Comments on: Doing volunteer translation http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2008/10/18/doing-volunteer-translation/ Random scribbling about programming, translation, and Japan Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:05:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ryan Ginstrom http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2008/10/18/doing-volunteer-translation/comment-page-1/#comment-371 Ryan Ginstrom Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:55:13 +0000 http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/?p=462#comment-371 @Tamara That looks like a very interesting opportunity to volunteer. Thanks for sharing it. @Tamara

That looks like a very interesting opportunity to volunteer. Thanks for sharing it.

]]> By: Tamara http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2008/10/18/doing-volunteer-translation/comment-page-1/#comment-372 Tamara Mon, 24 Nov 2008 07:28:14 +0000 http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/?p=462#comment-372 If you are looking for other options to volunteer as a translator, check out www.kiva.org/volunteer. One of the New York Times Magazine’s “Top Ideas of 2006,” Kiva.org is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to an entrepreneur in the developing world. The Kiva Translation Program offers the opportunity to use your skills to make a direct contribution, improve language skills, network with other Kiva volunteers and build your resume. Volunteering from their own homes, Kiva volunteers translate entrepreneurs' profiles into English, which are then posted for funding at Kiva.org. This provides the key content to connect the lenders and borrowers around the world! If you are looking for other options to volunteer as a translator, check out http://www.kiva.org/volunteer.

One of the New York Times Magazine’s “Top Ideas of 2006,” Kiva.org is the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to an entrepreneur in the developing world.

The Kiva Translation Program offers the opportunity to use your skills to make a direct contribution, improve language skills, network with other Kiva volunteers and build your resume.

Volunteering from their own homes, Kiva volunteers translate entrepreneurs’ profiles into English, which are then posted for funding at Kiva.org. This provides the key content to connect the lenders and borrowers around the world!

]]> By: Ryan Ginstrom http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2008/10/18/doing-volunteer-translation/comment-page-1/#comment-369 Ryan Ginstrom Mon, 20 Oct 2008 01:18:28 +0000 http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/?p=462#comment-369 "translate some of their website and send it in for free, just to see how it goes." Thanks for the comment -- that's a good strategy. Some organizations might not show interest if you just come out of the blue, but if you send them an actual sample, that'll often get them interested. But don't think about it as not being able to keep up with it -- think of it as X time that you were <strong>able</strong> to continue your volunteer efforts. Volunteering is hard enough without beating ourselves up when other commitments get in the way. “translate some of their website and send it in for free, just to see how it goes.”

Thanks for the comment — that’s a good strategy. Some organizations might not show interest if you just come out of the blue, but if you send them an actual sample, that’ll often get them interested.

But don’t think about it as not being able to keep up with it — think of it as X time that you were able to continue your volunteer efforts. Volunteering is hard enough without beating ourselves up when other commitments get in the way.

]]> By: Kevin http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/2008/10/18/doing-volunteer-translation/comment-page-1/#comment-370 Kevin Sat, 18 Oct 2008 11:53:20 +0000 http://ginstrom.com/scribbles/?p=462#comment-370 A few years back when I was in Japan I contacted Oxfam Japan and offered to organize translators to translate their website and newsletters etc. We did for a while and I had about a half dozen volunteers. It was just when I was starting out as a freelancer, so that makes it four or five years ago and I wasn't able to keep up with it. I think a good idea for volunteering is to find a company/organization that you feel passionate about (in my case, a Japanese-speaking organization) and translate some of their website and send it in for free, just to see how it goes. A few years back when I was in Japan I contacted Oxfam Japan and offered to organize translators to translate their website and newsletters etc. We did for a while and I had about a half dozen volunteers. It was just when I was starting out as a freelancer, so that makes it four or five years ago and I wasn’t able to keep up with it.
I think a good idea for volunteering is to find a company/organization that you feel passionate about (in my case, a Japanese-speaking organization) and translate some of their website and send it in for free, just to see how it goes.

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