About Us
We are a collective of student volunteers across Malaysia, united by our commitment to helping B40* students gain access to the digital tools they need to succeed in their education. Our decentralized structure includes active local chapters at MILA University and Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, with plans for future expansion.
* IIn Malaysia, the terms B40, M40, and T20 refer to household income classifications, with B40 representing the bottom 40%, M40 the middle 40%, and T20 the top 20%.
Mission
Our mission is to help students from underserved low-income communities bridge the digital divide. We focus on the following key areas:
1) Designing cost-effective educational computing devices,
2) Building networks of volunteer chapters across Malaysia,
3) Establishing partnerships with corporate sponsors, and
4) Securing the necessary funding to support our operations.
Our Story
PC4B40 began as an MPU U4 co-curriculum project at Manipal International University (now MILA University) in August 2021. A team led by mechanical engineering student Iva Song took on the challenge of designing a low-cost, Raspberry Pi-based computing device to help students attend online classes using the three most common platforms at the time and access the software needed for their homework. After experimenting with various free operating systems, Iva found success running Manjaro Linux on a Raspberry Pi 4.
Although Iva's team ran out of time to raise enough money to build and donate the PCs during the semester, they continued their efforts. Together with her MPU U4 lecturer, Prof. Chung, Iva collaborated with a team at Heriot-Watt University Malaysia (HWUM), led by Ivan Yew and his lecturer Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Hoo Choon Lih. This partnership was crucial for expanding the initiative beyond MILA University and overcoming the fundraising challenges. It was the HWUM team that coined the name PC4B40. After transferring knowledge to the HWUM team, Ivan and his peers raised RM17,000 through the EmPOWER Fiesta O Rama and AirFunding crowdfunding projects. On August 23, 2022, they donated 16 Raspberry Pi-based computers, with 8 going to Persatuan Pembangunan Jayadiri Selangor and 8 to deserving families.
Later in 2022, Lee Shuen Fei, a computer engineering student at MILA University, proposed a new project as part of his MPU U4 course. His idea was to collect old laptops and PCs from companies, refurbish them, and donate them to students and schools in B40 communities. With support from family and friends, Lee’s team collected two old laptops and raised the necessary funds to refurbish them. To reduce software costs, Lee followed Iva's model by installing Manjaro Linux on the laptops, maintaining consistency with the Raspberry Pi-based PCs.
Today, PC4B40 encompasses both low-cost Raspberry Pi-based PCs and refurbished laptops, continuing to expand and support students in underserved low-income communities.
Raspberry-Pi based PC
Chapters
Manipal Internation University (now known as MILA University) is the birth place and the cofounding chapter of the PC4B40 initiative
Heriot-Watt University Malaysia (HWUM) is a cofounding chapter of the PC4B40 initiative. It is also the first chapter to have successfully completed a campaign. HWUM raised RM17,000 and donated 16 Raspberry Pi-based computers. The name PC4B40 is coined by a member from this chapter.
The Core Team
Our Corporate Partners
Our work are made easier with the support of corporate partners, be this be in the form of material support or in kind.
On the 5th of October 2023, Fibertex Personal Care, donated 7 and 6 used PCs and laptops respectively to MILA University's PC4B40 campaign to provide refurbished laptops and PCs to schools and students from underserved B40 communities.
In the photo above (from left to right), Mr Joshua Leong, Director for Operations, MILA University and Mr Jesper Pedersen, Operations Director, Fibertex Personal Care.