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IT Expert Volunteers - mda621
IT Pros Volunteer Travel
Jun six, 2010 Gayle Pescud
There is a absence of skilled experts to help repair computer problems, or build IT remedies to difficult difficulties. Even locating someone to correctly network a dozen personal computers could be a challenge inside the building planet.
An instance of the issues that organizations inside the building planet encounter incorporates bad world wide web connectivity rendering it difficult, for instance, to download significant computer software packages. It’s almost impossible to download anti-virus 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 of the frequent virus attacks.
How IT Pros Can Support Volunteering Abroad
Finding an individual to reformat pcs without installing viruses or doing a bad installation during a reformatting is rare. Other difficulties 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 pcs, 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 aid 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 in the type of work that volunteers with government organizations like Peace Corps or VSO do from the creating world. They may also support local government offices and hospitals.
Geek Corps is an organization established to help expand web use in developing countries with a strong presence in Mali,
Windows 7 Enterprise Key, West Africa. PC Entire world reports on a former volunteer and IBM employee, Scott Jenkins,
Windows 7 Serial, 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 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 specialists.”
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 Standard 2010 Key, Finance and Accounting, Communications and Marketing,
Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007, HR, IT, 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 travel where the organization they will help is located, particularly if they have a desire to journey anyway and if that organization has very poor web connectivity. It’s a choice in the volunteer. Many,
Windows 7 64bit, like those online volunteers working for YPWC work from home, contributing their web building skills online.
One of 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 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 is a need for IT professionals to improve knowledge and IT skills.