Web volunteers wanted for Guyana

Via a very circuitous route, an email forwarded by Paul Webster arrived in your scribe’s inbox yesterday afternoon. Its text reads as follows:

Hello there

I need your help. I’m working with a Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council/British Council/VSO (soup) project which is trying to recruit four or so young adult volunteers to spend up to six-weeks in Guyana this summer running an ICT Skill Share.

Guyana right now has a massive skills gap when it comes to online skills. They had some investment in a national resource centre for using technology in education a few years back – but it’s barely been able to get anywhere because of skills gaps & lack of infrastructure in the country.

Details of the project (including a video that the Guyanese hosts for the project have made explaining it a bit more) here: http://www.cyec.org.uk/guyana-ict

But in summary I’m asking do you know anyone who:

• Is aged 18 – 30(ish);
• Is based in Britain (or has very close ties to the UK even if elsewhere right now);
• Has web development, graphics, e-commerce or digital animation skills;
• Can train / share those skills with others;
• Can work in a pretty tough environment in terms of climate, context and access to technical kit & bandwidth;
• Could spend six weeks in Guyana from late June/early July this year as part of a small team

Quite a skill spec I know – but I thought if such people are out there – you are the folk who are likely to know them.

Please do forward on details to anyone (or any networks) who you think might be interested.