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Heart for Africa

Software Donations Enable Haven for African Orphans

Heart for Africa is a nonprofit that provides care and hope for the future of the children in Swaziland, Southern Africa. Through service trips, child sponsorship, and large fundraising programs, Heart for Africa delivers quality care, shelter, food, water, clothing, health care, and education to the orphaned and vulnerable children of the region. More than 5,000 volunteers have traveled to Africa as part of Heart for Africa in the past five years. They make an impact in many ways from helping to plant seedlings to distributing shoes.

Currently the organization is developing a place of hope in Swaziland named Project Canaan. It is a 2,500-acre large-scale land development project designed to bring expertise and resources together, to find a holistic solution to many of the area's issues. There are two sides to the development project:a farm and a program for children. The Project Canaan Farm will approach agriculture in many ways, including outdoor and greenhouse crop production, fish farming, dairy farming, the raising of chickens and goats, coffee production, and fruit production. The proceeds from farming will help the project to become a sustainable community and support children's homes. The Project Canaan Children program will provide a safe haven for orphans and vulnerable children. Homes and schools will be developed, giving these children a chance to live, grow, and be educated.

Through TechSoup, Heart for Africa was able to receive donations from Microsoft, Intuit, and Adobe. Microsoft Office gave the organization the tools it needed to track donations and other data. Intuit QuickBooks lets the organization conduct its own financial tracking. Adobe software allowed its marketing staff to make edits that would normally require an extra designer, therefore saving money for Heart for Africa to use on its mission.