In the territory of Campo Grande, in Campinas, technology still does not reach everyone. While a great deal of equipment is discarded every day, workers, collectives and community leaders carry on with few tools to organise their projects and strengthen their initiatives.
It was in the face of this challenge that the Hub Quebrada em Movimento, together with Celso and Geraldo, started a computer remanufacturing process: giving new life to what would have been rubbish, turning it into an instrument of work and citizenship.
From discard to purpose: the path of the equipment
Fourteen computers in need of repair and tuning were collected. At the Hub, each machine went through sorting, a full clean, parts replacement, performance testing and the installation of lighter systems — all done with a focus on ensuring functionality and durability.
The result? ✅ 8 computers recovered and fully working
This equipment went to those who transform the territory every day, such as:
- ONG Gabriel — mental health care initiatives
- FC Juventus — including children and adolescents through sport
- CooperBassoli — income generation through recycling
- Movimento Rosalina — community organising and mobilisation
- Associação dos Moradores do Itajaí 3 e 4 — rights advocacy and social action
These initiatives now have technology to expand the management and the impact of their work.
A cycle that continues: partnership and training
Casa dos Anjos became a key partner by supplying essential peripherals — keyboards, mice, cables and monitors — allowing the computers to be made ready for use.
The organisation also donated 12 more computers that were sitting idle, so that they can be restored and put back into the territory, further strengthening this chain of reuse.
In return, the Hub Quebrada em Movimento offered the adolescents of Casa dos Anjos the Oficina MegaHacker, a hands-on maintenance and remanufacturing activity spread over three sessions. In it, participants learn to:
- open machines and identify components (RAM, hard drive, motherboard and so on)
- clean and organise the interior
- test operation and diagnose faults
- install lightweight systems such as ChromeOS Flex
More than technique, the workshop fosters autonomy, agency and environmental awareness.
Reusing technology is caring for the territory
Every recovered computer stands for: ✔ less electronic waste ✔ more access to technology ✔ more support for those already making a difference in the territory
This is the technology that matters: the kind born in the territory, given a new life, and returned to strengthen those who care for the community.
Photos by: Isabela Jardim