More Youth Programs Featured on TechSoup Global’s Local Impact Map
I did a post a few weeks ago on youth programs in TechSoup Global's new Local Impact Map and decided I hadn’t covered this resource nearly enough. Our Local Impact Map demonstrates what nonprofits, NGOs, and libraries around the world are doing with their TechSoup Global software donations to further their missions.
This time I wanted to feature NGOs around the world that are making a humanitarian impact internationally across several countries. All of them have made good use of TechSoup donation programs.
How One NGO Serves 70,000 Children
Speaking of impact, London, England-based Childreach International works in partnership with local communities in the developing world to help improve children’s access to healthcare, education, child rights, and protection.
This charity also has offices in India, Nepal, and Tanzania operates its own projects and supports partners in Tanzania, India, and Nepal and works on behalf of children in places like the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Pakistan, Peru, Cambodia, China, and Bangladesh. It has just 20 UK-based staff.
Its unique way of working is project management heavy. It first works with local community people to see what its children need and then tailors programs that are specific to that locale. Childreach International serves a large network of international partners in work that involves a great deal of organization and coordination. The organization’s IT is based on Microsoft Windows, Exchange Server, and Office Professional Plus.
It also uses both Microsoft Project and Huddle's cloud collaboration solution to manage it’s many children’s rights projects worldwide. All these are available as donations from TechSoup. This is an NGO that is relies heavily on good communication and effective project management. In the past year, Childreach International has impacted the lives of over 70,000 children.
How to Build International Awareness, Cooperation, and Friendship Among Asian Youth
Kokkyo naki Kodomotachi (Children without Borders) in Japan is a humanitarian educational association NGO that supports disadvantaged children and youth in Asia who are on the street, are victims of trafficking, forced labor, and natural disasters, or in conflict with the law. Their great website is available in Japanese, English, and French.
The organization has nine full-time staff. It helps endangered Asian children get off the streets in Cambodia, Philippines, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, East Timor, Jordan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Its projects in Japan focus on educating and connecting Japanese youth with the young people KnK serves outside of Japan.
Through TechSoup Japan, KnK received a donation of 15 Microsoft Office 2007 licenses and Adobe Creative Suite Design Premium software. Before the donation, the organization was using old software, which caused problems when the staff tried to share files externally. Having the new software helped the office to run more efficiently and to create beautifully designed posters, brochures, catalogs, and especially web pages.
According to Kyo Shimizu, KnK ‘s public relations officer, who also takes care of the computer network in the office.
"Every year, we hold a photo exhibition of children from the villages we support to raise awareness in Japan. This year, we had an exhibition about Bangladeshi children because the country was severely damaged by a big cyclone. I made a catalog after the exhibition, using Adobe Creative Suite."
"We are using Office 2007 for our daily office work. I especially like Outlook 2007. I noticed that it starts up much quicker than the older software we were using and it is stable… I’ll design our next annual report using Adobe Creative Suite. Designing it ourselves will save us a lot of money, and this professional software makes it all possible."
Nonprofit Education in Haiti
The mission of US-based nonprofit, All The Children Are Children (ATCAC) is to provide basic education, food, clothing, and health care to disadvantaged and orphaned children in Haiti. ATCAC operates a school in Guyotin-Coco, one of the poorest rural communities in Haiti. The school and the village have no running water, electricity, transportation, or even health care. To get water requires a walk of several miles to the mountain and back.
The school has about 300 students who attend classes in a one-room building that ordinarily accommodates 30 children. The remaining students must hold classes outside underneath trees, if weather permits.
ATCAC provides training in work skills, social skills, and health education taught by professionals. It offers classes in art, tailoring, mechanics, carpentry, masonry, technology, dentistry, nursing, electrical, and music, among other subjects.
ATCAC has received several Microsoft donations that it received through TechSoup to achieve its mission. Microsoft Office 2007 and 2010, Word, and PowerPoint are used to administer the school, educate students, and communicate with donors. The software has enabled the staff to engage stakeholders "boldly and very effectively.
We’re Looking For More Stories
Read more stories on our Local Impact Map from around the world that show the impact of technology donations on organizations and communities.
Want to share the story of how tech donations through TechSoup have helped an organization better serve their mission? Send it to community@techsoup.org with "Community Story" in the subject line.
