Mitchashvim, a non-profit dedicated to ensuring equal access to and proficiency in using digital technologies, has stepped up its efforts during the Israel-Hamas conflict, distributing over 4,000 refurbished computers to families displaced in the south and north.
The initiative's roots trace back to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Recognizing the impact of the pandemic on education and communication Mitchashvim’s founders initiated a volunteer-driven effort to collect, upgrade, and distribute used computers.
Gaining momentum
“We spread the word that we needed more computers to collect and reuse and more budget to do whatever we could in order to send them to kids, so they could have a channel to connect with their teachers and friends,” said Ronit Ronen-Karpol, advisory board member of Mitchashvim and an HR executive within the hi-tech industry.
As the initiative gained momentum, it became a national effort, with a triple impact focus on minimizing the digital divide, promoting environmental sustainability through computer reuse, and empowering people with disabilities to join the workforce.
Scaling up in crisis mode: October 7 emergency response
The organization's ability to respond effectively during crises was highlighted when the Hamas terrorist organization launched its deadly shock attack in southern Israel on October 7.
“As soon as the war started, lots of people were left without anything, basically,” recalled Dan Inbar, advisory board member of Mitchashvim and president of Engineering ISG at Dell Technologies.
Inbar explained that Mitchashvim, already experienced in crisis management, swiftly adapted its operations to meet the urgent needs of displaced families. Since October, the initiative has increased its production capabilities nearly sevenfold.
“They were desperate to get communication devices back in place, and they approached us. So we immediately started working with them to see what their needs were and to distribute the laptops that we had, and obviously accelerate both donations and collection of laptops, and get more volunteers from other organizations so that we could scale up very quickly,” he said.
The non-profit collaborates with official organizations and government offices to distribute computers where they are needed most. So far, Mitchashvim has distributed over 4,000 computers to affected families.
Among the families assisted by Mitchashvim are a young couple from Kibbutz Be'eri, currently alone in Tel-Aviv after surviving the events of October 7th; a mother and her three children from Kibbutz Be'eri, now in a hotel near the Dead Sea; nine traumatized families from Sderot, evacuated and seeking online learning resources for their 39 children; and a 22-year-old survivor from Kibbutz Holit, financially strapped and seeking a way to resume studying for the university admissions exam.
The distribution efforts initially focused on the south, but Mitchashvim aims to expand its reach to the north, recognizing the emerging needs of communities that may not have received as much attention.
Despite the non-profit’s achievements thus far, challenges persist. The organization is calling for increased support from businesses to donate used computers, providing a steady supply of upgradable devices.
“What we're looking for really is to get more enterprises to donate their used computers. Organizations tend to replace their computers every three, four years, something like that, so they're in a much better state than used home computers, and you can get much more at a time,” said Inbar, noting that they’re currently establishing connections with businesses for this purpose. “They give us their computers, we upgrade them and then we can give them back to the population and help them.”