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Serendipity is the mother of all inventions," one famous adage says. In the case of Anders Jones, serendipity came knocking at the tender age of 14. In 2001, on a spring break visit to Jamaica on the way to the beach, a conversation with a taxi driver changed his life.
That taxi driver was Carl Dias, a father who had two kids attending Mountain View Primary, a school which only had one computer available for 850 students. Anders recalled how that incident affected him. "That came as a big shock to me coming from the U.S. where I went to school with 850 students and [there were] 200 to 250 computers," Anders said in an interview at Destiny studios in Kingston, Jamaica.
His first instinct then was to donate the spare computer in his basement, but then he realized that what was needed by the school was a computer lab.
If serendipity showed him an opportunity to help, persistence gave him the right allies to make this happen. When he went back to the U.S. after that vacation, Anders formed Teens for Technology with a group of friends. TNT was able to convince Microsoft to donate the software, Air Jamaica to fly the cargo, and a computer refurbisher to sell computers for a discount.
In 2002, Anders and his team went to Jamaica to deliver 12 computers completely equipped with hardware, CD readers writers/burners, monitors, and 75 pieces of software for the school.
100 schools program
After the success of the Mountain View program, Anders and his team realized that "there was much greater need than just one school." They launched the "100 schools program" with the objective of providing 1,000 computers and equipping 100 computer labs in Jamaican schools by 2006. Under this program, TNT has set up criteria and an application process for Jamaican schools.
Anders pointed out the co-funding aspect of the program where the schools come up with a portion of the cost and TNT matches it. "I always call it a partnership and not a donation," Anders explained. There is also the requirement of a buddy system where participating schools are obliged to help a new school in explaining how a computer lab works.
Because of this joint effort: "In June 2004, two years ahead of schedule and way ahead of everyone's expectations, TFT and Jamaica celebrated the successful completion of the 100 Schools Program," according to the TNT Web site.
Youth empowerment
"We've seen an increase in grade point average, literacy, and attendance and a decrease in gang violence," Anders said. Students also showed more interest in other subjects, and that's why Mountain View Primary has started to integrate their curriculum with the computer technology.
Michelle Robinson, a teacher for Mountain View Primary School, also shared what effect the computer labs had on the self-esteem of the students. "Before they saw computers as something for the rich and not for a ghetto person," she said.
"What you will see now is that everybody wants to log on and use these [computers]. When the little ones [in Grade One] see the light, their eyes grow wide and they have a huge smile," she said.
Environment-friendly
The U.S. throws away millions of computers yearly, which accounts for the growing E-waste problem.
"Right now there are 37,500,000 million computers in the U.S. sitting in corporate warehouses. What people don't realize is that there is a cost associated with throwing a computer away which is usually $150 per computer. That involves wiping all the data off the drives, throwing away the pieces that are toxic in an environmental-friendly way...and the transportation logistics," Anders explained.
TNT has created a business model which can address these needs for a much lower price. "We can do it for 20 [dollars]. It's a huge money saver for them [corporations]." Anders said.
10,000 computers and worldwide expansion
The current project of TNT is the 10K for JA, an offshoot of the "100 schools program," which now aims to bring 10,000 computers to the country. Aside from this, Anders has been talking to Internet providers in Jamaica so that schools will eventually have Internet access.
Anders also said TNT is now keen on expanding worldwide. "We now have programs in Thailand and Pakistan. We are working on setting up a hub in Southeast Asia because there is a huge need there," he said.
Now 19 years old and a sophomore at the Stanford University, Anders is growing into adulthood with a bigger vision for himself and his organization. "I want to go to Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia. We'll see what happens. With the spirit of giving, we'll go far."
Article written by Tuesday Gutierrez