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IT Expert Volunteers - mda621
IT Pros Volunteer Travel
Jun 6, 2010 Gayle Pescud
There is often a lack of experienced experts to assist repair personal computer difficulties, or create IT options to complicated issues. Even finding someone to appropriately network a dozen computer systems can be a challenge within the establishing globe.
An instance with the issues that organizations in the creating world encounter includes very poor web connectivity rendering it challenging, for instance, to download significant software plans. It’s almost impossible to download anti-virus computer software without a connection cutting out part way through due to either connectivity or power cuts. It can take days or weeks of download attempts to get one 50 MB program. As a result many organizations “wing it” without adequate anti-virus and then lose their precious work during one with the frequent virus attacks.
How IT Pros Can Aid Volunteering Abroad
Finding someone to reformat computers without installing viruses or doing a bad installation during a reformatting is rare. Other challenges are that small NGOs do not have enough money to buy basic computer software needed like the latest MS Office or specialist design application. Many NGOs could seriously do with an “IT makeover.”
When clinics and hospitals go through the process of transforming from paper records to digitalized data on pcs, pros are needed to assist this extremely technical and time-consuming process.
Information Technology Volunteer Abroad Opportunities
Peace Corps says, “Information and Communications Technology volunteers assist communities and organizations capitalize on available and appropriate information technology. Most ICT volunteers are involved in computer teaching and training.”
This is an accurate reflection from the type of work that volunteers with government organizations like Peace Corps or VSO do in the creating world. They may also support local government offices and hospitals.
Geek Corps is an organization established to aid expand web use in establishing countries with a strong presence in Mali, West Africa. PC Entire world reports on a former volunteer and IBM employee, Scott Jenkins, who was stationed in Bamako, Mali as a recruit. “Jenkins used his vacation pay from IBM to finance most of the trip; Geekcorps covered his medical, evacuation and travel visa expenses. The nonprofit also paid him a US$10 daily stipend to cover his food costs.” The article further explains that Jenkins “worked 9 to 5 in a 10-person team of Malian and Western IT pros.”
Challenges Worldwide explains that they, “typically work with volunteers who have a minimum of 3 years work experience and is always on the look-out for volunteers with backgrounds in: Law,
Office 2007 Product Key, Finance and Accounting,
Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007, Communications and Marketing, HR,
Office Professional 2010, IT,
Office 2010 Download, Business Planning and Management and Administration.”
Volunteering for Web Developers
Web developers have the choice to volunteer from the comfort of their very own home or journey where the organization they will aid is located, particularly if they have a desire to travel anyway and if that organization has bad internet connectivity. It’s a choice in the volunteer. Many, like those online volunteers working for YPWC work from home, contributing their web establishing skills online.
One from the best places to begin a search for an IT-related volunteer opportunity is to hit Idealist's data base and do a search.
In short,
Microsoft Office 2007, there are dozens of community service opportunities for IT professionals who wish to volunteer for their next vacation or take a long time out and spend a couple of years living and working in Africa, South America, Asia or anywhere else there's a need for IT experts to improve knowledge and IT skills.