B
NARRATIVE VALUE
Certainty
●●● high
ABCDEFG
There is no confirmed −; independently verified + decide the position (B). No unreachable strike-through.= non-additive meter
As of: 2026-Q4Status: ActiveCeiling reason: No confirmed −
History2026-Q4BHistory grows each quarter
Close the Gap International: Corporate computers given a second life in schools and clinics. The letter is B; certainty is high. Unconfirmed concerns are placed under “Watching.” (As of 2026-Q4; estimate based on public information.)
Main narrative
The computers companies replace after three or four years still work. Close the Gap, founded in Belgium in 2003, collects them, tests, wipes and repairs them, and sends them to schools, clinics and enterprise-support projects, mostly in Africa. It is not a donation drop: the receiving side's plan and training come as part of the package.
In total it has collected more than 1.8 million devices and reached close to 6.7 million people, supporting 1,570 entrepreneurs and 4,751 jobs. The second axis is what happens when equipment finally dies. To avoid electronics being burned in informal scrapyards, collection and proper processing are designed in. In April 2026 the organization opened a refurbishment hub in Syokimau outside Nairobi, starting operations with a donation of 250 computers to correctional facilities in Kenya — the second life of a machine now being built inside the country that receives it.
One person’s story (N1)
+ A single story
In April 2026 a refurbishment hub opened in Syokimau outside Nairobi, starting with a donation of 250 computers to correctional facilities in Kenya. Machines that companies replace after three or four years are tested, wiped and repaired, and delivered with training for the receiving side. In total more than 1.8 million devices have been collected, reaching close to 6.7 million people and supporting 1,570 entrepreneurs and 4,751 jobs. Source type: independent (reporting) and program-official
Source nature: The Star (Kenya) / Close the Gap / T2 industry media. Positive effects are not used to offset negatives.
Positive / negative effects
+ effects
- The positive side of this assessment rests on the single story (N1) above and its source. A per-item ledger of positive effects has not yet been compiled for this organization.T2 industry media
Watching (unconfirmed; not counted in the assessment)- End-of-life processing and traceability
- the effect of a donation model on local markets
Looking ahead (not included in the assessment)- Growing the Nairobi site into a regional upcycling hub.
A second look
Whether delivered equipment stays in use depends on power, connectivity and maintenance. Does donated hardware compete with local IT businesses, and does it end up exporting electronic waste? How far the organization can show what happens after collection is the test.
Sources
+N1The Star (Kenya) / Close the Gap｜Close the Gap launches circular economy hub to fight e-waste / Impact｜2026｜🔗
How to read this assessment
A Independently verified +, with no confirmed −
B Leans +, with independent backing
C Mixed. A confirmed − sets the ceiling, or much is unverified
D A serious confirmed − sets the ceiling
E A serious − reaches the core of the organization
F Serious and systemic, with little redeeming +
G Only extreme cases
Out of scope An entity whose core purpose is illegal
On hold Independent evidence is scarce on both + and −
- Reachable upper bound (ceiling): a confirmed − sets the ceiling, and independently verified + decide the position within it. + do not cancel out −.
- The weight of evidence is not symmetric: only confirmed − are counted; the volume of disputes or allegations goes under “Watching.” + are counted from independent evidence, while an organization’s own PR is treated as “reference.”
- Size is not value: scale is not used in the assessment. Matters that stay within money or competition—investors, shareholders, sanctions, trade secrets—are also excluded.
- The letter (assessment) and certainty (how reliable the information is) are separate axes.
This is a translation; the Japanese version is authoritative. The assessments here are generated automatically by AI based on published criteria. The operator does not alter individual results. Because they are AI-generated they may contain errors, and they are opinion and commentary, not statements of fact. Where evidence is insufficient, the entry is marked “On hold.” Requests for correction are accepted via the form.
Terms: Narrative Value = an assessment (A–G) of the distance between the narrative an organization tells and its reality / Ceiling meter = a visualization of the reachable upper bound / Watching = unconfirmed matters not counted / Protected stakeholders = people, animals, nature, and future generations. | Generated by: AI | As of: 2026-Q4 | Back to top