Kate Howard
News Editor
Because electronics continue to be replaced for the latest version, the Hope 4 Ghana Club has arranged a fundraiser from Jan. 4-14 to provide another alternative to simply throwing away old electronics.
The club is collecting used cell phones, laptops, MP3 players, iPods, handheld games, GPS, video cameras and still cameras that can be dropped off in the boxes in NCHS main lobby, Saint Luke’s School and the homes of club members. The money raised will support the Ghana Children’s Fund, an organization started by senior Julia Tuttle’s family, that benefits the Good Shepherd Orphanage in Ghana.
According to Julia, the club’s president, the fundraiser was inspired by Eco-Cell, an organization that encourages recycling by buying used electronics. “Eco-Cell responsibly recycles electronics that would otherwise end up in landfills,” Julia said. “Reusing electronic parts also reduces the demand for resources needed to build electronics. For example, coltan, which is used in cell-phones, is mined in the jungles of the Congo. The mining of this mineral contributes to deforestation, and was controlled by guerilla groups for a long while.”
“[A] great thing about Eco-Cell is that any un-recyclable electronics are disposed of properly, that way they don’t end up in landfills and the owners don’t have them lying around anymore,” senior club member Katherine Moncure said.
Although the Eco-Cell fundraiser is beneficial to the environment, its primary goal is to continue to cover the costs of sending Hilda and Rachel, two ninth graders in Ghana, to high school. “At the end of last year, the Hope 4 Ghana club was able to provide two $1000 scholarships for students at the Good Shepherd School in Ghana, as well as give money for other, smaller projects at Good Shepherd,” Julia said. “It is truly amazing that the money we raised in one year can cover two children’s rooms, board and education for a year; it is an opportunity that changes their lives.”
Senior Maddy Russell, a club member, highlighted how the fundraiser provided a unique opportunity for students to participate in a cause while also helping the environment as electronic waste continues to grow exponentially. “The great part of this fundraiser is that it’s a win-win situation,” she said. “People can get rid of their used electronics, we can use these donated electronics to raise money and the electronics are recycled, so it’s good for the environment.”
