From Club Members to RAD Trainers: Meet the Rangatahi Leading the Way 💻✨
Every RAD journey starts somewhere.
Often it begins with curiosity: opening a laptop for the first time, learning what each part does, or simply wanting to try something new. From there, some rangatahi join a RAD club, learn the magic of refurbishing devices, and discover that their skills can make a real difference for their communities.
RAD clubs are designed to do exactly that: help learners become leaders.
Across Aotearoa, students are repairing laptops, reducing e-waste, and helping bridge the digital divide, all while building confidence and technical skills. These clubs are where the next generation of digital innovators first step into the world of technology.
And for some rangatahi, that journey doesn’t stop there.
This year as part of RAD’s ongoing journey, several students who began their RAD journey in school clubs have stepped up into a new role: ✨ RAD Trainers ✨. They now travel to workshops across the country, helping others learn the same skills that first inspired them.
It’s the RAD pathway in action: from learner, to leader, to mentor.
Let’s meet some of the incredible rangatahi who are helping bring RAD training to more communities across Aotearoa.
Cole – Turning curiosity into community impact
Cole first joined the RAD club at Fairfield College in 2023 after attending a training workshop at school. What started as curiosity quickly became a passion.
“The workshop opened a whole new world to me when it came to computers… I’d never even thought about opening one and fixing it.”
Since then, he’s refurbished more laptops than he can count. Now, as a trainer, he’s excited to pass those skills on to others, including at his recent school retraining where he confidently welcomed new members to the RAD whānau.
For Cole, RAD is about more than just fixing devices.
“RAD is about community… seeing people work together to prevent e-waste and improve the lives of people who don’t typically have access to a device.”
Sam – Four years in the making
Christchurch Boys High School’s original RAD training day in 2020 with RAD founder Hadi and RAD leader Mr. Wright.
Sam’s RAD journey began at Christchurch Boys’ High School, where he spent four years working in his local RAD club before stepping into the trainer role.
Over time, that experience built not just technical skills, but a deeper understanding of the impact behind the work.
“After being involved in the first few club sessions, I knew this was the kind of voluntary work I was passionate about.”
Now he travels to workshops around Aotearoa, connecting with other RAD clubs and rangatahi who share the same mission.
For Sam, the most rewarding part of the work is knowing the difference a laptop can make.
“Nothing is more rewarding than knowing someone at the other end of the line is smiling because they have a resource that will help them succeed throughout their schooling life.”
Ethan – Growing the RAD movement
Ethan’s RAD journey began in 2024, helping run the RAD Tech Club at Aotea College. With training and resources from RAD, the club quickly became a space where students could learn the art of refurbishing laptops and put their skills to work for the community.
Now, Ethan has stepped into the trainer role, helping launch new clubs, retrain existing ones, and support workshops across the country. His first training workshop was at Fairfield College, and it’s only the beginning of a journey sharing RAD skills with more rangatahi.
For Ethan, the most powerful part of RAD is seeing the real-world impact of the work.
“Watching the impact we create… I’ve seen students using computers we repaired and knowing that we give people access to something they wouldn’t normally have is amazing to me.”
That experience is personal for Ethan too.
“I used to be in the same situation, so it feels good to give back… Now, as a trainer, I get the same feeling from teaching others and giving people the skills they need to do what I have been doing.”
Sophia – Building community through tech
Sophia’s journey began through a school RAD club at Aotea College, where she helped grow a diverse tech club community alongside classmates and teachers.
Her love of technology and leadership made the trainer role a natural next step.
“I immediately wanted to share my experience and journey through technology.”
For Sophia, RAD is as much about people as it is about technology.
“The community. Definitely the community… it’s like a family of tech-savvies.”
Through training workshops, she hopes to help more students discover their own place in that community.
Maksim – From pulling apart tech to teaching it
Maksim joined a RAD club at Whangaparāoa College because it looked like a fun way to spend time doing something he already loved — tinkering with tech.
It quickly became something bigger.
“It’s not just building laptops but being sustainable and making a big impact in the community.”
Now as a trainer, he enjoys meeting other people passionate about tech repair and helping grow that interest across the country.
His long-term vision is simple but powerful:
“I hope Aotearoa becomes a country that fixes stuff instead of replacing it.”
Lachlan – Leading by learning
Lachlan joined the Christchurch Boys’ High School refurbishment group when he started high school in 2022, initially out of curiosity and a passion for technology.
Over time, he took on more responsibility, eventually becoming a supervisor within the group.
The trainer role felt like a natural next step — an opportunity to take those leadership skills and help other clubs develop their own.
Lachlan’s first training workshop helped 26 laptops get into the community of a South Auckland Boys’ School. His highlight of the workshop was the staff and students. “They were kind, respectful, and really keen to learn. They made the workshop a really enjoyable experience.”
“Being a part of RAD means that I can become part of something that gives back to the community and people in need, while giving me an opportunity to develop my own refurbishment skills.”
Vitor – Teaching through technology
For Vitor, RAD combines two things he already loves: electronics repair and helping others learn.
After participating in his school RAD club and training workshop, stepping into the trainer role felt like the perfect fit.
“Mixing my enjoyment for electronics repair and the joy from watching a student learn was a no brainer.”
For Vitor, his next educational steps felt firmer after his participation in RAD and is now undertaking an Electrical Engineering degree. Through his role as a RAD trainer, he hopes to help create a future where technology is accessible to everyone.
“That everyone has access to it and that it is integrated as a tool for all to use that betters the life of everyone.”
The RAD pathway in action
These trainers all started the same way: as curious students in RAD clubs.
By learning to repair laptops, they built not just technical skills but confidence, leadership, and a sense of purpose. Now they’re helping the next generation of RAD members do the same.
It’s proof that RAD clubs are more than just places to fix laptops. They’re places where rangatahi discover what they’re capable of.
And when those learners become leaders, the impact spreads even further, reaching more schools, more communities, and more future tech innovators across Aotearoa.