With billions of students across the globe unable to attend classes during the lockdown, e-learning platforms came to the rescue by unlocking a virtual treasure of knowledge. Schools in parts of the Middle East were also able to continue operations via online education facilitated by video conferencing, and are now building hybrid ecosystems as classrooms reopen.

But in many corners of the region, children were unable to acess virtual lessons, either due to the lack of connectivity, or the unavailability of required hardware. To make sure students living at a distance from urban pockets aren't left behind in the digital revolution, a firm in Turkey is recycling computers to be sent to schools in villages.

The startup Empact collects old PCs from different parts of the country and repairs them in order to enhance institutions in rural areas that lack technology. The machines are gathered via donations, and people can also send other gadgets like cameras and TVs to the firm.

The company which has also tied up with a municipality in the country, exchanges other devices for computers, as part of a pact with recycling organisations. So far the campaign has managed to empower 2500 students with tech-powered education.

But Empact's vision isn't just about supplying systems to village schools, the venture also seeks to address the growing e-waste problem in Turkey. Their initiative is a step towards managing electronic trash, in a country where only 5% of used devices are collected and processed properly.

So far they've equipped 18 classrooms with 10 machines each, and 55 schools have already reached out to the company.

Empact's effort in Turkey is part of a larger push, which includes Egypt's bid to set up facilities for manufacturing tablets, so that children in rural areas can access digital education.

As for e-waste in the Middle East, Dubai has one of the world's largest facilities to process tech trash, and a student in the UAE recently recycled 25 tonnes of electronic waste through her social media campaign.