A new project, I Hack Charities, was recently launched to help provide technology to charitable organizations. The project is led by Johhny Long, known for creating the Google Hacking Database.
Long said that after seeing the movie "Invisible Children", he became passionate about supporting the cause of the children of Uganda who endure ongoing war -- some of whom even take up arms as soldiers.
"In May of 2007, my wife and I led a team to Jinja, Uganda to support \[AIDS Orphans Education Trust (AOET)\], an organization aimed at empowering widows and orphans left in the wake of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The hacker community pulled together again, fully funding our trip \[...\] Driven by the outpouring of support from the hacking community, I took the next step, founding ihackcharities.org in July of 2007. My goal is to connect skill with need. Specifically, I want to apply the skills of the hacking community to charitable organizations that need those skills," Long wrote in a short synopsis of the story behind the new organization.
So far the organization's first project, a Web site for Ugandan song and dance group "The Predestined," is well underway with 11 volunteer hackers taking up the effort. The song and dance group helps provide funding for AOET.
Long said his organization is looking for volunteers who'd like to contribute their skills towards future projects. The organization also welcomes donations of hardware, software, and money.
