OUR STORY
Closing the Digital Divide with Refurbished Devices
The Reconnect Project has a straightforward mission: to give pre-owned mobile devices a new life by providing them to people in need. There are an estimated 23 million mobile phones sitting unused in drawers and garages all over Australia, plus tablets and laptops that have broken or been put aside in favour of a newer model. With a simple repair, secure erasure of data and an overall clean, these devices are ready for (re)connecting people to family, friends and essential services, and help close the digital divide in Australia. A clean, untracked mobile phone is essential for a woman fleeing family violence. A person in transitional housing needs a way to be contacted by support services. For a refugee in detention, a mobile phone provides connection to the world. A young person without access to a computer can use a tablet or a laptop for completing studies or applying for work.
Devices Distributed
Hours of training delivered
Paid employment for neurodivergent young people
Of devices diverted from landfill
Australia has a significant divide in digital inclusion, the measure at which a person can access, afford and have the digital ability to connect and use online technologies effectively. Higher income households have almost double the digital inclusion rate of lower income households. People with low levels of education and employment are significantly less digitally included, as are Indigenous Australians and people in rural communities. Whilst national access to the internet has increased (with the NBN), affordability reduces access as lower income households and disadvantaged Australians are unable to purchase the equipment required for digital inclusion. Meanwhile, Australia’s e-waste is growing 3 times faster than other waste streams, due to consumer demand for ‘new’ products and the rapid updating of technology.
Established as a social enterprise, The Reconnect Project aims to close the digital divide and provide a solution to the e-waste of mobile devices. Individuals, groups and businesses benefit with knowing that their preloved devices will be securely erased, repaired, and go to a good home, alleviating them of the concern about how to dispose of unwanted technology. Recipients of the refurbished devices benefit as they are provided with access to technology that they otherwise could not obtain, giving them the means to connect with people – friends, family, essential services. The Reconnect Project works with support agencies including women’s shelters, refugee services, and youth outreach programs, who advise on the best resources suited to their clients. We then source and provide the right technology to them, saving them time and financial outlay which can instead be directed into their essential support programs and services.
TEAM MEMBERS
The Reconnect Team
Projects Officer
Alison Katona
Support Officer
Emily Giles
Technician
Wilbur Donaldson
Technician
Rajendra Banjara
Technician
Ben Cantelo
Technician
Edward Lee
Awards and Testimonials
What Our Happy Clients Say!
Customers love us and the awards keep rolling in – proof to you of our excellence and impact!
I’ve had a number of phones repaired here and the service is impeccable. Lovely staff, very knowledgeable, and always clear about expectations about what is fixable and what isn’t.
~Claire, repair customer
Working at The Reconnect Project has boosted my self-esteem and lets me be a part of a supportive and nurturing team.
~Ben, Laptop Repair Technician
Thank you for your thoughtful and kind work to better the lives of so many.
~ Marinela, Salvation Army Caseworker
Our Circular Process
Join our Cycle of Positive Impact
We’re an enterprise with purpose, delivering life-altering benefits for everyone. Help us be a catalyst for good.
01. Donated = Distributed
Your unwanted tech goes to someone with a serious need to connect.
02. Repaired = Job-Ready
Your broken device is fixed by somebody who will take our training and thrive.
03. Saved = Sustainable
Every device we take, refurbish and repair, reduces the problem of landfill.
04. Profits = Progress
Your repair fees support all our great work, and gives us scope to help more.
