Responsible Coordinator - Web Graphics & Words Smith

What will you be doing?

This project is about improving "drinking water, irrigation and food supply" for small farmers in Ethiopia, through making groundwater detection maps available to donors and aid agencies so they can drive out risks and drive down the costs of investment in shallow boreholes programmes.

The subjects pertaining to this request will be related and relevant to our Artificial Intelligence mapping project (WellMapr©) for groundwater detection, which MapAid is working on with university partners, in Ethiopia and remotely in the USA and the UK.

We looking for someone who can help achieve the following:

a) Help look after the GlobalMapAid organisation website, taking increasing responsibility. Longer term the website will need to be re-built from zero.

b) Sometime early in 2024, help create a few simple graphics every 1 or 2 months, that can be used as marketing tools in Africa to promote WellMapr© to aid agencies

c) Motivate and organise one volunteer each month, to spend 3 to 5 minutes, writing one blog post per month. This will also involve helping them identify or suggest a subject, and giving them a deadline. We have guidelines.

d) Create a "WellMapr© for Dummies" schematic, which explains how we arrived at our AI system, and how it works, so that time-poor individuals, who don't have a degree in advanced computer science, can grasp the beauty of it.

e) The work needs patient volunteers, who are willing to receive information, and disparate updates so they learn about what we do - and then be able to apply the relevant knowledge to their specific task with a laser focus.

What are we looking for?

The ideal volunteer for this role would be someone who cares about Africa first and foremost.

They will be reliable, and have a bit of grit. And be a self-starter. A good listener. And a can-do person.

Technical skills in web design & management, plus writing content will be vital.

The leadership skills of volunteers, in small groups, will be essential.

No knowledge of AI is required.

What difference will you make?

This a unique, humbling opportunity, towards helping us begin to create sustainable farm water for 47 million people in Ethiopia, living in rural areas, under the poverty line.

We have noticed the best volunteers have patience and a good sense of humour, because altogether what we are doing as a team is difficult. But when was something worth doing, altogether easy ?

Additional information

You can download the following documents:

Before you apply

Dear Potential Volunteer Writer

Please in the first instance send over your short CV and a cover note, explaining your thoughts about the role. 

Please evidence the following, *your*

a) reliability to stick at the role, for more than a few months, ideally we have a time horizon of 3 years, where together we can evolve the role, you can enjoy it, and everything can flourish

b) heart for Africa

c) technical skills in websites, graphic design

d) leadership skills, "looking after" 1 or 2 people at a time - able to discuss and agree with volunteers' deadlines work.

Kind regards

Rupert Douglas-Bate

Chair, MapAid