Past Volunteer Events

This area is for photos and descriptions of past volunteer events. This page is a work in progress.

March 2008 Computer Shipment to Liberia and Ethiopia

Thanks to the help of Iowa City residents and companies, 600 computers and 10,000 books were sent to Liberia and Ethiopia this March. The Regina Catholic Education Center, a school community focused on academic excellence and the Gospel message, donated eight grades worth of textbooks to students overseas. Area residents also contributed over $6,000 to send a cargo container holding the donations to Africa.
With the help of many volunteers, the computers and books were wrapped, organized, and packed into the cargo container. Dozens of students and residents gave their time and made the shipment a huge success as well as an enjoyable Saturday afternoon. The tremendous amount of outreach from the Iowa City community made the shipment to Africa ultimately possible.
Thanks to the contributions of individuals and companies as well as the dedication of the volunteers in Iowa City, students in Liberia and Ethiopia now have access to technology and digital information like never before.

January 2008 Computer Shipment to Liberia

The WiderNet Project and numerous volunteers rang in the new year by shipping another cargo container to Liberia. A total of 275 computers were donated by individuals and companies around Iowa City.
Along with the computers, 5,000 books were donated, including eight grades worth of used textbooks from Regina Catholic Education Center. Area residents also donated over $6,000 to send the container over seas.
With the help of many volunteers, the computers were wrapped, organized, and packed into the cargo container. Dozens volunteered their time and made the shipment to Liberia a huge success as well as a fun Saturday afternoon. The shipment will be sent to the University of Liberia and will be used for students who would otherwise not have access to technology and digital information.
Recovering from civil turmoil, the contributions of individuals and companies as well as the dedication of the volunteers are helping the beautiful country of Liberia get back on its feet. The WiderNet Project is grateful for the hard work of the volunteers and the many who donated computers and books.

October 2007 Computer Shipment to Ethiopia

In 2002, the WiderNet Project sent its first large shipment of computers to universities in Nigeria. Since then, the WiderNet Project has continued to collect used computers from private and corporate donors in Iowa City and surrounding Iowa communities, and also from as far away as Washington D.C.  
In October 2007, a 40 foot cargo container with over 270 computers and monitors was shipped to Adama University in Ethiopia. The shipment contained networking equipment, textbooks, printers, and other computer accessories that will be used by the students at Adama University. The University of Iowa Surplus donated 100 computers and the rest of the equipment and materials were donations from individuals and institutions in the Iowa City community. 
Dozens of volunteers contributed their time over the course of a week packing monitors in bubble wrap, hauling equipment from the International Center, and loading and arranging everything within the cargo container. The entire enterprise was fueled by the work of volunteers - starting with testing and refurbishing the computers and ending with the stuffing everything into the cargo container.
The cargo container is currently in transit, traveling by land to New Jersey and then by sea to Djibouti, and finally by land again to Adama University in Ethiopia.  When the shipment arrives, WiderNet staff will travel to the university to train local technicians, help set up nine different computer labs, and provide capacity building to faculty, staff, and students. Each computer system will be provided at a total cost of approximately $25, providing an affordable outlet to learn and transforming the educational atmosphere at the university.  Students can access the benefits of technology that were previously unavailable to them because of the work of all the volunteers who participated in the event.
The WiderNet Project continues to collect used computers and is looking forward to the delivery of this shipment as well as anticipating the next one. 

April 2004 Volunteers loading a cargo container

In April of 2004, the WiderNet Project packed and shipped nearly 400 computers to Ahmadu Bello University, located in Zaria, Nigeria and Bayero University in Kano, Nigeria.  Also included in the cargo container shipment were software, books, monitors, servers, networking devices, and computer accessories for each university, as well as the University of Jos and the University of Ibadan, who received the first shipment of computers in 2002.  Altogether, the shipment was valued at over $150,000 in US dollars.  More than the actual financial value, this computer equipment provides new opportunities and information to scholars in Nigeria. 
In 2004, as previously, much of the computer shipment was fueled by local volunteers, who worked over four hundred hours to make sure that each computer was working properly and that functioning network cards were installed.  Volunteers also wrapped each monitor with bubble wrap and one by one packed the each of the items into a cargo container.  The packing of the container was accomplished in just five hours, after several days of non-stop preparation.  Great support was given locally, from the University of Iowa Foundation and UI Surplus with their donations, as well as the local groceries and restaurants that donated snacks. 
The cargo container is currently in transit, first taken by truck and train to the eastern coast of the United States, and then shipped by sea vessel to Nigeria.  The container is expected to arrive several months later where it will be approved by Nigerian customs.  Upon arrival, the two universities, Ahmadu Bello University and Bayero University, will split the items based on a color coded system.  Further assistance will be provided by the WiderNet Project for installing and maintaining their computer networks, as well as training of computer technicians. 
The WiderNet Project continues to collect used computers and is looking forward to the delivery of this shipment as well as anticipating the next one.

March 2003 Volunteer workday

May 2002 Computer shipment to Nigeria -- Our first!

In May of 2002, the WiderNet Project packed and shipped over 300 computers to two different universities in Nigeria. The computers were collected from private and corporate donors from the surrounding area. All of the computers donated are Pentium I or better machines, so they will be of much use to the receiving universities. The two universities who plan to split the computers evenly are the University of Jos and the University of Ibadan.
Local volunteers worked hundreds of hours to make sure that each computer was working properly and that functioning network cards were installed. The 3Com Corporation donated 200 network cards to insure that every computer shipped could easily be linked to each other and any existing network infrastructure at the universities. 
Volunteers also specially wrapped each individual monitor with bubble wrap and securely packed the PCs into a cargo container. The cargo container was taken by truck and train to the coast, where it was shipped to Nigeria. The two receiving universities split the cost of shipping the computers.