Volunteering

Introduction

“I feel proud to have been part of the team and it has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life.” – David Johnson, volunteer.

Aptivate is a not-for-profit organisation that believes in the power of knowledge and communication to make tangible improvements to the lives of ordinary people across the developing world. Our immediate goals are to provide software, hardware and training that enables Internet access in the poorest countries and most remote regions of the world; and to support the IT requirements of other organisations working in development.

We are currently:

• Running bandwidth management programmes, including in-country training, and developing open-source network administration software;
• Working with partners to provide IT infrastructure, training, and support for young women and other community members in rural Zambia;
• Developing IT solutions for NGOs, charities, governments and UN agencies;
• Creating a low-bandwidth web design training course, based on our low bandwidth web design guidelines
• Looking to recruit more volunteers, with a view to increasing our full-time staff next year.

For more information about what we do, please see our Projects page.

“The real goal is not just to get more computers, or more telephones, but rather to extend access to information, to guarantee the right to communicate….” – Yoshio Utsumi, Secretary General ITU, WSIS, 2002

Aptivate’s History

The idea behind Aptivate was first conceived in Nepal by two aidworkers working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. They had experience of the communications problems present in developing countries, and were trying to find a way of alleviating them. In collaboration with some technically minded friends they founded Aidworld in 2002. Aidworld’s initial focus was on supporting the humanitarian aid sector, and this has since shifted to include international development work, where we have found many applications for our expertise.

In 2006 Aidworld changed its name to Aptivate. The organisation has grown to seven full-time members of staff, and is now supported with office space by the University of Cambridge as part of the Humanitarian Centre – an umbrella group for a collection of local and international relief and development organisations based in and around Cambridge. Having worked on projects funded by DTI, DFID, WHO and UNFAO, Aptivate is now recognised as an established NGO, making a significant contribution to development projects.

How you can get involved

Our volunteer team is vital to Aptivate’s success. Every member of staff was at one time a volunteer. Everyone working as a volunteer is contributing to the achievement of our objectives. Volunteers work varying hours from one day a week to full time, for varying amounts of time. We also take on a number of sponsored volunteers in Summer through the Engineers Without Borders placement scheme. Like all our staff, volunteers rarely work in absolute fixed roles. The skills we’re looking for at the moment include:

Software engineering, web design, web programming, Linux system administration, network administration, technical writing and research, facilitation, training, and project management.

Most of our volunteers come into the office to work, however remote volunteers can also contribute to our open source projects – see pmgraph as an example of these, and contact us for more details.

Internship Programme

We run an internship programme every Summer in conjunction with Engineers Without Borders, usually of around three months duration. Interns receive subsidised accommodation and a small weekly contribution to living costs. Interns are given time and support to focus on individual projects in detail.

We are happy to discuss specific ideas for collaborative projects to fit volunteers’ individual requirements. We are establishing ourselves as a successful “employer” of volunteers, listening to what each individual hopes to gain from working with us and forming a mutually beneficial relationship. We offer training where possible, and our method of working is often to have more than one person working together on specific tasks, meaning that people learn a lot in-house.

Who Volunteers?

Our volunteers range from people wanting experience in the development sector to experienced programmers. In the words of some past and present volunteers:

“As a PhD researcher at the Judge Institute at Cambridge University whose topic is ‘ICTs in developing countries’, I was delighted when I was selected by [Aptivate] to volunteer for 9 months! The experience was really valuable, and after planning a trip to Namibia, attending meetings with high profile donor organisations and a six week research visit to Kenya, I feel that I have learned a lot about this sector.” – Kate Ni Chionnaith

“I’d been looking for a job doing something meaningful since leaving uni, and my long-term aim when I joined here was to move into a paid position if funding allowed. I’m now a full time member of staff, am responsible for other volunteers and have been to Ghana for three and a half months of fieldwork. It’s great to work with such inspirational people.” – Tom Lord

“I currently volunteer one day a week. I’m looking to get a job as a programmer – I see Aptivate as an excellent way to gain the experience needed to get a technical job whilst doing something worthwhile.” – Ralph Owen

“What I find most attractive about the Internet is the ability for people from all over to be able to communicate and share their knowledge and experiences. After being made redundant, I had some time on my hands whilst I was looking for another job. I found out about [Aptivate], came in and met the team that work here. What Aptivate is working towards really appeals to me, so I decided to give 2-3 days a week assisting the development team, whilst working on freelance projects.” – Jasmine Brackett

Benefits

• A chance to be a part of something that matters: helping people to improve their lives.
• Potential for employment after a period of voluntary work.
• Training and experience relevant to your individual objectives, pair-working with experienced staff.
• Valuable experience in the development sector, including contact with other organisations such as charities, NGOs, governmental bodies, and the United Nations.
• Previous volunteers have travelled to meetings across the UK and Europe, on field trips to Kenya and Haiti and attended World Summits in Tunisia and Geneva.
• Sponsorship through internships, travel expenses, and free lunches!

How to volunteer

Contact us for further information, to arrange a visit to discuss our current projects and the possibilities for getting involved, or to register an interest in summer internships.

Thanks for your interest!