For those in need

The story of the 1001 donated laptops

Since 2020, the Springboard association has been committed to supporting economically disadvantaged families. This time, they were able to collect more than a thousand laptops for them. Their aim is to make it easier for many young Austrians and migrants to access education. 

Since the start of the aid campaign in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic (March 2020), the Springboard association run by Farid Sigari Majd and Robert Gulla has been able to collect or purchase a total of 1,013 laptops worth around 250,000 euros.

(Bild: Zwi Perez Chajes Schule)

Laptops properly refurbished
Used but still functional laptops are collected. These are properly refurbished before being passed on. In addition, used laptops are also purchased directly from specialist retailers using the donations provided by Springboard.

(Bild: AZIV)

"Education, communication and access to technology are essential prerequisites for integration to work and for effective countermeasures against the digital divide between rich and poor," explains Majd. He was recently elected to succeed Springboard co-founder Michael Schaumann, who passed away far too early in August 2023.

Among other awards, Springboard received the prestigious Intercultural Achievement Award (IAA) in the category "Best Austrian Project" in 2021, awarded by the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs. In 2022, Springboard received the "Exemplary Accessibility" award in the "Digital Accessibility" category from BhW Niederösterreich.

"An important impetus for us was to give disadvantaged young people access to online schooling during the coronavirus pandemic. We will continue this 'Go digital!' project with all our commitment and consistency," says Gulla.