Wednesday 24 December 2008

Happy Holidays from all of us at NABUUR!

Dear all,

As we enter the holiday season and the year comes to a close, we'd like to wish you a peaceful and joyous holiday, and also extend our gratitude for your support and commitment to local communities around the world. It's been said before but bears repeating: NABUUR is not possible without the dedication and energy of each of you - Thank You!

Before heading out to your holiday plans, take a minute to read the latest happening at NABUUR.

Stories
To see just what kind of a year it's been, have a look at these inspiring stories featuring developments in villages during the past year.

What's new and what's coming up in 2009
You may have seen some of the changes on NABUUR.com, and you're probably asking yourself what's coming up in 2009...Here's your chance to get the latest scoop. And please let us know what you think by contributing to the online discussion.

Last but not least...
NABUUR is happy to announce its first Volunteer of the Year Contest, and we're inviting you to take part in nominating and selecting the winner. Find out more, and post your nomination here! Nominations will be accepted until January 15, so get yours in today!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

the NABUUR Team

Thursday 18 December 2008

Webmaster wanted for www.kabondopoverty.org

You may have come across the amazing website put together by volunteers to raise awareness for the Kabondo Orphan Care Project.

Now this website is in urgent need of a webmaster: a dedicated and thorough volunteer who can write content and update the website as needed. If this sounds like you, read on for a message from Barb Briggs, facilitator of the Kabondo project, outlining the full description of the voluntary duties you'd be undertaking.

Webmaster Needed!
In order to attract potential donors, increase awareness and promote Kabondo, and allow for 'online' donation a website was developed at www.kabondopoverty.org.

We have webhosting for 2 years but now require a webmaster.

Duties include:

- Writing content for the website
- Posting updates at least monthly, but preferably every week
- Posting photos, videos and other links
- Maintaining a list of registered users that sign up on the site
- Developing new pages as the site grows
- Minimum 6 month commitment

Expertise or skills required:
- Experience in working with Joomla
- Experience writing
- Strong English writing skills
- Excellent internet skills
- Ability to add photos, videos and other resources to the site
- Experience in updating a website
- Able to maintain a spreadsheet

If interested, do let them know! Leave a message on the Kabondo discussion board here.

Wednesday 17 December 2008

Next step

Two years ago, on June 2006, I started at NABUUR.

Then NABUUR was an Internet site on which 5,000 online volunteers (Neighbours) collaborated with the population of 60 local communities (Villages) from Africa, Asia and Latin America to find new solutions for local problems.

Now, at the end of 2008 NABUUR is an open platform where soon 20,000 Neighbours from 152 different countries will assist the population in 200 Villages with projects which are linked with the millennium goals.

NABUUR became a self-organising platform and as a result the team of employees and thereby the operational costs can be much lower. Moreover NABUUR is well on it’s way to secure a group of committed partners and financial supporters and with that it has been insured a stable future.

I am glad that I have made my contribution to this growth in the previous years. There were turbulent, sometimes uncertain times in which I have cooperated gladly with colleagues and partners and above all have learned much from the local representatives and the volunteers.

Your feeling for justice, commitment, perseverance and allegiance is infinite and will continue to inspire me both in work and private life!


As of 1 January I will start working at‘’de Baak’’ (www.baakblue.nl). Last autumn NABUUR hosted the Dutch Innovation seminar (organised by the Baakblue). There I experienced the work area and got to know the people. From the first meeting I felt like a fish in water and realised that I in my next job I want more personal contact and variety in subjects and organisations. That is what the Baakblue can offer me.

NABUUR `gets under your skin'' and that’s why I want to conclude with stories of developments reached in the Villages the previous years:

http://www.nabuur.com/news/stories

I hope that this only beginning ...... Thank you very much for cooperation!

Gerdie Schreuders

Tuesday 16 December 2008

Projects, projects and more projects - How do You Choose One?

With hundreds of online projects on NABUUR.com, how do you decide which one to help? Some volunteers have their mind made up as soon as they register, beelining it for the project of their choice.

But many of us are grateful for a little time to peruse what's available - so, if you've asked yourself the question 'how do I choose a NABUUR project?' you're in luck as today, we bring you some tips to make sure you start off your NABUUR experience on the right foot from the get-go.

1. A quick way to select an online project is by browsing the Villages tab. On that page you'll see villages and projects categorized by topic and location. Pick at your heart's content!

2. You can't beat a search engine! Type in your chosen keywords (skills, interests, location, task names, etc.) and find your way to quick results in seconds.

3. Peers know best. Chat with your fellow Neighbours: they are the ones with the pulse on all the latest happening on NABUUR, and they'll likely know of a project where your skills and interests would fit right in.

4. Stay on top of the NABUUR news! Opportunities for help within villages and projects are often advertised by the news items, so don't miss one bit!

5. Contact info[at]nabuur.com if you'd like some guidance on where to start. Don't forget to tell us a bit about yourself (your preferences for a volunteering opportunity; your work/academic experience; your likes/dislikes) and we'll help match you up with a project of your choice.

If you're not quite ready to dive into a project, no worries, there's heaps more you can do: check out the '10 Things You can do' page. We know there's something in there that's bound to get your full attention!

We hope you find this information useful in helping you get started - Have a great day everyone!

Friday 12 December 2008

Two ways that you can help the Nairobi Eastlands Support Centre

It's been a long time since we showcased available volunteering opportunities, so today we bring you a project - and concrete ways that you can help - that we hope will catch your attention.

A few months ago we introduced you to the Nairobi Eastlands Support Centre when we proudly announced that the centre had earned its NGO status, and was now formally and legally recognized as an organization. This time we visit the project and give you ways to help out - without setting foot in the community, and simply by sitting behind your computer and spending some time on the Internet.

For those who didn't read the previous post on NESC, here's a quick recap of the project, explained by the project's facilitator Lynley MacKay:

"HIV/AIDS in Nairobi-Eastlands is spreading at an alarming rate, and with high rates of substance and poor health, the community needs access to affordable health care.

The community has established a health care and support centre. The centre will provide both medical and counselling services." (A more detailed overview on the project can be found here.)

While a lot has been accomplished, thanks to the tireless work of the project's team, there are a couple of urgent tasks that would welcome your offer to help.

1. Sort and Prioritize Resources: NESC has a large bank of potential funding and support organizations listed in the project room's resources. These organizations were selected partly because they have a similar focus to NESC, but now they need to be revised and prioritized according to their potential/likelihood to fund NESC.

If you can help with this task, which shouldn't take up more than 2 hours, please drop your name in the discussion thread.

2. Write a Funding Proposal: NESC has a mission statement, aims and objectives set out, a project and business plan, a proposed budget, a logo, and a web page. All it is missing is for a few volunteers to collaborate together on a proposal/funding document which will be submitted as the main source of information when applying for funding opportunities.

Sounds like something that you could do? Let the team know here.

There you have it: two concrete ways to offer your assistance to a crucial and inspiring project in Nairobi. Feel free to browse around the project's other tasks, and join in the conversation. See you online.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Friday 5 December 2008

Happy International Volunteer Day from all of us at NABUUR!

Dear NABUUR Volunteers,

Today, December 5, is International Volunteer Day; a day which celebrates the collective spirit and work of volunteers around the world.

To mark this day, the team at NABUUR would like to take a moment and honour the commitment you have made to help local communities around the world achieve their goals and dreams.

The core of NABUUR – our online neighbour network - would not function without the work put in by each and everyone one of you, and we say a heartfelt Thank You to everyone involved.

As a means to celebrate your achievements, we have compiled a few stories that represent the tremendous efforts made this past year by NABUUR neighbours, facilitators, and local representatives. We invite you to read the stories and please don't hesitate to share them with friends and family. Enjoy!

With gratitude, we wish you a Happy International Volunteer Day – You wholeheartedly deserve it.

The NABUUR team