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Bike4Good – Labdoo Switzerland is participating

Written by Frank on Published in News.

Turn every kilometer into measurable social impact

Turn your cycling challenge into a structured, transparent fundraising campaign – combining the well-being of your employees, the commitment of your team and meaningful support for trusted non-profit organizations.

Labdoo.org Switzerland is one of the few selected NPOs participating!

Copalana 's pilot project has started and we would be very happy if you or your employer would support us!

You can find more information about Bike4Good here: https://copalana.org/de/corporate-social-responsibility/bike-4-good

Labdoo – together we can help

Labdoo Switzerland sets another record

Written by Frank on Published in News.

The Swiss Labdoo team, headquartered in Oberwil-Lieli, broke the existing world record and raised the bar significantly once again during its 72nd Laptop Sanitation Workshop.

At 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, 2026, the 17-member group of volunteers was able to announce, to great jubilation, the almost unbelievable number of 411 refurbished laptops in just one day.

The devices are now ready for children, schools and refugees at home and abroad and will begin their long journeys in the coming weeks.

This provides more than 12,000 students with high-performance devices running Linux or Mint, hundreds of learning programs, and an extensive offline version of Wikipedia (Kiwix) for educational purposes.

A big thank you also goes to the many sponsors and helpers who, among other things, provided for the group's physical well-being. These include, in particular:

– DICOTA, who donated laptop bags and flyers to us

– COMPUTACENTER, which supplied us with cleaning materials

– the municipality of Oberwil-Lieli, which Association has repeatedly supported

– Ronald Fleckenstein and Roman Ammon for the perfect planning, technical development, preparation and implementation of the workshop with a great deal of effort

All participants had a lot of fun and are already looking forward to the next workshops: https://Labdoo.ch/Events

Labdoo – together we can help

Datacom supports Labdoo

Written by Frank on Published in News.

The Datacom AG regularly donates IT equipment to Labdoo Switzerland, thereby sustainably supporting educational projects.

The hardware comes from professional, business use by their customers (SMEs, medical practices, and other business clients in Switzerland) and is replaced after a few years – but it is often still perfectly usable from a technical standpoint. Labdoo Switzerland gives these devices a second life and distributes them to schools and projects abroad.

Data protection and secure data deletion for decommissioned practice IT

Data security is paramount, especially in medical practices. Therefore, before any data is transferred, it is securely deleted in accordance with Swiss data protection law (DSG). Datacom adheres to the applicable data protection regulations to the highest possible degree, ensuring that no practice data remains on devices.

Transparency through updates from the projects

Regular updates from Labdoo Switzerland show us where the donated devices are being used – and that the support is making a difference in everyday school life.

Taking responsibility together

Datacom is pleased to continue its collaboration with Labdoo Switzerland. If you are a medical practice or company looking to sustainably donate functional IT equipment, please contact Datacom or Labdoo – details and images can be found in the [link/document/etc.] Datacom blog post as at Labdoo Switzerland.

Labdoo – together we can help

100 laptops for education in Cameroon - a strong example of global cooperation

Written by Dijana on Published in News.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of our Labdoo hub in Oberwil-Lieli (Switzerland) and the great support of Frank Geisler and Ron Fleckenstein, over 100 refurbished laptops were delivered to schools in Cameroon – CO₂-neutral, sustainable and fully equipped with educational software. 

The organization Ashia Cameroon gratefully accepted the devices. For many schools, especially secondary schools, computer science is a central part of the curriculum – but technical infrastructure is often lacking. These laptops will now provide valuable educational support for years to come. 

What makes us particularly happy: This project shows how easy it can be to help when many hands work together – with unused equipment, a little time and the will to make education possible. 

A heartfelt thank you to all helpers, donors and supporters! Together we bring education to where it is urgently needed.

Labdoo – together we can help 

Labdoo laptops from Switzerland reach FUDOMEMS schools

Written by Frank on Published in News.

Labdoo laptops from Switzerland have successfully completed their journey to the FUDOMEMS schools in the Dominican Republic! 🌍🎒

Thanks to laptops equipped with educational software, many local children and young people can now learn new skills and advance their education. 🎓✨ This project demonstrates how our use of technology can improve educational opportunities worldwide. 📚💻

One teacher reports: "These laptops are a blessing for our students and open up entirely new learning possibilities for them." 🙌❤️

Our mission is clear: to promote education worldwide through global collaboration. 💪🌏 And thanks to the help of generous supporters, we get a little closer to this goal every day.

Join us! Donate your used, working laptop and help make education accessible to everyone. 🙏💕

Labdoo – together we can help

#Labdoo #DonateALaptop #LabdooImpact

Labdoo Switzerland receives a generous donation from Wir-lernen-weiter

Written by Frank on Published in News.

Labdoo has once again received a large quantity of discarded laptops from the Association Wir-lernen-weiter.ch .

Frank Geisler of Labdoo recently received over 200 devices from Tobias Schär in Merenschwand, Aargau. These will be refurbished in the coming weeks and months, equipped with Linux/Lubuntu and dozens of training programs, and then donated to schools, kindergartens, orphanages, and refugee shelters worldwide.

In total, Labdoo in Switzerland has already received over 1,000 laptop donations from Wir-lernen-weiter – thank you very much!

In doing so, both organizations help to make the world a little bit better.

When will you donate your old laptop to improve educational opportunities?

Labdoo – together we can help

Field visit to the DomRep

Written by Ron on Published in News.

together we can help

Labdoo.ch

Field visit to the DomRep

Labdoo Switzerland visited the Dominican Republic

The intention

Labdoo Switzerland conducted a field visit to the Dominican Republic in November 2023. This was to benefit six schools that had received Labdoo donations.

Duration: November 9–26, 2023 (Ron Fleckenstein – Hub Manager Labdoo Switzerland)

The intention was to offer on-site technical support to the following extent:

  • Operating system update
  • Functional testing of the laptops in use
  • Repair or hardware upgrade as needed
  • Exchange of damaged laptops if repair is not possible (only a limited number of laptops can be taken)
  • Training sessions with the computer science teachers

Furthermore, Labdoo Switzerland considers it valuable to conduct an "exchange of experiences" regarding the laptops used and their impact on education in the country. We intend to hold an exchange with school principals and teachers.

The itinerary

The preparations

Several schools in the Dominican Republic reported to us that various laptops were no longer working. My intention was to get them working again. For this purpose, I brought along small quantities of the most important spare parts and, of course, my repair kit.

For such large quantities, it is advisable to have a donation receipt with you. However, there is no guarantee that the import process (even with a donation receipt) will proceed without problems.

Four replacement devices are available for those that cannot be repaired (Microsoft Surface Pro – pictured on the left). I will distribute the remaining devices to families who urgently need this hardware, in consultation with the school administrations.

The field visit has begun (09.11.2023)

I had a pleasant trip; everything went as planned. I'm especially glad that I didn't encounter any problems with customs, despite the rather large amount of IT hardware I brought in. *Thank God.

The pre-arranged taxi driver was waiting for me at Puerto Plata airport, and after a short 30-minute drive, I arrived at the Hotel El Magnifico in Cabarete. I will be staying here until Sunday, November 12, 2023.

Visit to the first school in Puerta Plata (November 10, 2023)

Edoovillage #2577 – Dominican Republic, Puerto Plata: Nitido de amor Foundation | Labdoo

At 8:30 a.m., I embarked on a 50-minute taxi ride. Heavy traffic on the route doubled the travel time. At 9:30 a.m., I was introduced to the school administration. We then had a lengthy discussion about the use of laptops at the school and the impact of such devices on education in the country. The school's expansion plans, which will require more laptops, were also addressed.

Those interested in the detailed visit report can click on the link below.

Visit report to the Nitido de amor Foundation, November 10, 2023 – GERMAN

Informe de visita – Fundación Nitido de amor del November 10, 2023 – ESPANIOL

Visit to the second school in Puerta Plata (November 11, 2023)

Dominican Republic, Luperón: Centro Educativo Liceo El Higo

The school administration (SL) of Centro Educativo Liceo El Higo informed me before my departure from Switzerland that the school would be closed on Saturday, November 11, 2023. They further stated that some of the laptops were no longer functional and that my visit was therefore important from their perspective. However, I would have to come on a different day. Unfortunately, this was not possible, as I had Association with other schools and my schedule was tight. Regrettably, no solution could be found, which is why I was unable to visit the school. According to the Labdoo database, the school has 26 laptops, of which 4 devices have the status S6 (Recycled).

Bus transfer from Cabarete to Santo Domingo (November 12, 2023) Today I left the north coast for Santo Domingo. The buses run hourly, and after four hours I reached the capital of the Dominican Republic on the comfortable "Metro" bus. The hotel where I will be staying until November 15, 2023, is called the Dominican Fiesta Hotel.

Visit to the third school in Santo Domingo (November 13, 2023)

Edoovillage #2294 – Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo Este: Escuelita Rayo del Sol Foundation

At 9:00 AM, I was picked up from the hotel by the school administration. Santo Domingo definitely has a traffic problem. There are simply too many vehicles in the city, leading to chronic and chaotic traffic jams. During the drive, we discussed the benefits the donated laptops would bring to the school. The administration informed me that the devices had been retrofitted with Windows 10. Their IT manager would be happy to explain the details to me later. After a 45-minute drive, we arrived at the school. Escuelita Rayo del Sol is an educational institution for children and young people with disabilities. Escuelita Rayo del Sol also has expansion plans, which will require more laptops. Those interested in the detailed visit report can click on the link below. Visit Report Escuelita Rayo del Sol Foundation, November 13, 2023

Visit to the colonial old town of Santo Domingo (November 13, 2023) Santo Domingo was founded in 1498. It was the first "royal" city of the Spanish in America. With the brother of an acquaintance who lives in Switzerland, I experienced "Santo Domingo by night".

  • Escuelita Rayo del Sol playground

  • Upgrading a laptop from 4 GB to 8 GB

  • 5 Labdoo laptops in use

  • The school administration looks forward to our support. Visit to

  • The school is extremely grateful

  • Visit to the class

  • Escuelita Rayo del Sol

Visit to the fourth school outside Santo Domingo (November 14, 2023)

Edoovillage #1029 – Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo Este: FUDOMEMS

I needed to find a reliable taxi driver because my safety in this city is my top priority. Santo Domingo has a high crime rate, and you have to be careful in all aspects of life. Taxi drivers can be dangerous, which is why I could only use a recommendation.

Through another acquaintance from Switzerland, I obtained a reliable contact (Eduardo) who was willing to drive me the 40 km to the school. After a two-hour drive, we arrived at the Centro Educativo Juan Antonio Alix school.

The school was located in a very poor region. The headmaster and deputy headmaster gave me a warm welcome and proudly showed me around. The children sang me a "Bienvenido Ronny" song, which touched my heart.

Those interested in the detailed visit report can click on the link below.

Visit report FUDOMEMS – Centro Educativo Juan Antonio Alix from November 14th, 2023

Transfer from Santo Domingo to Sabana Grande de Boya (11/15/2023)

The school administration of Centro Educativo Jose de Jesus Ravelo (Sabana Grande de Boya) decided to pick me up in Santo Domingo. My safety was their top priority. I was very grateful for their support. The journey took approximately 2.5 hours.

  • Visiting a class (the very young ones)

  • Visit to a 4th grade class

  • 10 Labdoo laptops before inspection

  • Installation of Lubuntu in the field

  • Handover of a Microsoft Surface Pro to the school management (Regalito)

  • My driver Eduardo, back in Santo Domingo after a 4-hour drive

Visit to the fifth school in Sabana Grande de Boya (November 15 – 19, 2023)

Edoovillage #2615 – Dominican Republic, Sabana Grande de Boya: Centro Educativo José de Jesus Ravelo

We went straight to the Centro Educativo Jose de Jesus Ravelo school after arriving and I started working immediately.

This school had by far the most devices in use (30 identical machines), all permanently installed in a computer lab. I was pleased to find that our Lubuntu operating system hadn't been replaced with Windows 10. However, they did express a desire to change the system language from English to Spanish. This was my first task at the school, together with the computer science teacher, Mimi. Afterwards, I gave Mimi a crash course in using the Lubuntu operating system. She was impressed by all the educational software it offered, and I was impressed by her quick grasp of things. She implemented my recommendations immediately.

On November 16th and 17th, 2023, I checked the inventory against the Labdoo database. It was accurate immediately. I then started each device and tested its functionality. Three of the 30 devices had technical problems during the Lubuntu startup process (the startup process was stuck in a loop – the login window didn't appear). The climate is harsh for laptops: high heat, dust, and humidity take their toll. All my attempts to get the Lubuntu operating system running on these three devices were unsuccessful. These three devices consumed a lot of my time (the well-known 80/20 Pareto rule). Note: I've never encountered this type of problem in Switzerland before.

It's important to know that each device offers educational opportunities for approximately 30 children, which is why I was determined to get these three devices working again. With or without Lubuntu, because using these devices for educational purposes is crucial. Following this, I successfully installed Windows 10 in Spanish.

I agreed with Mimi that these three devices represent an additional IT resource, because the students also need to have contact with Windows operating systems.

Not a standard process in Labdoo Land, BUT when device malfunctions occur, a solution is still needed. These four laptops were running Windows 10

I recommended (if possible) installing an air conditioning system in the computer science room, which would lead to a significantly better climate in the Salon de Informatica.

Those interested in the detailed visit report can click on the link below.

Visit report to Centro Educativo José de Jesus Ravelo from November 17, 2023

  • Centro Educativo Jose de Jesus Ravelo

  • Salon de Informatica

  • Changing the system language from English to Spanish

  • … the task started off difficult….

  • …a quick chat with Sebastian (from Switzerland), then everything runs perfectly

Visit to the sixth school in Sabana Grande de Boya (November 16, 2023)

Edoovillage #2614 – Dominican Republic, Sabana Grande de Boya: Fundacion Amparo Torres

This foundation was allocated 20 identical devices. Due to illness, the foundation's director, Ms. Amparo Torres, had to suspend the educational project. We deeply regret this situation. Since the devices were unused, we decided to integrate the laptops into the other Edoovillage project #2615 in Sabana Grande de Boya and transfer them on the same day. Ms. Amparo Torres immediately offered her support for this solution. She can request laptops from us again at a later, more convenient time.

Before transferring the data to the other project, I first had to inspect the 20 laptops and test their functionality. I carried out this task in the school administration's private premises. Linda provided me with her living room and a large table.

Those interested in the detailed visit report can click on the link below.

Visit report, Amparo Torres Foundation, dated November 16, 2023

 

Tropical storm sweeps across the island (18.11.2023)

On November 18, 2023, I planned to leave Sabana Grande de Boya. Unfortunately, a tropical storm thwarted my plans, and for safety reasons, I had to stay an extra night in the Monte Plata region. The storm was violent, and it rained torrentially. I had never experienced a storm like it before.

Taxi transfer from Sabana Grande de Boya to Bayahibe (11/19/2023), Hotel Iberostar Hacienda

On November 19, 2023, it was initially uncertain whether I would be able to make the 2.5-hour journey from Sabana Grande de Boya to Bayahibe. The rain had eased somewhat. My taxi driver said it should be possible. Some of the roads were flooded, but still passable.

The school administration recommended a taxi driver who charged me a hefty price for the trip to Bayahibe. With no alternative and given the terrible weather conditions, I had no choice but to accept his offer.

Hotel Iberostar Hacienda in Bayahibe (11/19 – 11/25/2023)

After an intensive visit to the Labdoo fields, I'm taking some time to relax for a few days on the beach in this beautiful hotel.

Return flight to Switzerland and end of the field visit in the Dominican Republic (25/26 November 2023)

  • Laptops from the Amparo Torres project

  • Inspection of the devices

  • Functional test…

  • … and installing Lubuntu

  • Task completed

  • Tropical storm sweeps across the island

Read more

40,000 donations have already been collected

Written by Gregor on Published in News.

Labdoo can announce another milestone – we recently collected and added our 40,000th donation to our system.

Our success over the past 10 years clearly demonstrates that we are achieving something we never imagined. We have already processed over 40,000 donations across the entire Labdoo organization. This will allow us to provide over 1.2 million children and learners with access to education in the future. The 40,000th device is a donation in Barcelona and will soon find its way to one of our Edoovillages. A heartfelt thank you to all the donors who continually provide us with valuable and useful devices. We are already preparing with all our teams for the next milestone of 50,000 devices and look forward to every donation and every bit of support.

Labdoo – together we can help!

Links
– 40,000th device https://platform.labdoo.org/de/content/000040000
– All devices collected so far https://platform.labdoo.org/de/content/dootronics-dashboard
– All our Edoovillages https://platform.labdoo.org/de/content/edoovillages-dashboard

Successful year 2022 at Labdoo Switzerland

Written by Gregor on Published in News.

We can look back on a very successful 2022. At five official sanitation workshops this year, we refurbished so many devices that the warehouse was filled to the ceiling at the last workshop in November. In addition, we even set a new daily record at that workshop, refurbishing an incredible 341 devices in a single day with the help of our volunteers. This success is solely thanks to our core Labdoo team, the many volunteers, the numerous donors, and the valued support of the municipality of Oberwil-Lieli. The Labdoo.org organization as a whole has now reached the impressive milestone of 40,000 devices collected this year and can be very proud of this achievement. This gives Labdoo the potential to provide 1.2 million disadvantaged children and students with access to education in the near future. With gratitude and renewed enthusiasm, we are entering the next year and are already looking forward to the continued support of everyone involved. The next workshop will take place on February 25, 2023. Labdoo – together we can help

We wish everyone happy holidays and a successful transition into the new year

Events


Try Ubuntu

Written by Gregor on Published in News.

Have you always wanted to try out Ubuntu, install it, or dive into the Linux or Labdoo world? Then we have a great offer for you. To mark the end of the year, we're giving away free USB sticks with Ubuntu 22.04 LTS for you to try. You can easily order your free stick here.

 

Ubuntu 22.04 USB stick