Children in part of Africa will be connected to the rest of the world for the first time thanks to a Kent charity.

Digital Pipeline is sending 40,000 computers to schools in Tanzania where seven acres of land has also be set aside for a new digital campus to be built.

It is the biggest project the Aylesford based charity has embarked on since it was founded in 2004.

Today, two 13-metre long containers left the charity's site ahead of a six week journey to Dar es Salaam where IT equipment will start to be delivered to some 1,000 schools.

The charity, which was previously known as Computers4Africa, takes old computers and refurbishes them so they can be used again in developing countries.

To date they have shipped around 200,000 machines to economically deprived communities around the world.

Chief executive Bevil Williams said: "We are tremendously excited at this project, the biggest we have ever undertaken.

"Bringing computer technology to developing economies is key to driving educational, healthcare and commercial achievement. Harnessing digital technology is key to the future prosperity of these nations and their young people.

"For instance, Africans have more mobile phones than all European countries put together. And while Tanzania has a sophisticated system of university education, 90 percent of graduates do not have a job to go to."