Kay Electronics Recycling (KER) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2021 that seeks to address the digital divide in K-12 schools in Sierra Leone, where students who lack access to technology have far lower graduation rates than their peers who have access to technology.

The primary mission of KER is to help improve the educational experience and outcomes of students in K-12 schools in Sierra Leone, bridging the digital divide by donating recycled technology such as laptop and desktop computers, tablets, smart phones and monitors. KER fulfills this mission by collecting and refurbishing used technology in the United States, in the process helping to reduce the amount of e-waste going into landfills and promoting reuse and recycling of used technology and electronics.

Since 2016, Ibrahim Kamara, KER’s founder - a native of Sierra Leone who immigrated to the United States in 2006 has recycled, refurbished, and donated nearly 300 units to K-12 schools in Sierra Leone. Ibrahim benefitted from access to technology during his K-12 journey in Sierra Leone, which transformed his life and inspired him to launch KER in 2021.

Through lived experience, Ibrahim has seen firsthand the effects that technological illiteracy can have on a student’s education. KER seeks to address this educational barrier by partnering with non-government organizations and schools in Sierra Leone to collect, ship and distribute refurbished and recycled electronics directly to K-12 students. In doing so, KER hopes to encourage a more advanced, highly-educated student body in Sierra Leone. By supporting students who previously lacked access to technology, they are given the resources they need to have a competitive advantage in today’s modern education system.