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Volunteer Work Abroad?
MKalus asks: "Looking at what is going on in the world right now and realizing that computers are not everything (yes, there is more than that) I was considering for quite some time now volunteering in an international project. I was looking at institutions like Casa Alianza and Doctors Without Borders but the problem I am facing is that all of these organizations mainly seem to search for volunteers in medical fields and not so much in High Tech Areas. This is, of course, understandable as I don't really think anybody needs a server farm if they don't have enough to eat at the end of the day." Update: 12/03 15:19 GMT by C :MKalus has been reading the comments sent in so far, but had this bit to add: "I am NOT from the US, I am german living in Canada, as such things like the Peace Corps for example are not a viable option."
"Now I am aware of several organisations where you can go for two weeks in a developing country and help on a farm etc. I also remember the Geekcorps but as nice as it sounds to bring the internet in parts of the world who don't have it I don't quite see the sense in it when at the same time thousands of people die everyday.
So here's the question: Is there a geek out there who managed to volunteer for a longer period (6 months to a year or maybe even longer) in a project abroad, something along the lines of those I've mentioned abobe?"
if you cant find an existing organization that fits your needs, why not start your own? im sure there are plenty of fellow geeks here who would love to join somthing just like what your looking for.
You aren't really specific about whether you most want to help in places in need (in which, yes, you'll surely have to pick some other contribution than I.T.) or just go abroad with the talents you've got.
Many commentators say the best bang for the 1st world's development bucks will come from helping nations that are hurting but are also developing - to help tip the balance towards upward progress.
In which case, I think you don't even have to travel far. Learn Spanish and do some travelling south of the Rio Grande and I think you'll find Mexico and other latin american countries are in endless need of teachers and NGO office volunteers that know their way around a computer.
what about www.geekcorps.org. i am sure this was covered on slashdot a few months back. are we going mad?
look somewhere else for a sig... *** ** *
>I don't really think anybody needs a server farm
>if they don't have enough to eat at the end of
>the day.
They don't need a doctor at this point either.
What they needed was either farming in the last
growing season, and/or a transportation infrastructure, together with whatever economic means would have been require to make all that happen.
By the time widespread hunger sets into a place,
there's sadly not much to be done.
Have you considered the Peace Corps? You could
at least work in commo, if that's geeky enough for you.
First of all, props to the guys who can just pick up and leave for six monts at a time, but for the majority of working shmoes such as myself, it is an impossibility. Good intentions don't put food on the table, and I don't know of one employer who would let a person leave for a year, then graciously welcome him back.
If I had a company and somebody came to me with a resume showing he took off for a year to do goodwill work in some other country, all I'd see is a guy who needs retraining on a years worth of technology changes. You want to help out, donate money. Let the out of work hippies donate months of their lives.
AWG
It's a classic problem with foreign aid organizations. What they get are young people with the wrong skills. What they need are experienced blue-collar leaders: farmers who've successfully farmed tough land, experienced truck mechanics, construction foremen, and pipeline field bosses.
I apologize to the partial post...
I meant to add that there are similar projects in the Caribbean. In the Dominican Republic, The Amity Institute has a teaching exchange program that includes teaching posts for computer technology courses. Likewise, the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, where I worked for a semester, always needs technology instructors. Both of these organizations put geeks up in apartments. (Spanish is required).
w o r l d w i d e w e b e r
Infrastructure is nice. Infrastructure is good. Having the right equipment, irrigation and transportation would certainly be welcome.
But information is the next best thing. You may not have a tractor, but knowing how to plow a field without causing soil erosion is important. You can't build an effective grain silo without having the plans for one; but if you know how they're laid out, you might cobble one together.
I suppose you could photocopy a bunch of plans and hand them out, but the net allows neighboring villages to share their experiences and figure out what works in that area and what won't, and to make arrangements to buy equipment and materials on the cheap when it becomes available.
Of course the net is no panacea, but it's of more help than you might think.
sweet merciful christ, there are only nine comments and two of them didn't even bother to read the post before hitting the "reply" button. have people been so conditioned that they think they know the answer before they know the question?
You'd be doing the world a lot more good if you stayed in the States and used your most productive years to start a business that employed gazillions of people. There are two advantages to this: In the interim, gazillions of employees have enough disposable income to be able to settle down and raise families, and, in the long run, when you get old you will have enough money to really help the beneficiary of your choice.
PS: Most charities are, at best, fraudulent, but are more likely to be detrimental to the very people they are supposed to help.
Yes, for a long time now I want to do the same. I think an on the field participation, build a network, teaching people how to do that could be a goood think. And also working from my home ountry developing software they need. I suppose most od this idees are done already. Like on East Timor, UN built some IT infraestructure. But a computer related Org could be more productive. I would like to know about one or to help build one. What do you say?
------I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't looking good either.------
Hey,
2001 is the UN year of the volunteer. I am curently teaching in the Cisco Academy in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia. THere are plenty of IT related opportunities with the United Nations in the ICT sector. As long as you have at least 5 years experienc and are at least 25 years old.
Check out www.unv.org for more information. Plus if you are willing to go to Afganistan, I can assure you you will probably be on the next flight with out bombs!
You're looking for "Engineers Without Borders":
here a few of their addresses:
http://ewob.colorado.edu
EWOB USA
http://www.ewb-isf.org
EWB CANADA
http://www.isf-france.org
EWB France = Ingénieurs sans Frontières (ISF)
There are lots of other local and national EWB groups, a google search should find em.
Rather than looking abroad may I suggest joing a domestic (USA) organization. Americorps is a national civilian service organization that send people to different locations around the US where strong minds and bodies are needed.
A great friend of mine joined for a year and work with inner city kids in Las Vegas, worked at a soup kitchen in Denver, fight fires in the Sierra Nevadas, built trails and did eco-rehab in the Sierras and many other fun projects.
I looked at joining six months ago when I was between jobs, and deciding if I wanted to return to college. The people I talked to were enthusiastic about having a geek who was interested in joing (I'm also a hardcore outdoor enthusiast, so that was a plus side for them as well.)
Americorp is a great deal, you commit to work for a year, you get trianed, then while working get a small monthly per diem and at the end of your service are eligible for a decent amount of $$$ for college. I would highly reccomend it to anyone who is interested in helping people. When my current contract with my employer expires I'm joing for a year.
Rule of Life Number 2: Remember, it can all go to hell at any minute. --Jimmy Buffet
My school is part of an organization called Engineers Without Borders. http://www.ewb-isf.org/ I appears to be a Canadian organization, but if you are from the states they will at least be able to give you more information about what you are looking for.
If I were you I'd look into organizations whose primary focus is infrastructure development. Building schools, developing industry, and raising the general standard of living is a far more effective goal. It may not have the same immediate gratification of medical aide, but in the long run it's a lot better for the people and probably more along the lines of your skills.
I worked as an intern for Doctor's Without Borders a few years ago at their office in New York. As one of only a handful of people in the office who knew much of anything about computers, I did a lot of work on their website, mostly in the form of putting a lot of their fieldwork online. From this experiencem, I have found that NGO's (Non-Governmental Organizations) need a lot of help in this arena. Since IT workers are in relatively short supply, and since we want to get paid for our services rendered, it's hard to find IT services for free, which is what NGO's really need.
I think that as more of the fundraising comes from online sources (paypal, et al) these organizations will need people like us to set up the infrastructure to do these kinds of things. Sure, it won't be as "hands on" as picking up a shovel or suturing a wound, but volunteerism takes on many forms, and we as savants can be of great service if we put our knowledge to use in this regard.
The Peace Corps has a focus area for volunteer work on IT. It is listed at http://www.peacecorps.org/assignments/focusareas.c fm
http://www.peacecorps.gov/assignments/focusareas .c fm#it
There's plenty of work to go around.
EDUNIX is a company based in the United States that attempts to develop technology companies in the caribbean by specifically targetting the country's educational infrastructure. The company uses open-source software to "connect schools to the internet" at a reasonable price. (I am currently working for this company and doing work in Dominican Republic and Cuba, and you should see us online in about a month so remember to check us out).
I know as a computer geek it is often hard to see the value in this. However, it is important to note how important technology is as a factor of long-term economic growth. By targetting schools specifically (and using open-source in general), you are adding to the country's intellectual capital today (educating more people in the methods of doing business in today's economies and thereby making them more "hireable") and also adds to their GDP growth in the long-run (for example, by educating one person who then forms a company that exploits technology to increases worker productivity and icreasing output, etc).
It may not seem like much, but engineers (whether they build dams or software) are key to the development of modern economies (which need to operate efficiently and in large scale with complex structures).
Or maybe I am just a geek with a high opinion of myself.
w o r l d w i d e w e b e r
Netaid, part of the UN Development Programme doesn't offer work abroad, but uses the Net so you can work locally to help those abroad. A lot of the assignments are more oreinted toward research/advocacy/education, but there are tech needs associated with those things too: sysadmins, DBAs, Web developers, etc. This is part of the UNDP's Information and Communications Technology division.
Global Technology Corps is run by the US Department of State and sends people abroad to build LANs and such.
Trust For The Americas sends folks abroad to teach tech, and also to setup the infrastructure -- building networks, etc.
From the VSO web site
...
<cite> VSO is an international development charity that works through volunteers. We enable people aged 17-70 to share their skills and experience with local communities in the developing world. We passionately believe we can make a difference in tackling poverty by helping people to realise their potential.
VSO currently recruits volunteers of any nationality who are living in the EU, Canada and the United States. In addition we are currently running pilot programmes recruiting volunteers from Kenya and the Philippines. We have established offices in Canada and the Netherlands. </cite>
Since "Doctors without Borders" is known internationally as "Medecins sans Frontiers" I'd like to donate to them a copy of the old Amiga space sim "Frontier" (AKA Elite 2)
The American Red Cross, American Rescue Team, the Salvation Army are only a few organizations among many others for which you can volunteer to help the poor and disadvantaged people in a foreign country called America. Hope it helps.
ESI (Educational Services International) is a group that primarily teaches conversational English to countries with out a large monetary base. They also have a computer course they are working on. This is computer science more than "click here and a paperclip should appear." :-)
They are an evangelical group which means they are there to show the love of Christ via action. They are not a mass-evangelical group. The idea is that they do a good thing in God's name, and folks get curious and start looking at they why behind the actions. So, if you are a Christian, this is a very good group. They teach in Russia and China primarily, but the computer courses are based more in the near Eastern areas. Hope this helps!
Sam
I think a lot of these "non-profit" organizations recruiting volunteers are actually paying the people. Only difference between them and regular businesses is how they collect the funds in the first place. Instead of selling a product or their services, they collect government grants and donations.
One of my ex-g/f's worked (and possibly even still does work) for a religious organization that claims to be non-profit. They produce several religious radio and TV programs. She applied for the job just like it was any other job, and they pay her to be a media coordinator for them. In fact, I don't even think she realized they were a non-profit until after she went to the interview and learned more details. (Heck, she doesn't even believe in their religion - but it really makes no difference to them. They just need people with the skills to achieve their goals.)
Not all volunteer work means you have to drop everything and go unpaid.
Have a look at Engineers Without Borders. It's a nonprofit group, only recently started, whose purpose is to bring the technical skills of professionals in the developed world to help solve problems in developing countries.
EWB is growing quite fast, and it has already set up international placements in some Third World countries (India, Nepal, Chile). I'm sure they could use whatever support you can provide.
Hello.
This is a site run by a friend of mine who has done a lot of exactly what you're talking about. It has a matching service that appears to draw from organizations in various countries. http://www.interopp.org/
I don't know if you'll find exactly what you want, but it seems like a place to look.
peace
At HAL2001 there was a talk from someone of CryptoRights. He said they desperately need people for human right work in foreign countries. If you're thinking about helping, and you have computer skills, visit cryptorights.org.
I don't really understand why you need to work for a non-profit organisation abroad. I am currently living in my third country, and in a few months I moving to my fourth. I don't work for a non-profit organisation, instead, I work for a company that gives me a good salary.
How is this good and how does it help anyone in a third world country?
I give away approx. 300 dollars a month to two different organisations.
The amount of money I give away isn't really noticable to me (I mean, I can pay my rent and drink my beers), and if I believe the adverts from one of these organisation, I am getting clean water to 1500 or so children.
My suggestion to you, get a good job in the country of your choice (if your anything close to good in the IT field, this shouldn't be too hard), earn money and DONATE! I think you will help more this way.
Doctors Without Borders seemed to see the events of September 11 as a great opportunity to criticise the US. That really turned me off.
I'll be sending my charitable dollars and effort elsewhere.
A friend of mine has left Europe for Burundi this september. He enrolled with doctors without borders. He is absolutely not a doctor but a computer engineer (we were together at the university). His job will not mainly be computer oriented but he will be supporting the doctors, organizing transports, communications, I don't know exactly in fact !
If you want to know more, you can send me an email and I will forward it to him.
Men are born ignorant, not stupid; they are made stupid by education. Bertrand Russel
Maybe you should consider focusing on places where the people are struggling to get enough to eat. I guess the real question is, is there any place that is lacking in knowledgeable computer people. Seems that a few small obscure countries have some very talented people.
I might also check to see if there was any project that meshed what I liked to do a lot, with something that benefits your charity. These aren't trivial questions are they?
Judging from the way MKalus spelled "organisations", Americorps may in fact be abroad. Although I got the feeling that the desired destination was like S. America, Africa, Balkans, etc.
-B
Ash and Hickory, straight-grained and true, make excellent bludgeons, dandy for the cudgeling of vegetarians.
How about Geeks in Ghana? -Dave
When I spoke with them, I realized that many of these NGOs are struggling through IT and licencing problems, just like any small business on a tight budget. Even the Red Cross forks over millions to the Voracious One in licensing fees every year. You might be able to donate your services as a sysadmin, setting up communications and logistics for these organizations-- even in the bush.
I cannot speak for the company, but I bet that Red Hat would be willing to listen to a good idea as part of their Open Source Now project.
(these comments reflect my personal opinion and do not reflect on the opinions or positions of others)
davejenkins.com |
I've just finished doing a project for a Graduate Diploma in Emergency Services Management this year. Developed countries can cope with disasters much better than developing countries, and one aspect of this is because developed countries can throw more IT at the problem in stages of preparation, mitigation, response and recovery. I feel there is a growing need for open source and free software developed by an international community, with a view to providing software services for managing information and resources in a disaster, or aid program. There is SUMA a SUpply MAnagement program that is used for the transfer of aid and supply. There is commercial software available for emergency management, but once again only the rich countries can afford it. Learn GIS and offer your skills to governments and help in the preparation and mitigation stages by planning for natural and manmade disasters. There are plenty of opportunities for those involved in IT that want to help! :)
Cheers Gav
Schools could always use the extra tech support/experience. As a technical volunteer of a school district, I can tell you how challenging it can be. A lot of that work is domestic, but I'm sure schools abroad could use the help too. Education is always going to be an important place for technology, because that's where people like you and I are trained early on. My school did not have very much technology when I was there, but I was lucky enough to have experience elsewhere in it at a young age, and I think that is what has allowed me to succeed in the technology world today.
Trying is the First Step to Failing --Homer Simpson
Point taken, but I don't think that taking a job for a non-profit organization is necessarily "Volunteer Work".
On the flip side of the coin, I do not not make the six figure salary which I was promised in University, but I still do the computer gig because I love the job. If I had the chance to go to another country and do what I love, and get paid for it (before I got tied down with family) I would have jumped at the chance. Locally, I donate my time and skills to schools and other organizations, because many of the teachers in the industry do not have the hands on experience or background in areas which commonly get overlooked in high school computer science. This is easier to fit in my schedule, allows me to hold a paying job, and still makes a difference.
There are many ways to do volunteer work for overseas nations without leaving home, like lobbying politicians for changes in export laws, or increasing foreign aid. I am merely saying Don't be sucked into the romantic vision of venturing off to the third world and changing the way people live. More often than not there is a definitive reason why people that live in third world countries are poor , and it's not due to a lack of technology or wealth(listing them here will thread way off topic), and helping out people by bringing farming knowledge, mechanical skills, or even internet access won't make a lick of difference until the underlying causes are changed. Choose battles which you can win. Teaching a village to farm better means that they will end up having to produce more cash crops for their government, and will have little impact on their quality of life.
ugh. i want to see some hard evidence of
something positive coming out of this.
Engineers Without Borders is a young, but very dynamic (growing extremely fast) NGO looking to apply engineering know-how in the third world in areas like housing, energy, IT, water, demining etc... They are canadian primarily, but chapters are starting up all over the states, and internationally. An organization to watch (http://www.ewb-isf.org/)
It would be interesting if there was some group set up whereby green computer people would go volunteer for a good cause and work with some paid experts in the field.
You know, a group of college computer science majors donating time to install servers somewhere for a good cause working with someone who actually knows what he's doing... In fact, if it's set up right the "kids" could even end up paying for the experience.
When I left university 10 years ago I came very close do doing what you want to. I was going to go teaching computing to kids in a school in Nairobi Kenya. The term was for about 2 years and a charity was funding it. The funding fell through and i didn't go :(
There are charities around you just have to find them
Get started on your shots, too. Thats loads of fun.
That is entirely false. Many of these countries need infrastructure and other resources to make their marketplaces more efficient or facilitate better exchange of information or resources either internally or with the rest of the world.
In fact, while the average agricultural worker in an agricultural economy could care less about establishing a secure internet connection when they're having trouble feeding their families, by creating infrastructure you may be able to help thousands of farmers by allowing market intermediaries to better market or sell goods internally or abroad.
As much resources are wasted in many developing nations because markets and infrastructure are inadequate or easily abused due to informational inequities or corruption as anything else.
The point is that your skills are valuable. You may be able to use them to help more at the macro level than a strong back and sweat could help at the micro level. As you would do in the job market, leverage your skills in volunteering by using them in their most productive capacity.
Finally, you may be able to help from right here at home. Look at Bram Moolenaar's vim. More specifically, download it, then type ":help uganda". Vim is charityware. Rather than pay for this open-source product, the author asks you to donate to the Kibaale Children's Centre. I use vim all the time, and I've made a donation. In fact, I contributed more than I've paid for any other piece of software in years.
So if you're a good coder, consider something of that nature. Or get creative. I don't know how much Bram has raised for the KCC, but I'd guess his coding skills have made a big difference in alot of children's lives.
You've obviously got a big heart and a good head. If you use them both, I have no doubt you'll make a difference
-- My choice of computing platform is a symbol of my individuality and belief in personal freedom.
When I was a support tech some of my co-workers went out and worked on systems for paralyzed people, MS patients, and so on. They weren't supposed to but did it because the customers had no other access to technical help. Many of these users had old discard computers given to them by charities. They were living on extremely minimal disability payments and had no money to pay for upgrades, parts, or tech support.
This is still the case, only I am out of contact with this segment of the user community since leaving tech support. But they're still there, they're still poor, and they need online access more than anybody else does. Often it is their only method of communicating with the outside world--several of our paralyzed users couldn't even talk, could only type with a stick. The government provides only enough assistance to keep these people alive. Somebody else has to help them keep in touch with the human community.
Here is a high tech volunteer organization that goes into 3rd world country and helps their budding infrastructure.
http://www.geekcorps.org/
Thinking about doing it myself in a year or so.
De Oppresso Liber
Point being, the first priority is not to bring democracy to Afghanistan, although this would be nice.
[Afghanistan, in fact, is democratic to a fault. Typically they do not have one or two major parties. They tend to have hundreds of them.]
What is more important is that _education_ is brought into the mix. Restoration of the education system is vital to an effective civilization, unless, like the Taliban, you maintain your power base through maintaining the population in ignorance.
A major part of this is Education in Technology. Bringing technology to Afghanistan, along with all the other fundamental resuorces, would accelerate the recovery of the country.
Information can be considered a fundamental resource for any civilization.
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
I know going aboard is a nice way to see the world and all, but be a little less selfish and help kids in your own area to see if you can hack it.
When you get older, take those trips abroad and LIVE over there to help people. It'll be much more effective.
Set yourself a goal of, say, being able to donate two years worth of your high income to charity work instead of doing low-wage work for a charity for two years.
Have a look at www.idealist.org for some ideas.
It is not necessary to go abroad to make something useful for the world.
As you live in a democracy, you can encourage the people you voted for to change some politics that the USA have and that are the source of a lot of pain in the poor countries.
The first things that come to my mind are the number of international treaties that the USA have not signed :
1. the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
2. the Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC). All countries except for the United States and Somalia have ratified it.
3. the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
4. the ban on antipersonnel landmines (the Ottawa Treaty)
5. the Kyoto Protocol
6. the Law of the Sea Treaty
All those treaties, if signed and applied, can make the world a better place for poor citizens of poor countries.
There are also a number of treaties thatthe US has stripped to signe them.
NOTE : Don't get me wrong, I am not your basic anti-US socialist european. In the numerous talks I had with people after the 11th september, I was always blaming those who said "It's their fault ! Good for them". I was (am) also defending the action against the taliban (except for the use of some nasty bombs).
But, being a supporter of the US must not hide that it's a BIG SHAME to have not signed, ratified and applied those treaties at least !
PS : sorry if some info is outdated, do not hesitate to notify me.
Men are born ignorant, not stupid; they are made stupid by education. Bertrand Russel
From 1987 to 1989, I was in the Peace Corps in Malawi. For two years, I taught high school, but during my third year I taught computer classes at a government training center, mostly to civil servants. I girlfriend (who became my wife), had a job developing database systems for an organization called Malawi Against Polio.
By the way, there are a lot of things I disliked about the Peace Corps, but for the most part,the good outweighed the bad. And what an experience. Those were three of the most interesting and wonderful years of my life, despite some real hardships.
Plus if you are willing to go to Afganistan, I can assure you you will probably be on the next flight with out bombs!
What are "out bombs"? They sound somewhat threatening to the Taleban, considering they are not too keen on gays.
Many years ago, I voluteered to teach in a rural school in Texas. I did this for two years and taught all of their Computer courses. I even wrote some specialized tutorial software for the schools. It was a blast. Go to: VESS
There are some real interesting opportunities at home that can have big impacts world wide. If your into wildlife and helping kids Cyber Tracker World is gearing up for some interesting work. http://www.CyberTrackerWorld.org
Ok, I don't usually write comments with inflamatory subjects like this, but I'm really irritated with them.
Two years ago, I gave DwoB $50 because I liked their attitude and cause. I'm not the most charitable person, but I regularly give $50ish to causes that strike me.
I swear to you that DwoB has used that entire $50, and probably much more, to send me paper mail soliciting more money. I've gotten 2 to 3 pieces of USPS mail from them a month for the past two years. It's gotten to where I throw them out without opening them.
Needless to say, they are not getting another dime from me. Maybe one of these days when I'm less irritated I'll deal with calling or writing them so they stop using other people's money to solicit me.
Cheers
-b
If I wanted a sig I would have filled in that stupid box.
So you think that the doctors that work for Doctors Without Borders are out-of-work hippies, rather than people that have been to medical school for years and are prepared to risk their lives to help others rather than have a cushy job in a US hospital. What a sad, obnoxious little shit you are. Perhaps having a wash more than once a month and actually leaving your bedroom might open your eyes.
Does a Christian soccer team even need a goalkeeper?
An afterthought... no matter what option you finally choose, the single biggest advantage you can give yourself to get into the position and place that you want is to have a minimal working knowledge of the countrys language, including dialects, where applicable. This is hard advice for most americans, but believe me, it's the only way to fit in and really help.
... helping to run the election.
...]
No, this didn't use my software engineering skills, but it did use my management experience gained on software projects. (Oh, and really you do need some experience of elections as well.)
[Most of the volunteers at the Kosovo election were looking forward with more or less trepidation to the call to Afghanistan in a couple of years' time
So many people, organistations and develloping countries could use IT Skills. An IT NGO could have several missions: supply IT expertise for other NGOs in need, devellop the infrastructure and spread IT science in the develloping countries.
I cannot begin to express how rewarding it is to teach people with hunger for knowledge and outside communication in some of the world's most deshinerited countries. I did it under contract for a private firm, but I would be willing to do it for a NGO. There are so many ways to help.
I once asked a guy from Iraq about this. His country is facing massive starvation, medical problems, and decaying infrasturcture due to the U.N. Sanctions. Sanctions which aren't weakening Saddam any. (see here or here[msword warning])
He personally had no need for a server farm. But he did need a news source. People support the sanctions he feels because the don't know how bad they really are. , but a news source, some way of getting the word out to the public, an Indymedia or a Cryptome. Something to inform the world of what is happening. That alone can make all the difference by motivating others to make changes or even volunteer their time.
I'd suggest looking at one of those sites or starting another if you prefer.
If you'd rather have a job the WHO is advertising for Professional staff (including IT).
No. You are getting money to those who actually get water to 1500 or so children.
Don't get me wrong -- what you're doing is a good thing, it is needed, and you're probably donating a lot more than the average. But the organisations to whom you donate also need people who can spend the money where it is needed, to help building infrastructure, schools etc. These organisations need both voluntary work and donations -- do whatever you prefer.
Sig (appended to the end of comments I post, 54 chars)
I spent three months in Ghana, volunteering with Geekcorps. It's a good organization, providing support both for the volunteers and the community in which they operate.
If you're looking to offer your geek skills and want to push yourself to make a difference in a challenging environment, I recommend you look into Geekcorps. Believe me, it's no walk in the park, and if you come out of the experience having made a positive difference in the lives of the people (and businesses) with whom you work, you'll have a real sense of accomplishment. Besides, there's nothing like immersion in a different culture to expand your horizons.
Some people put forth an argument that goes something like this: Why help people with technology if they can't find food to eat? Frankly, I think this is an oversimplification. High tech skills philanthrophy is not mutually exclusive with food and medical aid. There's plenty of need for both in the developing world, and you have to choose how you can best contribute.
If your strongest skills are in high tech, then you can make a real, positive impact on other people's lives, simply by sharing your knowledge. In Ghana, for example, a single employed individual is often responsible for supporting five, ten, even twenty other people who have trouble paying for their daily bread. If you can help one, two, three, or more people find gainful employment in a budding high tech industry, you're not only helping them improve their own lot in life, but you're indirectly helping everyone else in their family network.
There's millions of dollars of aid going all over the world to help pay for food and medicine. How much effort is going to help working people rise up from menial jobs into the middle class? This is where high tech skills transfer can make a real difference. Check out Geekcorps at www.geekcorps.org. Take it from this former Geekcorps volunteer.
Service opportunities for geeks:
http://www.unites.org/
Project listings:
http://www.unites.org/Html/projects/projects.htm
On this line any homebound/hospicebound (think children with cancer, the elderly, advanced aids patients, people with disablities, etc) can benefit *greatly* from the community the internet can bring to their otherwise isolated lives. There was an article on slashdot about helping the elderly w/ computers that had, if I recall, some links to organizations that do this. Think globally act locally?
I also would argue w/ your opinion that tech does no good for starving people (server farm? let them eat servers!) - while it's an obviously true statement on one level think again. Starving people are starving because of insufficient infastructure, war, and oftentimes just plain lack of jobs and education. I don't think I need to elaborate on how technology in various forms can help these situations (yea, even war, if they get the world's attention to a problem (anyone remember live aid, south africa, or can anyone tell me why we helped in the balklands but not in rawanda? spotlight, mostly, IMHO). Basically the internet is a great way to send a message. Can you imagine a blog of a starving kid in some 'stan (Ubaki, kazi, wherever) - sensationalistic a-la Geraldo? sure. but it might get the kid enought attention to get some help.)
closed minded is as closed minded does
If you do a bit of searching on google.com you can easily find hordes of people/organizations who take time out of their lives to go overseas to set up Internet access labs. Think about how helpful that ends up being to people in oppressed areas! I was following a man who went to Serbia and set up a lab for the Bosians. It's a great thing to do, as it gives them access to one of the most important things of our generation: information.
Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains.
Closer to home is an opportunity to work for your living with an amazing organizaion. While not strictly volunteering, it would definitly be a paycut. Habitat for Humanity does more to promote cross cultural peace than any other organization that I know of. Nothing breaks down barriers more than providing decent living arrangements for total strangers. The Job Opportunities page currently lists these current technical positions:
PS 1415
This position is responsible for assisting the Youth Programs Officer in supporting Habitat for Humanity affiliates and campus chapters in developing age-appropriate activities for youth ages 5-16. It involves developing resources and publications related to youth programs, facilitating workshops at Habitat regional conferences, responding to inquiries related to youth, and contributing to HFHI publications. The qualified applicant must have excellent writing and public speaking skills, be self-directed, Microsoft Office familiarity, strong interpersonal skills, experience with the programmatic aspect of a community service organization, and a Bachelorfs degree in a related field.
Reconstruction Volunteers*
Facilities Management
Basic Volunteer
Under the direction of the Property Manager, work with other volunteers in fixing, restoring, and furnishing HFHI housing to the accepted standard set by Operations. Repair corporate buildings as needed. Responsibilities and duties include: understanding safety precautions and utilizing them at all times; repairing broken plumbing fixtures in bathrooms and kitchens; painting houses, both interior and exterior; repairing/installing floors, walls, windows, hanging doors, and mirrors; light construction duties; and working independently to identify or replace defective mechanical equipment. The qualified applicant should have six months of related maintenance or construction experience, have the ability to work with various tools, both power and hand-held, be able to complete assigned duties in a timely manner, be able to work well with others and able to lift 75 lbs regularly.
*At this time, the Americus/Sumter County Affiliate is no longer in need of Construction Volunteers, until further notice. However, we are very much in need of Reconstruction Volunteers.
Application Technician - Habitrak
PS #184
Basic Volunteer Position
This position is responsible for supporting Affiliate information systems that are sanctioned and distributed by HFHI, e.g., Habitrak and International Mortgage Tracking System. This position provides customer service and technical support for all HFHI Affiliates using these products. As well, this position receives questions and requests via phone and e-mail and responds in appropriate manner; tracks problems and recommends temporary workarounds and long-term fixes; works with customers, Program and Project managers to analyze information needs and existing systems; assists in design, implementation and enhancement of new and existing programs; documents all problems, resolutions and procedures per HFHI guidelines; assists in customer training; and maintains and enhances good customer relations. The position is also responsible for participating in the specifications and scheduling of product enhancements, testing and implementation. This position exercises a leadership role in promoting awareness of Affiliate information product needs. Relevant experience in software development, programming, or as a systems/business analyst; expertise in MS Office products, MS Visual Basic, MS Access; and customer service, training experience, and technical proficiency in SQL or major RDBMS preferred. This position performs other related duties as assigned. The qualified applicant will have strong analytical and technical skills and excellent communication and interpersonal skills. As well, the qualified applicant would have a Bachelorfs degree from an accredited institution. A degree in Business or Computer Science preferred. Qualifying experience may be substituted for the Education requirement on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of two (2) years.
Posting Period 11/09/01 - 12/15/01
Projected hire date 01/07/02 or before
Position located in Americus, GA.
This position functions as the primary application support for the International Mortgage Tracking System (IMTS). IMTS is an automated business management application for HFH international affiliates written in Visual Basic using current market tools such as Crystal Reports; ensures efficient information processing, data integrity, and delivery of useful accurate information to the users; Visual Basic programming and development along with clear communication with both technical and business personnel are the key duties for this position along with demonstrating sound knowledge of business processes and systems support requirements. Must have a Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience with at least ten semester hours in any combination of Business, Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Management Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related field and three years relevant work experience. Must also have three years experience in information technologies; practical working knowledge of IBM PC computers, MS Office products, and MS NT workstation; programming and systems analysis experience; business analysis and RDBMS experience; practical working experience with MS Access, FileMaker Pro, Crystal Reports, SQL server, Visual Basic and ASP.
($31,450)
I think this also underscores the point that many organizations need your help and have a hard time recruiting people at reduced pay. Check out your favorite organization and see what sort of technical positions they have posted. If you want to gain more than a paycheck out of your work, then they may be able to use you.
Here are some other opportunities offered through the United nations:
United Nations Information Technology Services. From thier website: In his Millennium Report, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan stressed the importance for developing countries to benefit from the opportunities emerging from the digital revolution. He proposed the creation of a global volunteer programme aimed at bridging the digital divide between industrialized and developing countries. UNITeS, the United Nations Information Technology Service, is an initiative that channels the creative energies, skills and solidarity of volunteers around the world to collaborate with people in the South to improve their capacity to make practical use of information and communications technologies (ICT). In key fields like health, education, income generation, gender equity, environment or humanitarian aid, volunteers working under the UNITeS programme are striving to bridge the digital divide, one person at a time. The United Nations Volunteers programme is coordinating this new, UN ICT volunteer initiative.
The United Nations Volunteers offer opportunities locally and abroad.
...about working in the IT industry and making a decent money. You can always DONATE money to any volunteer organisation. And they can do something with it. When you are volunteering you are pretty useless for decent 3. world development projects. However, your money can make much use from such projects.
Think about it: 100 $ make may supply several people with food/medication for some days. These are 1-3 hours of work for IT people.
What useful could you do in 1-3 hours in a 3 world country ?
Volunteering might make you feel good, but DONATIONS do something good.
Decide for yourself what you really want.
Owner of a Mensa membership card.
Almost all groups similar to the ones that you mentioned have servers, websites, and use email to keep in contact with each other. Therefore they have need of in-house geeks. This would likely be in the home office, but you never know.
Here's a link to a site that just might help in your search for such groups that operate in the United States.
http://www.interaction.org/
Good Luck
Nivau == niveau == "level", in English.
If I were fluent in Urdu, I like to think I would be on the next plane to Peshawar, Pakistan, to create a non-religious school. I think that, if successful, that plan would give one of the highest bangs for the buck that an individual could get right now in nonprofit work.
Poor Pakistanis put their sons into madrassahs for several reasons. It's free to them (sponsored by rich Islamists abroad), the boys are clothed and fed, they learn the *rudiments* of a normal education, and it allows them to serve their religion. Parents have no other options, since the Pakistan government fails to provide real money for public schools (and the other social services the madrassahs provide).
If you were to create a free school oriented around math and science, that offered kids some chance of getting a real job somewhere down the line, I think you'd get plenty of willing students. (Remember, Pakistanis and Afghans do not hate Western technology, just because some of them hate the culture it comes from.)
You simply don't talk about Islam. And you don't teach Arabic. Arabic isn't the language of business in Pakistan, Urdu is. So you teach Urdu and English (the global language of business and science). You don't discredit or analyze Islam; you simply say it's the business of a family and its mosque to teach religion, not the business of a technical school. (Besides, there really isn't time, given all the other stuff you need to teach them.) You could also teach girls, which madrassahs never do (although you might decide it's culturally easier to teach them in separate classes or schools).
Each student you take in potentially represents a family lifted out of poverty, and a life turned away from violence and terrorism.
My God, that's pathetic.
First of all, I can think of few employers that wouldn't let you take a year off for something like that. Personally, I've never had problems getting extended leaves even for entirely hedonistic pursuits such as long-term travel - even when working for the government.
Secondly, you really think it's all "out of work hippies" donating time? Ever heard of United Nations Volunteers? Medecins Sans Frontieres? These organizations bring some of the world's most capable and accomplished people out into the field to do constructive, beneficial work.
If you really can't see past the short-term minutiae of buzzword retraining in the face of proven opportunities to make a real difference in the world, you are doomed to a shallow and useless life.
"Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it." -- GBS
I returned recently from a year in Nepal, at the national library there and any skills that you have are useful out there. If you can build a wall thats handy and if you can sort out the website and the computer systems thats useful too. Its all about teaching others about your culture, and learning while doing a useful development project. John 'Ferret' Barbrook
www.geekcorps.org
One of the nice things about the Geek Corps is that instead of trying to do it all themselves, they instead concentrate on educating local's and helping local businesses to build an information infrastructure.
In addition, it sounds like it would be a great time because Geekcorp volunteers all live together during their stay.
-Braddock Gaskill
Many people in other countries are trying to learn English. Maybe they don't need your tech skills, but your native English speaking skills are needed.
:) If you have a university degree, you can probably get a year-long job at a university in China as an English teacher. Also, learning Chinese might help your career when you get back.
I suggest you try China. We desperately need better relations with China. You could show them that we aren't monsters who intentionally bomb embassies and crash our spy planes into military jets
Do a web search on "teach english in china". Good luck at finding a way to make a difference in the world.
As a poor Afghan Internet Mogul I see the need for better computer access in third world countries. Do we not crave the same hi quality porn the internet provides? Do we not seek MP3's from big corporate music just like you? If only we had the access that you so fortunately enjoy My coop needs more computer! junis
Internet is Great!!! junis
First of all, I have been out training people in joint venture companies in Bangladesh and Uganda. So I have been out in the 3rd world. This was done with government funding as part of the danish private sector programme under Danida.
The one thing to remember here is, that you can deliver food aid to the poor countries, you can do many things to help, but the only thing that will have a lasting effect is education and training. Make it possible for them to sell their skills or goods, and it will be to the good of the country.
You can't help all the poor people at once, but you can help make a middle class, and make the country richer.
Why are people dying in northern Uganda as an example ? They are dying because gangs of bandits and robbers are there. They no longer have any political reason for what they do, so they are plain criminals. They attack, kill, rape, plunder people who are not protected by the military.
So the way to help the poor people up there is to kill all the robbers. Is this a solution ? If we make the country richer, the robbers might come back. Or the government will get resources to eliminate them.
The next time you see somebody fall over in the street, why not just flip a twenty at them? Should you see a car wreck on your way home perhaps you can slow down enough to dump your change out of the window. Chances are you'll be doing these folks a real favor as it's obvious the last thing they need is your physical help.
So what does this entail? You can make a shitload of money here -- really, all you have to do is work. What you do with that money is about the most impact you can have. Investing capital in companies creates economies, domestically and overseas. For the QED: invest in companies or mutual funds that either help where you deem a great need exists, or toward an ideal you hold. Whatever. Your money is your vote.
Some links:
Socially Responisible investing
Mutual Funds, green and otherwise
You'd be doing the world a lot more good if you stayed in the States and used your most productive years to start a business that employed gazillions of people.
That's only true if you value something strictly by the money it generates. Truth is, there's a lot more to the world than money
Reboot macht Frei.
I've volunteered at several local non profits, and I decided the best way to use my skills is to work on relevant open source projects. Here is the path to this conclusion:
-Volunteer at a small communtiy based non-profit, that already understands the power of computers to make their organization more efficient.
-Find an endless number of ways you can use technology to make them even more efficient.
-Realize that these solutions need to be super easy to use and support. Why? These employees are very overworked, and shouldn't have to waste time figuring out an unecessarily complicated tool.
-Realize it is not useful to write custom apps, because there will be no support when you leave.
-Look for easy to use pre-existing tools that are stable and can be figured out by someone after you leave. You find they cost $$$$.
-Find many many open source projects that would be very useful but they aren't easy enough to use yet, or they require a linux server or desktop.
-Setup a linux server with WebAdmin, so they can easily reconfigure it.
-Note that it shouldn't require a geek to turn a old computer into a very useful easy to configure linux server.
-Look closer at the linux desktops and find they are almost easy enough to use and configure.
-Fix
Open source is the perfect IT solution for sustainable developement. Sure, the non-profit can get a big grant and buy fast computers with all the latest proprietary software, but then they have to keep getting grants to upgrade their software. And they need to upgrade their computers to run this new software. This translates into a lot of unecessary capital just to get started and to stay up-to-date.
Yeah, like the way to end to end the Vietnam War was to write letters to your Congressman.
Having a fairly in-depth knowledge of the political system in the US, I can say with some confidence, almost anything you do to help development in the poorer nations will probably bear more fruit than trying to work for change in the American political system. I wish it weren't true, but it is relatively easily to demonstrate
(and it something that many american progressives/liberals have no clue of)
It is by coff... er, will, alone I set my mind in motion...
that poster was right and you were wrong because you don't understand how economies work. employing people is the secret to all the wealth that the West has produced. when you 3rd worlders figure that out you'll begin to catch up.
Habitat is a great organization to work for: it benefits folks both in the US and abroad, both at a basic social service level (you get a roof over your head) and at a more long-term, community-building level. I've worked with them at the local affiliate level in a non-technical job, but they often have tech jobs available to assist with their infrastructure. Most of those jobs are located at their headquarters in Georgia, but the occasional international posting comes through. Check out Habitat's HR Page for details.
IANA programmer, but I did teach basic computer skills at locally owned hotels in Jamaica for six weeks as part of a sustainable development project for the OAS. NetCorps Canada does similar work.
Also check out idealist.org, search their listings, and get on their email list of volunteer opportunities.
children are not exploited in the US. if all of those other countries have signed that treaty, then how will the US signing it help any children? if all those other countries care so much to sign, don't they care enough to take care of their kids? could it be that those treaties are bull?
I did something like that for a non technical project, just like You might imagine, lots of projects lack computer expertise and training.
;-)
So I held courses in Internet usage a few years ago. Better look out for languages spoken there
The recipe I worked with was getting into the stuff of a project (e.g. running NGO, Office organization, medical Basics whatever you are interested in) and then approaching those who deal with that. I offered my ideas what I could be helpful for (setting up Internet access, training, consulting) a little tailored for what thought they want (not really too hard to guess).
I had no expectations which country they sent me to, just by languages I learnt (just too many years ago).
I then found an NGO who 'bought' me, sending me to a crisis region soon after (well sort of) a civil war. There were no compusa anythings round the corner, so I had to be prepared what I didn't know would expect me.
Definitely one of the best things I ever did. I later heard of www.geekcorps.org which was in way like that but I very much liked the specificness of what I did.
No, I didnt tell mom before.
What the World Wants
This is really important. That is the information regarding the amount of
the world military resources being three times that needed to solve all
the major problems in the world.
The logic is along the lines of preventitive health care.
Solve the problems, take care of the world, and you greatly reduce the
probability of conflict and of course prevent large bills of warfare.
The more people that digest this information, the sooner it will happen!
with heart! 3seas
P.S. Of the many ways computer technology fits in: this may be of interest.
.
If you're Canadian, CUSO is always recruiting for IT postions. My first job out of college was a netcorps (6 month) postion in Kingston, Jamaica. Basically building crappy Access databases (if you can consider Access a database) some web pages, and a lot of training. Once here I made some contacts with an organisation (PACT) and 3 or 4 months after I went home they called and had me back as a full CUSO cooperant, with a little extra pay. Now I'm halfway through a 2-year contract and I've been told that I can stay longer if I choose.
Right now I'm developing our web page (www.jamaica-kidz.com , yeah should be .org but it was already there when I started and we can't afford to alias it) and a Performance Tracking System database (to give funders indicators on the results of the project). This is all to help a nation-wide literacy project.
Overall it's a great job... I travel all over the island working with over 30 organisations, and on the weekends I'm a few hours drive from the nicest beaches in the world. Of course there is some amount of violence here... but after a while you know how to keep safe.
If you are looking for computer related jobs in the third world, there are positions out there. check CUSO, and also VSO (I was gonna take a postion with them before I got a better offer from CUSO).
There are a lot of developing nations where there already is running water, electricity and (in most parts) telephone. In these countries education is a priority and that's where the computers come in. Computers can be used to help people to learn to read. And besides that, do you think it's a good idea to for countries that are already behind to get further behind by neglecting IT? I wish anyone considering this line of work lots of luck.
Last year, I spent 8 months working for a couple NGO's INSIDE of Afghanistan. believe me, the need for workers in the IT industry is great for these orgs. i didn't get paid while i was there, had to raise my own money. Howerver, it was a completely fulfilling time. just shop around i suppose; there are many organizations out there, and many need computer help. me? i did a lot of networking inside offices, general PC maintenance, and radio system setup and maintenance. despite harsh conditions, harsh taliban, and language bariers, i made it, and came out a better and more rounded person.
doensn't mean you have to go to Afghanistan, but it shows that even in the worst place on earth, there was a need.
many religious groups work in these kind of places in the world, and are your easiest link to this kind of work, but many government sponsored programs also exist, and need help.
the UN offered me a salary of over $100,000 if i would work for them.. so the opportunities are there.. just keep your eyes open and do your research.
You really need to get out and see the world. I did, and it was the best experience of my life. Next up, I want to go and do work over there so I can make a difference, and have a rewarding existance. Sorry but the dot-bomb stuff that happened (while I was over in Asia for a year) made me realize more than a few things. Its interesting to juxtapose village life in Nepal with the strange avenues we tend to persue.
See if you go through life thinking its a bunch of hippies who are going over there and doing such a thing, then like the other responder said, you are doomed to a shallow and useless life.
Getting up off your ass and doing it is so easy once you realize it is, and far more rewarding than the worker/slave mentality this country promotes as the answer to all of your ills.
It just makes you ill. Here's to hoping you go and see your world.
Why is it that everyone rushes to help the third world, but nobody gives a shit about the Native Americans who live below the poverty line, have no access to technology, have shitty medical care if any, etc. Instead of helping the third world, why not help out at home? And if you don't like Native Americans, go check out poor areas of the US, like West Virginia, Kentucky, etc. You can find the third world just a domestic flight away...
The point is that you are living your life the way you want to live it. Now, if you want to waste your precious life trying to save others from the inevitable, then that is your business.
On the other hand, why the hell would you want to work for free?
******
"I do not play at being God -- I AM GOD!
100% pure libertarian tripe.
No-account wannabees use this kind of thinking as an excuse for not behaving decently toward their fellow human beings.
Selfishness is not a virtue, despite Ayn Rand's asseverations to the contrary. The reason you will never amount to much is that you never stop thinking about yourself long enough to do anybody any good. The life of Howard Hughes is a good parable for you to ponder.
mp
"The secret to strong security: less reliance on secrets." -- Whitfield Diffie
we're not ready yet, but something like this is one thing we're hoping to do with Geeks4Christ.
:-) But if anyone is interested, feel free to e-mail me.
Now if only we were organized and had some projects going...
An old work mate of mine and his fiance worked for a year and a half for a mission somewhere in western Africa (I can't recall which country) - him as "the computer guy", providing LAN & telecommunications/internet capability and operational support for the mission and it's staff, and his fiance as a midwife working for a hospital.
They had to pay for everything, but claim it was one of the best experiences of their lives, rewarding, exciting and scary. One of life's great experiences.
Despite the fact that the work they did was for a religious mission, the mission did provide benefits otherwise not available to that part of the world, providing real benefits to the individuals as well as the entire community.
So while my friend did not directly aid (i.e. digging wells, teaching about efficient and sustainable agriculture etc.) the community, he enabled others to, while ensuring that the missions resources were used to maximum benefit.
Fast, cheap & reliable. Pick two.
A organization in Australia which goes by the name of Aesop, provides professional services to 3rd world / developing countries. My brother works with flash and director and has been contracted for work in the Phillipines, and Papua New Guinea. 1 month stints seem to be the norm with food, accomodation and a (very) basic allowance provided.
http://www.aesop.org.au/
www.canadianvolunteers.org I believe they are a general registry as well, if you're in canada try and get in touch with them
Spanish required? The language of mindless revolutionaries? I say FORCE them to learn English. It is the defacto technical language and would help thos pendejos tremendously.
Towerofbabel.com is always looking for help.
My name is Carlos Montoya. You share files of my music. Prepare to die.
The U.N. is seeking Trained IT people right now.
Many mixed replies on this topic.
Like one of the other posters on this thread, I have been to Ghana with GEEKCORPS and it was a blast. (my story)
The argument 'why give them IT, they need bread or medicince' makes some sense but not much. The whole point of teaching these people how to work with computers is teaching them how to be self sufficient and be able to compete. Sure, many need bread and water, but giving them bread and water will result in them needing more bread and water tomorrow. Teach them how to fish, don't give 'm the fish.
On another note, I find it exceptionally hard to volunteer, as a geek, for development work. Not UNV, not Habitat, not VSO or any of the other organizations I have spoken with seem to understand the sheer importance of IT both within and without their organization in relation to development work. All seem to be much more interested in people with educations in social sciences. Maybe understandable, but a pain for us geeks. And what's the added value of someone who is very passionate about supporting but maybe isn't a perfect match on a professional level?
Then there's the argument of donating instead of offering first hand help. *just* giving money (or medicines, or anything) doesn't help at all. Not in the long run. It should be all about teaching these people how to be self sufficient. And of course, if you decide to help people yourself you do need sponsoring.
So what should you do? If you're really interested, better the world by starting right at your front door. Be tolerant, be friendly, help people out where you can and try to make a difference. The change starts with you.
And of course, making that change in Burkina Faso or Nepal or Ecuador is just a tad more interesting.
people should not be complacent about donating to charity. it should be well thought out. charities often take a large slice of donations for advertising, wages, and their own administration. world vision takes like 40%. this is really bad. imagine the person who only donates like $2 a year, and only $1.20 makes it to the people they want to help.
do your research, make your choice, but most of all, volunteer. it doesn't have to be abroad, what about all those community groups in town who need you - community media, aged care facilities, schools, environmenal groups, youth-at-risk centres, etc.
Currently I believe there is a shortage of support and developers for computer related handicapped devices and applications (at least that's my understanding from my conversations with those who've worked with and had experience with this area).
I wondered if some open source avenues could be taken toward this end, since what these people need is effective, reliable, and long lasting software.
Granted, it's not overseas saving the world behind a console, but it's a good start, and a nobel endevor none the less.
I did 6 weeks of software dev work (mostly SQL Server, Access, Excel and VB) for a NGO in India that was organised through my university in Australia. Pratham is a group that helps provide education to Indian children who can't afford it. They have over 100,000 children in programs in Mumbai alone and manage to do a lot of good work without much resources. I can't speak for the organisation but I'm pretty sure anyone with some IT training would be welcomed with open arms as they really need some good systems in place to track the childrens' progress to make sure the classes are doing as well as they should.
I've got heaps more info should anyone be interested. get me on ssippe@hotNOSPAMmail@com
...volunteer when you can make big bucks as a professional x-pat in the tech field overseas?
The third-world countries need medical care and refrigeration before they need video-conferencing and telecommunting.
You need to go and see the world first, me thinks.
Not necesarrily. As another poster has pointed out. Taking a year out for world travel rarely puts anyone behind the eight ball hard enough that it's not swiftly recovorable on the first job back home. Anyway if you dont get the old job back (do you want it back?) you get a new one. It's IT remember.
Seriously speaking, I spent six months doing something far more contentious than human welfare work, and that was forest-rescue work. You know, chaining to trees and the like, and it still ended with me going straight into IT work. I've done defence work, security work, and many fairly conservative jobs since, and no one really is bothered by my "hippie" stance, because employers value passion and motivation.
Excuse the Unicode crap in my posts. That's an apostrophe, and slashdot is busted.
I ran across this little business for sale, Paradise Computers/Internet Cafe on Roatan Island off the North coast of Honduras in Central America. I was thinking of buying it and also offering free computer classes for the locals. It's an English speaking island and it's been proven that many young (and not so young), non-educated people have a natural affinity for computers and could really bring something to the island with a little knowledge. I found the business here.
(1) Some people have said that it's smarter to work and donate your money. I personally wouldn't throw my money near *any* big-name aid agency, as I've seen what happens to the money that is given to some of these places.
(2) Often we have very unrealistic ideas of what people need. The teens I work with in a Rio slum need to finish primary school, not learn computer science. But computers can help. I've run free computer courses, and also use computers for educational tasks such as encyclopeadias.
(3) Geeks can learn to do other stuff, like first aid, visiting families to assess need and give out food etc.
(4) People need people. Although changing infrastructures and eliminating corruption are lofty ideals, as foreigners we have no right to meddle in another nation's internal affairs, espeically politics. But we can help individuals. It mightn't change the nation all at once, nor eliminate all of the problems overnight, but it does make a difference to that person.
My story is online at www.pcebrasil.org
-h-
If I had a company and somebody came to me with a resume showing he took off for a year to do goodwill work in some other country, all I'd see is a guy who needs retraining on a years worth of technology changes. You want to help out, donate money. Let the out of work hippies donate months of their lives.
... one in which you don't own that company, and perhaps never will if you don't appreciate what your employees bring to the workplace beyond empty certifications.
I really don't want to judge you, but I won't hide the contempt I felt when I read that. Feels good saying who you'd hire and fire if you ran the zoo, doesn't it? Power trip fantasies, I know all about 'em, they really help boost the ego. Know what's also a good ego trip? Connecting to people, knowing what makes 'em tick. Knowing that with a few good questions, you could tell whether this guy was slumming it in the backwaters and lording it over the population while drinking down the local brew every night because they couldn't hack it back home, or whether this is someone who really knows how to relate to real strangers, folks with different cultures and idioms, someone who knows how to make do on a tight budget, under less than ideal conditions, with less than the state of the art. Heck, sometimes they're both the same person, not everyone who's effective is a saint. That's the real world
I've finally had it: until slashdot gets article moderation, I am not coming back.
Demining, for example the Canadian International Demining Corps is an excellent opportunity. It combines knowledge, skills, unique environments, and an element of danger, all with the chance to help people recover from conflicts and rebuild. It's demanding, and there is a lot of way to go to finish it. One hot spot is Afghanistan; imagine going there to help the place recover. You can bet that the most recent conflict there hasn't reduced the number of mines, but it has led to a suspension of demining activity. When it is safe on the ground again, it will start back again.
Even Slashdot wants to hide some things
Wycliffe Bible Translators lists a number of computer-related opportunities at http://www.wycliffe.org/computer/home.htm
WBT works to make the Bible available to people in their native language. Doing this often includes setting up literacy programs, and sometimes even developing a written version of languages that only have an oral history.
I would advise you to just get up and go and see the world. It is much much bigger than you could possibly imagine, and you probably cannot do anything of great significance in your current state. The best thing you can do is go and be with other people, not computers. Then you may understand a little more about life, and can then make some educated guesses about what you need to do for your own personal growth. Then, perhaps after many years, you can be of use to the world.
The project consists of three volunteers that flew to Nepal a few weeks ago and several others that assist them remotely from here in Berlin.
Their mission is to build a network infrastructure in a particular Nepalese school and teach the kids how to make use of it, utilizing mostly donated hardware and open source software.
Their training will hopefully enable some of the kids to become admins on their own and to further transfer the knowledge to more people in Nepal.
If you are in the tech field, and you are in your last years of college, or recently graduated then you might consider IAEST iaeste.org??? International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience.
That's how I started my career, recent grad, you pay your transport, they get you the "internship" and I ended up working for Philips Semiconductors in Eindhoven,The Netherlands. The pay was low (but better than 4 free) and I was doing real engineering job, on a real project. No regrets.
I toured one UNDP project that used IT Corps people in Egypt. It was a young project, but it had potential.
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Give me liberty or give me something of equal or lesser value from your glossy 32-page catalog.
Ya know, I *rea-a-lly* hope that this was posted by a troll. But I'll bet it was just posted by an idiot.
In actual fact, many of these organisations can't afford to pay for huge IT departments, though they rely on PCs and notebooks heavily. So while it's unlikely you'd get a paying job with them in the IT field, if you're willing to volunteer and help them with strategic projects and planning there is a need.
I'm a geek who's working for Drs. without Borders but not as a geek - I'm drawing on my other experience to work as a logistician. But it's frustrating to watch as I see all the problems and deficiencies in their IT structure. They need to get the time and space to do some proper planning and execution, but they don't have the budget for it. Perhaps you can target these types of needs within the organisations you wish to work with.
I've worked with the disabled and poor before also and it has led me to think that sometimes it can actually be more useful to provide tech support than to provide food.
The disabled benefit a lot by hackers like us donating time, code, plans, etc. Setting up a computer with a voice reader, writing a more handicapped friendly UI to a common program, or donating opensourced wheelchair designs could be incredibly helpful. I do hope everyone here knows that the average childrens wheelchair is kludged together by idiots who've never sat in a wheelchair (and thus make some pretty horrible designs), has about the same number of parts as a bicycle, and typically cost about $5000. If you could provide a good design for common items such as a wheelchair that were opensource and had a charity that would build them and give them away at cost you'd be doing an incredible favor.
As for the poor I take the opinion that you're better off letting others feed them but pick some that are being fed and teach them some useful skills. Advanced farming techniques, programming, engineering, etc. Teaching poor people to read Bible lessons or plow a field the old way is pretty useless if you're trying to break them off the starvation/welfare cycle. Skills are what makes the difference. That gives them some pride and the ability to compete on equal ground with the best of us.
At what price learning? At what cost wisdom? The price is a man's peace of mind, and the cost is his life.
What about starting an education portal. Internet access is one thing, educating yourself is another. Seems to me finding online free courses is a hard thing to do. Also for teachers that can make courses it is not that easy to get a course online.
It may not be all that spectacular staying at home, but it may be something valuable?
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This is, of course, understandable as I don't really think anybody needs a server farm if they don't have enough to eat at the end of the day."
I seem to make a habit of pointing out these typical americanisms, often at the expense of Karma. I suppose you can't help getting narrow-minded moderators.
The sentence read in the context of the article, as if every country outside of the USA has a famine problem. There are plenty of volunteer organisations around the world in countries that are not experiencing drought or famine, judging by US cable TV - the USA is one of those countries.
They pay pretty well, don't do layoffs (well, only once every 25 years or so...), and give pretty good bonuses for IT professionals.
The only down side is guaranteed employment for three to four years.
I realize not everyone on this board is an American citizen, but those that are might consider military service as an option.
Besides, the majority of missions (those that aren't in the news because they've become so routine) being performed prior to 9/11 were humanitarian-related.
You wrote that "but as nice as it sounds to bring the internet in parts of the world who don't have it I don't quite see the sense in it when at the same time thousands of people die everyday."
People in developing countries WANT access to Information Communications Technologies (ICT). They want Internet access. Farmers want to be able to track weather patterns and find local organic materials that can help them fight pests and look at what their crops are selling for in big cities so that they can better negotiate with the middlemen. Women want access to healthcare information and career information and ways to preserve the traditions of their culture. Children want access to education and career information and tools that will help them in their lives. The argument, "They need food, not...." was used against education programs in poor communities for a long time, and it took a long time to show that education had an impact on extreme poverty (and it does -- a very positive one).
There is lots and lots of information about ICT volunteering programs abroad, the tools that these volunteers find useful, and why ICT volunteers are so important in addressing problems in developing communities at:
www.unites.org.
J Cravens http://www.coyotecommunications.com
Knowbility.org is a nonprofit org in Austin, Texas focused on providing tech education, access and career development to people with disabilities. Email them -- they could probably answer your question. Knowbility.org also hosts a fantastic one day web site building contest with volunteer programmers that both provides web sites to nonprofits and teaches programmers about accessiblity issues. The most famous is the annual eventin Austin, but they have them in other cities as well (and would love to have them in even more).
J Cravens http://www.coyotecommunications.com
MKAlus,
.. in other words, if your talent is in high tech you can pass on those skills to others, who can use it to increase their marketability on the job market.
..
In Brazil there is an organization in Rio de Janeiro that hires volunteers to set up computers (donated by companies, etc.) in poor areas and teach children computer skills. It has been quite successful and may be what you are looking for. I can't remember their contact details but post a question regarding this to soc.culture.brazil (or one of the volunteer or computer-oriented newsgroups on the server news.uol.com.br) and I'm sure that someone should be able to give you more info regarding this. Granted, I see your point about a *real* farm being more immediately useful to the needy than a *server* farm, but there is something to be said to about "give a man a fish and you feel him today, teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime"
Or, if you speak OK Spanish or Portuguese, you can go most anywhere in Latin America and offer to give English/Computer lessons
good luck
Davian
I'm planning to participate in a project of a humanitarian organisation which tries to reintegrate street kids into society. This organization mainly operates in Rumania's main city Bukarest. My particular aim is, to acquire old computer hardware and volunteers with pedagogic as well as technical skills with these goals: - set up a computer room in the shelter - introduce children to the computer: simply show them how to play games, etc. - longer term: set up a 'training network': older kids get more responsibility and train youngers with regard to a real job. The project is in its early stage and currently developing slowly as I still am bound to a job. But I hope to get started some time in feb/march 2002 and carry this on for at least 3 months. Interested in this tough job? Mail me to onk@section5.de
>> More often than not there is a definitive reason why people that live in third world countries are poor , and it's not due to a lack of technology or wealth(listing them here will thread way off topic)
Err, by definition, if you are poor you don't have wealth, and if you are wealthy you aren't poor.
And people with money don't have any trouble getting into schools and things.
The answer may be right under your nose. If you live in/near a city > 50K population, take a drive all around town. When you get to the area marked with lots of "Tiendas", ask for the school. Tell them you're a geek and ask if they could use a hand. Just be warned, they will take you up on your offer. You'll most likely be setting up/maintaining a LAN and teaching a bit of English to kids who were moved here and just need a break. Based on my personal experience, you don't have to travel a thousand miles to make a difference.
Well I definitly don't value something only by the money in generates. But the Talmud does devides the levels of charity into a list and the Rambam ordered them from lowest to hightest, at the top of his list he puts those acts which enable another to become self reliant. For more info see this Page
That being said not everyone is cut out to start or run a business. And in a business even if you do everything right it is still posible to fail.
Erlang Developer and podcaster
If you can't leave home, but still want to lend a hand in solving the world's problems, the United Nations Volunteer program sponsors the NetAid.org site. It maintains a database of jobs that can be done from your own home or acrosss the Internet, including things like DBAing for a hospital in Kenya, online fundraising for various causes, speech writing for the heads of a non-profits, copy-editing, online technical support, what have you. You can search on criteria based on your skill and interest set, nations that you would like to help, project times, and amount of time that you can commit each week. Check it out and make a difference.
While most countries are not in need of a new Beowulf cluster, you can put your skills to good use. One of the biggest problems I have heard of in Nepal is education. There are signs in villages inviting travellers to stay a while and teach the people there, because they have no teachers in the village. But there is another problem. The people work all day, so the only time the have to learn to read is at night. But they need light in order to read.
There is a fantastic project call Light up the World run by a University of Calgary Electrical Engineering prof who is working on ways of cheaply getting lights and cheaply generated (usually by sweat and elbow grease) electricity to these villages, so that they can read at night. Check it out.
The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them. -Einstein
I volunteered with Habitat For Humanity regularly in 1999 as a reconstruction volunteer. At that time there were no IT openings locally. The office ran Windows 3.1 without a network to cut costs. Most of the full-timers were kind but not too bright. About half the volunteers were great folks like you'd expect. The other half weren't very nice: they acted like they'd rather be somewhere else but *had* to volunteer for some reason (community service?) Maybe 1/4th of the aid recipients were fantastic people; you just wanted to do all you could for them, they made you glad to be alive. The rest were jerks and freeloaders abusing the system to get something for nothing. The biggest problem we faced was local hoodlums stealing our power tools and equipment. At the end of the day we would board up the houses by screwgunning plyboard right into the frame using about 20 or 30 screws. We'd come back the next day and find the board removed and half the equipment gone. I strongly suspect some of the aid recipients themselves. Weekly losses totalled hundreds of dollars but nobody ever did anything about it. They would've greatly benefitted if they only had the direction of a good critical thinker to steer them clear of a few pitfalls.
Join the Mormon church. They'll be glad to send you off to a far off place to do good work.
From my understanding of the world, our governments do not want other nations become powerful, riding our information technology wave.
When we heal and feed the poor all we do is rememdy results of the core cause. If we address the causes, then on some stretch of time we will be stopping to fight the effects.
So yes there is a need for such programs of bringing in neworks and communications into those countries. Once there is networks, there will be communication and learning and therefor prosperity and freedom, until then its like fighting fires when not even trying to catch arsenist that causes them. Futile at best.
p.
If you are a Christian, you might want to look at Wycliffe Bible Translators.
I spent a summer in Papua New Guinea doing volunteer computer work with Wycliffe Bible Translators. They need network admin, office support stuff to help them with logistics. They also develop software to aid in translation.
I met a guy who left Silicon Valley and now spends a lot of his time in a small village in PNG with a Solar powered laptop working on an XML based software development project. Nice in quiet -- No roads, electricity, plumbing, etc. To distract you.
While his wife helped out the local schools, John worked building software to assist in making translations between related languages. The project was fairly cutting edge both from a technology and linguistic perspective. (yes much better than bablefish).
While their main goal is Bible translation, the educational work and small things like giving tribal groups an alphabet and written language, Do a ton to build the infrastructure of third world countries.
The Organization is also 100% volunteer, even up to the Director -- so know one is using it to make a buck!!
See http://www.wycliffe.org/volunteer/needs.htm#opp7 for their current volenteer requests
If you have some ideas about how computers or PDAs will help the NGOs or people in farms or any work in developing countries, here is a forum to share those ideas and ways to implement them.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/simputer
and
http://www.simputer.org
I worked with the Mexican chapter, LaNeta (http://laneta.apc.org) and they are doing some great work and I can highly recommend the experience.
Good luck and keep looking! The kind of help you can provide is much needed, you just have to find the right place.
I know this sounds cruel, but it is how nature works.
If people are starving, the solution probably is NOT to import food. That is a temporary, unstable problem, and it will only make things worse in the long run (more food => more people => bigger famine when the imports stop).
Trying to introduce agriculture also probably isn't such a great idea. Most of the areas that suffer from mass famine right now are not capable of supporting agriculture on a level that would aleviate famine.
The solution, cruel as it sounds, is for there to be fewer people.
People dying of hunger is the NATURAL result of there being more people than food. We don't mourn the natural cycles in population of other creatures on this planet due to cycles in population of their food (this is a classic first semester differential equations thing). We should not overly mourn our own population cycles.
To paraphrase Ghandi, If the entire population of India was brought up to the base poverty level of England, it would strip the planet bare in a few years.
-Cheetah
In a recent Rotary presentation, Paul's Computer Institute was discussed by its founder, Paul Mickelson. After a tour in the Peace Corps in Camaroon, Paul cashed out his retirement and established an institute to teach IT to people in Camaroon. He takes donated equipment from the US to Camaroon, teaches the students how to repair it, install software, etc, then helps place them in jobs in industry and government (in Camaroon). I can't find a link to his institute, but I do have this link to a write-up about his project: http://www.rotary.org/newsandinfo/presscenter/rele ases/92.html