Amber reignites Malawian solar partnership with The Turing Trust 

We’re thrilled to announce that Amber is partnering with The Turing Trust once again to empower communities in Malawi.  

Over the course of 2025, our partnership will bring digital education to the heart of four local schools in Malawi, as well as support renewable energy generation through the provision of solar panels.  

What is The Turing Trust? 

The Turing Trust is a UK-based charity that works to provide access to technology and IT education in developing countries. Founded in 2009 by James Turing, the great-nephew of Alan Turing, the organisation focuses on refurbishing donated computers and IT equipment, which are then distributed to schools and communities that lack digital resources.   

The Turing Trust’s work began in Malawi’s Northern Region where they felt their work would make the greatest impact. Over the last few years, they have made significant progress, bringing IT resources to an equivalent of 81% of all the secondary schools in the Northern Region.  

We see the Turing Trust as a perfect partner for projects like these.  

What will our upcoming solar projects look like? 

As part of our partnership with The Turing Trust, we will fund the creation of ICT labs within four Malawian schools by adding solar panels and backup systems.  

This upgrade will help schools to tackle issues with unreliable electricity, meaning teachers and students can stay connected. With this solar energy boost, schools will also benefit from more consistent power and lower energy bills over time.  

This project will provide each school with approximately 20 computers, teacher training and a long-term maintenance plan to ensure the school can continue teaching ICT for many years to come. Installing an ICT lab in the school will benefit students year after year, providing adequate teaching with long-term maintenance plans for the equipment, to allow for a sustainable IT future. 

James explains: “We’re delighted to be working with Amber on these vital projects which will enable us to help thousands of students to learn critical digital skills, helping them to build a brighter future. “ 

Are we doing anything else through our partnership? 

We are also delighted to donate valuable IT resources, including 65 laptops. As a result of As a result of our donation, around 1,188 students will be able to learn vital IT skills.  

Beyond this, the environmental impact from the donation will offset 18 tonnes of CO2 emissions, which is the equivalent of planting 46 trees, or offsetting the annual carbon footprints of 2 Britons. The embodied energy savings created are also enough to power 5 UK homes for an entire year.

What will be the carbon impact of this partnership? 

After the first year, 24 tonnes of CO2 emissions will be offset through the Turing Trust’s IT refurbishing scheme. Following this, the project will achieve an annual carbon saving of 0.052 tonnes of CO2 from the renewable energy generated by the new solar panels.  

What have we achieved together historically? 

We’ve achieved some amazing results through the Turing Trust in the past. Funding 3 projects between 2019 and 2020, we positively impacted the lives of 1,050 children and have avoided 18 tonnes of CO2 consequently.   

Speaking about our previous work together, James said: “Amber’s support was fundamental in enabling these schools to gain access to the digital revolution.  

“This impact is massive for students as IT skills open career opportunities and make university more accessible. Since some of our partner schools have started teaching IT, they’ve seen 20% more of their students attending university. IT skills can also have an important economic impact too.”

“On average, those with IT skills are able to increase their incomes by 39%.”

Want to get involved?  

If you’re an Amber client and want to learn more about our Turing Trust partnership or to help fund similar initiatives, you can get in touch with our Net Zero Director, AJ Walker.