Web Site Development

"I joined this project just because I knew that there is something in me that I can share to this world. I realize that I can give something more valuable instead of giving money and other material things."

John has a web designing firm called Central Web Advertising and has worked on websites for various NGOs like Transformation Resource Central (www.trc.org.ls), IPI (www.ipimalawi.org), Maseru United Church, Malawi edirectory, Nyasa Junior Academy just to mention a few. Aside from English, he is also fluent in Chechewa, his mother language, and is also able to speak and understand Sesotho and Seswana languages fairly well. He is presently working as a webmaster with Nation Publication Limited in Malawi.

John did some of the work on the photos and performed testing of the web site using various browsers. You can contact him at jkasalika@gmail.com.

"I volunteered because I'd like to improve my skills, to have new experience in working with foreign companies and organizations, especially non-profit ones."

David is a freelance web designer who has developed web sites for Davidooff-Armenia, Russian models and model agencies, cognac Ararat, Tomy Hilfiger in Georgia, USA and many other companies. His interests are cars, boxing and design, and he can speak English, Russian, Georgian, and Armenian. A good sample of his works can be seen at www.lashkhi.ru.

David, being a good graphics designer, was a natural choice to do the logo redesign for TechCeFaCos, and he also did the certificates. You can contact him at david.msk.ru@gmail.com.

"We must care about justice if we don't want to see the world globally in blood and violence. That's why I'm interested in UN activities, because global development is one of their goals. We can achieve our part of justice working with them. It's not about feeling comfortable with ourselves, it's about doing what has to be done."

Olivier is a French freelance web developer who has a deep concern for inequities in the world. He was studying philosophy, which got him thinking about world development. So he pursued a career in web development, learning on his own, and reading code and articles from international experts. Today he is an expert with the Typolight CMS (he writes extenstions for it) and he wants to help through open source technology so that African people can leverage from the transfer of knowledge about web technology. With his mastery of Typolight, it was only fitting that we used that platform to redesign the TechCeFaCos web site. Olivier's contributions to the project have been tremendous. He provided all the necessary "plumbing" so that an editor can layout the pages of text and photos, and provided some other useful features. You can contact him through his website. He has a soft spot for children too, and he sums up his philosophy about them as follows:

"I feel concerned about children too, but not as much as I feel concerned about their parents, and the parents they will become. I think that if parents live in good conditions, their children will too."

"I joined this project because I wanted to use my IT skills for something more than a paycheck.  I want to use them to enable myself and others to do good for the community. Volunteering made sense to me, especially through an organization like the United Nations. TechCeFaCos uses computers and technology to promote sustainable development. I consider computers and technology my passion, so I couldn't think of a better endeavour to volunteer for. I'm glad my skills will help to spread TechCeFaCos' message."

Scott works primarily as a software engineer, and he could not think of doing anything else as a career. When not doing programming he loves to travel, read, and play ice hockey and soccer.  He believes travel is the best education and considers Argentina and Morocco his favorite places. You can follow his travels on his blog, ScottWorldTour (http://scottworldtour.wordpress.com) and get some very useful tips. He was instrumental in doing the home page, as well as some of the other web pages and banners. You can contact him at keifer94@gmail.com.

"I'm also happy to be part of an international team that made this website possible. It has been a pleasure to work with them and both the work and the team members have helped to give me a more global perspective. All in all, this has been a very rewarding experience and I can't wait to work on more volunteering projects."

"I volunteered because it portents the great possibility of continuing with, and in the same field that I have devoted my career in the last almost twenty years - alleviating human suffering through education and viable interventions by way of developing support systems that work towards such end through the Information Communication Technology."

A few years ago Musembi suffered a motor accident that resulted in fractures to his left femur, rib and clavicle. However, this did not deter him from continuing on with his life, and he spends part of it doing volunteer work.

He has his own design studio. Musembi also speaks English, French, Kiswahili, and some Spanish/Chinese. You can contact him at musembi@dwstudios.co.ke.

"My goal is to help expand press coverage and public awareness of the Software Libre ecosystem, by advocating for the adoption of Free Software and the practice of information sharing. Also, to help build a communications network of legal professionals and Free Software developers to facilitate the production, promotion, and protection of our Free Culture."

You can view some of his works at http://gnumedia.org, http://lawrencesunflowerhouse.org, http://ecmku.org. Brylie assisted us to obtain photos that were used on the web site. You can contact him at brylie@gnumedia.org.

"I have really enjoyed my experience with TechCeFaCos. Ernie is a very patient project leader and facilitates team communication well. Olivier is very good at explaining where things stand and how to move forward. I think that the mission of TechCeFaCos is noble and highly important if global equality is ever to be attained."

"When I first volunteered to TechCeFaCos, it was only to help edit their project funding proposal. However, after getting more acquainted with their programs and activities, I soon found myself immersed about thinking of other ways to help this organization. I saw their need to redesign their web site as a good opportunity for me to continue helping as an online volunteer."

Thus Ernie ended up managing the redesign of TechCeFaCos' web site, developing all the web content material, selecting the photos, and using the Typolight system that Olivier had set up. He worked with this international cast of UN online volunteers. He has also accepted TechCeFaCos' offer to become an honorary member, serving as Adviser/Publication Editor, and helped to do some fundraising for the organization. Ernie is also doing online volunteer work for another NGO (Non-Governmental-Organization), where he works closely with other international volunteers (see www.scn.org/cmp). He does the translation of some of the organization's document modules. These are free training materials that are made available world-wide to any non-profit organization that is involved in activities for strengthening communities. The documents are available (and continously being translated into) in several languages. You can contact him at ernierv@hotmail.com.

"I knew this project would present a lot of challenges, having to deal with online volunteers from across the globe, and different time zones. However, with the excellent cooperation of these folks, their dedication to a good cause and their perseverance, this project has become a reality. I have learned a lot from them, and their philosophies in life have inspired me to continue on my volunteering efforts."