students were forced to learn remotely. “Donate a computer” was a logical response to that whole situation. We can say that in the three years since I started the initiative, I have managed to collect and donate about 300 computers. When the need increased, “Donate a computer” simply exploded. In the first year of the pandemic, we donated over 600 devices. And that was the springboard. You have an initiative that is useful for society and is humanitarian and educational at the same time. I will also mention the “green” nature of this initiative – when we collect any equipment from individuals and legal entities, we do not let it end up on the street or in bins, but we smartly sort it. We put aside the usable equipment, and the one that has expired goes to a company that deals with the disposal of electronic waste. In some way, we are the definition of what circular economy means – says Borche.
The success came because without spending funds, the companies, people, and associations united in working towards the same goal – equal and quality education for all.
I am stubborn by nature. If I decide to do something, I will achieve it. One can say that “Donate a computer” as an initiative started precisely because of that stubbornness through which I wanted to prove to everyone that one idea and one person are enough to make tectonic shifts in society. That’s what makes my initiative special. Today, that initiative has many volunteers. Today we have workshops in Kavadarci and Skopje. We also have a company, “Dadi Kompani,” which donates a certain amount monthly so that we have funds to travel around the country and collect donations. We also have “Neptun” as a partner, which makes its entire logistics available to “Donate a computer.” Anyone who wants to donate any IT equipment only needs to deliver it to the nearest “Neptun” store. Our most loyal supporters are the cargo service “Eko Logistik Servis,” which delivers all our donations free of charge to end users across the country. Then, “Mi Komerc” from Kavadarci takes care of our toll card, ensuring it is never empty, and over 100 companies regularly donate their equipment to us. So far, we have donated 3,057 computers and equipped 55 IT labs in various schools across the country – Borche shares with great satisfaction.
“Donate a computer” requires time and energy, but alongside his primary work, Borche manages to achieve everything.
The company I work for has a great understanding of what I do. Naturally, I always prioritize the work tasks assigned to me there. “Donate a computer” requires a lot of engagement and a lot of time. Although we have many volunteers, there are things I still do myself. From arranging donations, scheduling volunteer duties, loading and unloading schedules, packing donations, posting content on all our social media channels, attending meetings, and of course – making computers for donations, responding to messages that come on our donation page, and more – says Stamenov.
He is most motivated by children’s drawings where the people from “Donate a computer” are depicted as superheroes, but he is also motivated by the volunteers and those who donate daily.
First, I am motivated by the volunteers, then by the companies and people who donate daily, the nice comments on social media, the children and recipients of the computers who always know how to say thank you, the drawings where we are depicted as superheroes, and many other things. “Donate a computer” has received over 40 recognitions and awards, including the state award for the promotion of human rights “Meto Jovanovski.” “Donate a computer” attracts some of the most hardworking and humane volunteers – Dragan Rizov, Zhike Kocev, Gordana Klincharova, and Gjorgji Kostadinov are volunteers with the longest tenure. They are the reason the initiative grows and expands. Without these “kids,” I wouldn’t have gotten where I am today – emphasizes Borche.
He wants to establish a recycling center in the future, but for that, he needs funds and a project, so he can’t achieve it yet.
In the upcoming period, I want to push even harder and prove to everyone that ideas change the world, no matter how small they are. My career has already found its path according to the desire I had as a young person – to pass on my knowledge to the younger generation. By opening our doors to volunteers and interns, my desire to be a teacher, lecturer, professor has already been fulfilled, regardless of not finishing university for the reason already mentioned. Besides the regular volunteers, by signing a memorandum of cooperation with the local technical school “Kiro Spandjov-Brko,” fifty students have already completed an intensive course or had practical work with us. Their number grows daily as younger ones who hear about us self-initiatively apply to come and help. The youngest of them is 12 years old, and I can tell you that he is currently able to dismantle, assemble, repair, install, and prepare a computer for donation. This means I have succeeded in my intention for “Donate a computer” to have an educational character as well – concludes Stamenov.
Sanja Jachevska