Virtual volunteering
Olivia John, who has been on an Internship with us through Go Wales, tries out some virtual volunteering opportunities
Discovery SVS have managed to secure many students with valuable work experience and volunteering opportunities without leaving the safety of tehir own home. The opportunities range from playing word games, to animal conservation, to even helping to cure diseases.
Here are just some of the virtual volunteering Discovery SVS has to offer Swansea University students.
ZSL’s Instant Wild: Animal Conservation
ZSL’s (Zoological Society of London) Instant Wild needs volunteers to watch live images and videos which are recorded all over the world. The main role is to watch the videos and ultimately tag what animals are present. By identifying the animals in each image, you are contributing and making a positive impact on the future for wildlife.
More information at: https://instantwild.zsl.org/about
Free Rice
In partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), Free Rice is a website where you play basic word games across a variety of categories and every correct answer you get, a donation is made to a charity. The donations include, rice or money depending on which is needed more.
I have been playing this game in my free time and knowing I am making a different whilst playing a fun and easy game.
More information at: https://freerice.com/about
Missing Maps
Each year, disasters around the world kill nearly 100,000 and displace and affect approx. 200 milling people. Unfortunately, many of the places where these disasters occur are literally ‘missing’ from any map and the lack of information is contributing to the loss of life. Missing Maps is an open, collaborative project in which you can help to map areas where humanitarian organisations are trying to meet the needs of vulnerable people.
If you haven’t used OpenStreetMap before, a tutorial is available which is incredibly useful and in-depth.
In my opinion, this is one of my favourite virtual volunteering Discovery SVS offer because it is truly making a difference and you are able to help humanitarian organisations map information which in the long run, can help save people’s lives.
More information at: https://www.missingmaps.org
These were just some of the virtual volunteering Discovery SVS has to offer Swansea University students. To find more opportunities go to https://discoverysvs.org/our-projects/virtual-volunteering/
They offer a range of opportunities that truly make a worldwide difference which is something I personally love. Knowing I am truly making a difference and contributing to issues that affect people around the world is amazing and makes the experience even more special.
I studied Geography in my undergraduate degree and am currently studying International Journalism for my masters, I found these virtual volunteering opportunities Discovery SVS offer really good, particularly the mapping opportunity, it has helped me rediscover my love for Geography. I am usually a very busy person, prior to lockdown, I was working up to 20-hours a week in my part-time job as a barmaid, I even had a second job in my first semester and in general, I love doing stuff and keeping myself occupied every day so at the beginning lockdown was very hard for me but, finding these opportunities have helped me so much and has been extremely fulfilling.