What fate awaits computers at the end of their valuable life? Some end up in surplus shops selling second-hand units; others in junkshops where workers smash and pick apart electronic waste to scavenge for gold, copper, and other precious metals. Worse, some electronic harvesters pull out wires and plastic parts, burn them at night, fouling the air with toxic smoke.

When Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), one of the country’s biggest banks, upgraded and replaced its systems, old computers found their way into the hands and minds of those who need them most.