On this, International Volunteer Day 2016, Camara Education would like to pay tribute to the dedication of our volunteers who enable us to deliver such value to our beneficiaries. Over 2,000 people have volunteered with Camara since 2005 which is phenomenal.
The theme for International Volunteer Day 2016 is #GlobalApplause – to give volunteers a hand, and recognise the work that they do worldwide. Here at Camara Education, this provides us with an opportunity to thank our volunteers at home in Ireland and worldwide for the inspiring work that they do and to highlight the value and impact they have had on hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged students around the world.
Volunteers play a vital role at every stage in the Camara operation. From accepting donations of computers at the door in Dublin, to repairing a technical fault in rural Ethiopia, an army of volunteers make Camara’s vision a reality.
In our resource centres, our volunteers have fascinating stories to tell. A paramedic, a retired teacher, an experienced development worker and an ex-aviation technician are just some of the members of our hard-working team, who dedicate their time to the preparation of computers for schools.
In our offices, a team of interns consisting of graduates from a variety of disciplines, from International Development, Political Science and Sociology to Graphic Design and Media, help to develop and improve Camara as an organisation. This allows us to provide the best quality education to as many communities as possible.
“While working in Camara, I felt like I was a part of a big family. We helped each other and we worked as a team. The most satisfying aspect about my role was arranging collections and then receiving the equipment.” Sally Wu, Business Development Intern.
As well as our regular volunteers, we welcome companies to come to our resource hubs and help out for a day under our corporate volunteering programme. These companies include employees of Salesforce, Citrix, PwC, LexisNexis and Symantec to name but a few.
In a number of our East African hubs Camara, in partnership with Cisco Networking Academy, trains volunteers to maintain ICT infrastructure in schools under the ‘Cisco-IT Essentials’ course. This course is taught as part of a three month volunteer programme, designed to engage with communities and build skillsets for graduates and young people seeking to gain professional experience. Volunteers are not only responsible for technical maintenance, they are involved in supporting all aspects of the provision of a better quality of education. This includes providing in-demand information and communication technology skills to disadvantaged students, preparing them for a prosperous future in the 21st century.
Camara values its volunteers and strives to ensure that everyone who gives their time to us is rewarded with the experience and skills they need to go further.
“Volunteers were the rock that Camara was built on and are still a critical component today. With so much negativity around, the selfless work of volunteers over thousands of hours in Camara is inspiring”. John Fitzsimons, CEO, Camara Education.
Find out more about volunteering with Camara on our website or contact Stephanie in Dublin. Alternatively, find out about international volunteering opportunities through our local hubs, contact details for which can be found at camara.org.