COMPUTERS from Mackay and Sarina are changing the lives of Zimbabwean children - and it's all thanks to Sarina Rotary Club.

The club collects old working computers from businesses and schools and sends them to Africa to help disadvantaged children gain valuable IT skills.

Rotary's Roy Roberts said the initiative was making a real impact on the students and improving their changes of gain IT skills.

"The project started a few years ago, we have called it IT2Zim,” Mr Roberts said.

The club was approached by member Jeff Mtombo to organise technology for a school in his birth country.

"We approached schools and Holy Spirit offered its computers,” Mr Roberts said.

The computers were in working order but the school had upgraded to newer models, so the machines were wrapped up and sent to Zimbabwe to a school with 150 students.

Although the computers are donated the cost of packing sending comes down to the club's finances.

The club is also helping keep perfectly good computers from ending up in landfills.

The group also hopes to have the Interact Group the Sarina High School start to have a cross-cultural experience with students in Zimbabwe.

Mr Roberts believes thanks to IT being introduced into the African schools the students will have a better chance with professional careers because they will have technology knowledge.

For more information about the Sarina Rotary Club contact 0407745140.