By C. Perera, JadeTimes News
An Afghan refugee has shared how a charity refurbishing old phones and computers helped him "out of the darkness." Oxfordshire based Sofea recently received a £100,000 grant to expand its mission of providing technology devices to those in need.
Now residing in Southampton, Mohammad Saleem Nezami received a reconditioned laptop from Sofea, which he has used to continue his training as an IT specialist and teach his family English. He described the charity as a "key player" in their lives since arriving in the UK 10 months ago.
Sofea initiated a project during the pandemic to supply technology devices to those most in need and reduce Oxfordshire's e waste. The project aims to bridge the "digital divide" while refurbishing and rehoming donated electronics to keep them out of landfills.
Mr. Nezami holds a master's degree in computer science and was a network computer engineer in Afghanistan, where he worked for the Ministry of Transport before the Taliban seized control in 2022. Upon arriving in the UK as an asylum seeker, he learned about Sofea and received a laptop from the charity.
"This is a digital world without technology, we can't do anything," he said. As an asylum seeker, he is not permitted to work but has advanced his computer training and is pursuing his Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert certification.
His family also uses the laptop to learn English, stay connected with friends and family in Afghanistan and elsewhere, manage their lives, and obtain official information in the UK. "If I didn't have it, it would be darkness for me I'd have lost my hopes. The charity helped me come out of the darkness," he said. "Without it, I'd have lost connections with other worlds and people; it enables me to connect with other communities in Southampton."
The £100,000 grant from the Time After Time fund, established by Virgin Media O2 and environmental charity Hubbub, will allow Sofea to refurbish over 1,500 devices for people in the community.
Sofea project manager Ben Tuppen commented, "We've had some fantastic stories coming back people who have completed training and secured jobs, and wonderful stories of reduced isolation. There's enrichment of people's lives in different ways, particularly in educational outcomes."
