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IT Expert Volunteers - mda621
IT Professionals Volunteer Travel
Jun six, 2010 Gayle Pescud
There is a absence of experienced experts to help you repair computer troubles, or create IT options to difficult troubles. Even finding someone to correctly network a dozen pcs might be a problem inside the establishing entire world.
An instance of the challenges that organizations in the creating globe face consists of poor internet connectivity which makes it difficult, by way of example, to download huge computer software plans. It’s almost impossible to download anti-virus application 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 from the frequent virus attacks.
How IT Pros Can Support Volunteering Abroad
Finding a person to reformat personal 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 software program. 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 personal computers, professionals are needed to aid this extremely technical and time-consuming process.
Information Technology Volunteer Abroad Opportunities
Peace Corps says, “Information and Communications Technology volunteers help communities and organizations capitalize on available and appropriate information technology. Most ICT volunteers are involved in laptop or computer teaching and training.”
This is an accurate reflection of the type of work that volunteers with government organizations like Peace Corps or VSO do in the creating planet. They may also support local government offices and hospitals.
Geek Corps is an organization established to assist expand web use in establishing countries with a strong presence in Mali, West Africa. PC 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 with the trip; Geekcorps covered his medical, evacuation and journey 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 professionals.”
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, Finance and Accounting, Communications and Marketing,
Windows 7 sale, HR,
Microsoft Office Professional 2007, IT,
Microsoft Office 2007 Professional Plus, 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 support is located,
Microsoft Office 2007 Standard, particularly if they have a desire to travel anyway and if that organization has poor web connectivity. It’s a choice in the volunteer. Many, like those online volunteers working for YPWC work from home, contributing their web building skills online.
One in 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, there are dozens of community service opportunities for IT specialists 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,
Microsoft Office 2007 Professional, South America, Asia or anywhere else there's a need for IT experts to improve knowledge and IT skills.