Overview
Refugees Code is a seven month coding school program run by Madrid For Refugees (MFR) and supported by UNHCR Spain. During the course, refugees, displaced persons and asylum seekers are taught software development skills by tech professionals who volunteer to impart their technical expertise and industry experience. Currently two courses are offered by Refugees Code during evening classes:
- Frontend Web Development
- Data Analytics
Jobs in the software development sector usually have no barrier to entry other than mastering the technical skillset. As such, we aim to equip the students with the technical knowledge and practical insights that will help make them competitive for a job in tech. Over the eight years that this program has been running, multiple graduates have secured employment in the tech sector or have continued on to higher education in related fields.
Challenge
Refugees Code produces a cohort of new software developers each year who are aiming to find their first job in tech. These candidates face the difficult reality that hiring companies prefer applicants with prior work experience, even for the most junior roles.
MFR has highly experienced tech professionals (the volunteer teachers), some of whom are willing to work with and impart further knowledge to the Refugees Code cohort on real-world projects. We are interested in collaborating with other non-profit organizations and NGOs that need online software tools that can solve an operational or logistical problem at their NGO. If a use case for a web application can be identified, MFR would offer our team of experienced tech professionals and junior refugee developers pro bono in order to design, develop and deploy the technical solution for the selected partner NGO.
Objective
The main goal is for our refugee cohort to gain work experience on real projects for a client, which they can list on their CVs to enhance their job seeker profiles. Through guidance and supervision from experienced tech professionals, the cohort can learn how to successfully implement and deliver an IT project based on industry standards and best practices. Furthermore MFR would be thrilled to collaborate with and help a partner NGO bring to life a tech idea that contributes to the improvement of their services to the community.
If you are part of an NGO with an idea for a software solution that can help your organization or the community you serve, then we would love to hear from you.
Duration & Flexibility
Projects have generally taken a few months from kickoff to handover, followed by roughly one month of light technical support for quick fixes, but this is a general guide and can be amended based on the scope of the agreed project. Actual timing is assessed individually based on scope and volunteer availability. Both sides agree to communicate early if the pace needs to change. Either side may pause or end the collaboration with reasonable notice if it’s no longer working for them.
Ownership, Hosting & Showcasing
The final code and application belong to the NGO once the project handover is complete This includes its specific content, data and branding. Since this real-world experience is central to why the program exists, MFR and the participating students may reference the project in student portfolios, CVs, LinkedIn and MFR’s own communications. With the NGO’s express permission, students may use the beneficiary NGO´s name and logo. Students also retain the right to reuse general code components, patterns and expertise gained while building the solution as a foundation for future personal, academic, or portfolio projects;provided nothing specific to the beneficiary NGO is carried over.
What Madrid For Refugees Provides
- An experienced Volunteer Tech Lead supervising the project throughout
- Junior Developer(s) from Refugees Code assigned to build the project
- Regular check-ins with the NGO at a frequency agreed frequency (e.g., weekly or every two weeks)
- A working, reasonably tested product, plus basic handover documentation
- Confidentiality of anything sensitive the NGO shares with the team
What We Need From Partner NGOs
- At least one point of contact for the whole project. This contact must beable to give feedback within a few business days at each milestone
- Accurate content and information needed to build the tool
- Confirmation that someone with decision-making authority in the organization supports the project
- Owning and paying for its own hosting/domain once the app is handed over. MFR’s team deploys the app, under the NGO’s own accounts so the NGO owns the result outright with no ongoing cost or dependency on MFR
- Understanding that this is a learning project built primarily by junior developers under supervision — not a commercial vendor engagement, with no guaranteed delivery date and no warranty
- In the case that the app will handle personal, sensitive or financial data: accepting that this may extend the timeline and require extra safeguards
- Optional but very welcome: joining a short wrap-up call and sharing a brief testimonial at project close, to help showcase the collaboration and the students’ work.
- Optional: permission to use beneficiary NGO´s principal contact for the project as a professional reference where applicable.
A Note on Selection
Submitting the form doesn’t guarantee a match. Our team reviews ideas for genuine need, feasibility for a supervised junior team and current volunteer capacity. Only a portion of submissions can move forward at any given time. If we can’t take on a proposal right away, we may keep it on file for a future round.