USA Volunteer Collaboration

Many groups - a common goal

It takes a lot of work to fill a 40-foot shipping container with 600 boxes of quality refurbished hardware destined for individual African schools. Our volunteers come from Omaha businesses, NGOs, churches, high schools and universities, and Offutt Air Force Base. Together they refurbish, package, and load computer labs for 24 East African schools each year. CFA channels the enthusiasm and skills of scores of individual volunteers into a single, cooperative effort with international impact.

Volunteers loading the container The majority of our volunteers come to CFA’s regularly scheduled refurbish and package days where hands-on volunteer opportunities range from trouble shooting PCs to bubble wrapping keyboards and banding mice. Some volunteers refurbish computer systems in CFA clubs within their schools. In either case, the united effort in Omaha makes possible African community building by 24 schools as they advance together in technology.

The 2009 cooperative effort culminated in the shipment of 400 more computers from Omaha. This brings Omaha’s total effort to 2,232 computers sent to 134 African communities.

"Determined action in the private and public sectors is needed to close and eventually eliminate the digital divide." (19)

"Lasting peace cannot be achieved unless large population groups find ways in which to break out of poverty." (20)