The youth is quite a big issue in most countries, with massive questions about how to give them skills training and utilise their skill sets. My hands and heart is a new initiative in South Africa which is hoping to solve some of those problems. The project wants to develop young people by connecting them to opportunities.
My hands and heart is a volunteer management platform, “with the key objective of creating opportunities for youth to gain exposure, experience and grow from volunteer ‘opportunities’ provided by corporates, NGO’s and other organizations”.
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Pioneered by the National Youth Development Agency, World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers, and the Commonwealth Youth Programme, the initiative has launched an online platform for youth and organisations to connect. The platform can be accessed via mobile, social media and text messages for users without internet access.
Delivered as an online and mobile platform that is easily accessible for organizations and volunteers, my hands and heart enables the youth to find opportunities for development as well as aiding organizations to gain access to more supporters, hands and hearts, as volunteers. Individuals in their acts of volunteerism will be able to support the organizations they resonate with and become involved in and supporting by giving their time, while further developing themselves.
The platform also works with corporate and organizations, “providing them easy access volunteers and connecting them to volunteering opportunities they may have for them”. Organisations can sign up to create and share volunteer opportunities, these opportunities can be shared via social media, volunteers can be added and updated via email and text messages, as well as produce reports.
Some key facts about the platform:
- Easy to use volunteer project management system for organizations
- Young people effortlessly sign up through mobile, social media networks and online to access volunteer opportunities to learn new skills, get experience and gain exposure
- Easily share and communicate information within the community about any events, initiatives, campaigns, or wherever helping hands are needed by simply posting an “opportunity” on my hands and heart, then managing and reporting the project from your online dashboard
- Automated push communication through emails, SMS, and social media updates from the organizations are shared with interested volunteers
- Just a mobile phone, youth do not need to have a computer or internet access to receive opportunities – can also use SMS and USSD short codes
- Volunteer training resources (online and at select organizations) are provided to volunteers to enhance the quality of skills gained and improve their ability to assist the organizations they work with
- Clear reporting on impact made as organizations can report on volunteer hours and basic skills developed through the volunteer opportunities
- Approved stats are accessible at any time to include in proposals, to provide to stakeholders, donors, volunteers and other interested parties
Here is a video that explains how the platform works:
