Tech Volunteering

Tech Volunteering

The Doctors Association for Relief and Education, is a volunteer organisation based in Hyderabad. They launched a free consulting program last week named “Second Opinion” that created quite a buzz in the social media. One can take an appointment with a specialist and consult with them about an upcoming medical procedure or surgery etc. The digital poster of the program was shared enthusiastically among various WhatsApp groups and other social media. The interest generated shows how much people appreciate volunteer activities. The important point is that the medical professionals stuck to their field of expertise when choosing a voluntary activity. They did not, for example, choose to give sermons or distribute clothes or any such activity.
The time that each doctor spends here would have earned him/her a decent amount of money if they spent it in their respective place of work. Instead, they chose to work voluntarily which is a commendable job.
How about the tech workers? Compared to medical professionals, the schedule of tech workers is less hectic, most of them have a flexible work schedule and have a 5 working days a week. A very small number among the tech professionals do some serious volunteer work. There is a huge requirement of volunteer work in our community. There is a need for tech experts to adopt schools to teach coding to school children. A number of NGOs still do not use computers to track their activities. There is an NGO in Hyderabad that does door to door survey to gather the data about Below Poverty Line families. They give printed forms to their volunteers to collect the data. The printing of forms and stationery is a costly affair. What if there were a software that could have been used to record the data on mobile devices. How much valuable insights that data can give about the educational level, health, poverty etc of the area that is surveyed.
Each year, a number of engineers graduate out of college without having the necessary skills to get into the industry. We need mentors who can make them industry ready.
A majority of our population live Below Poverty Line. Access to healthcare, food, drinking water, low cost fuel, transportation etc. are major concerns for these people. We need innovative solutions that address these issues.
Tech volunteering is very much needed in our community. Take some time out, as little as one hour per week, to do something for the community. When you decide to volunteer, choose an activity that leverages on your expertise and that can bring a sustainable positive change in the society.