KUALA LUMPUR: ONE hundred and three Malaysian youth are set to gain insight into how non- governmental organisations (NGOs) operate and shine new light on volunteerism through the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) Digital Volunteer programme.
The Digital Volunteer programme, powered by SOLS 24/7 Malaysia, received an excellent turn-out at the recent digital volunteer training held recently at the SOLS 24/7 Malaysia headquarters in Sungai Besi, here.
The students were from the International Islamic University Malaysia, Universiti Tenaga Nasional Malaysia, Asia Pacific Unversity, SMK Sri Sentosa Kuala Lumpur, SEGi University and UCSI University.
The two-part training programme consisted of the benefits of volunteering, what it means to be a digital volunteer, social media management, introduction to ngohub.asia (a one-stop platform for NGOs
in Malaysia) and ended with open discussions and presentations by the students.
SOLS 24/7 Malaysia Digital Volunteer programme head Chun Wah Hoo said there was a misconception about volunteering, as many people are under the impression that it is time consuming and consists of on-the-ground work.
“The youth feel that volunteering requires time, effort and skills but this project breaks all those barriers because it is convenient and they can do it from home.
“It is just an advancement of the social media engagement skills already possessed by our youth,” said Chun.
“It is a good way for students to use their digital knowledge and turn into digital ambassadors for the social sector in Malaysia,” he added.
Two students will be assigned to one NGO that has registered with ngohub.asia.
The students will have to spend 20 hours over the span of three months to assist the selected NGOs to create an online presence and digitalise their profiles through social media content and management.
SOLS 24/7 Malaysia Digital Volunteer programme manager, Echa Saadun said 80 to 90 per cent of fresh graduates that had volunteering experience on their resumes were more likely to be selected by potential employers.
“Volunteering is actually a step towards employability, and this is something that is highlighted in Western and European universities.
The skills they gain from a volunteering experience gives them a headstart before they step into the working world,” said Saadun.
“The digital volunteers will be making a positive impact to enhance the online presence of the NGOs that are committed to bring change to the social sector in Malaysia,” she added.
The students will commence their digital volunteer attachment in January 2015.