Staff Onboarding

Dzaleka Online Services is a comprehensive digital platform serving the Dzaleka Refugee Camp community in Malawi. Our platform provides:

• Service Directory: 100+ organizations and services
• Resource Library: 140+ educational resources, PDFs, and guides
• Event Management: Community events and activities
• News & Stories: Community news and personal narratives
• Photo Archive: Visual documentation of camp life
• Job Board: Employment opportunities
• Skills Exchange: Community talent marketplace

Your Role

As a staff member, you'll help:

• Create and manage content across the platform
• Support community members in sharing their stories
• Maintain accurate information about services and resources
• Promote events and opportunities
• Uphold our community values and guidelines

For Content Creators & Community Managers

If you'll be creating content using web forms (no coding required):

1. Access Accounts: Get login credentials from your supervisor
2. Review Guidelines: Read the Contributing Guidelines
3. Learn Tools: Familiarize yourself with available submission forms
4. Practice: Start with a test submission to understand the workflow
5. Get Help: Use the Help Desk if you have questions

Quick Links for Content Creation

• News Publishing (Blogger)
• Event Submission Form
• Service Registration Form
• Photo Submission Form
• Community Voice Submission

For Technical Staff & Developers

If you'll be working directly with code and GitHub:

1. Set up your development environment (see below)
2. Clone the repository and install dependencies
3. Review the project structure and documentation
4. Read the Contributing Guidelines
5. Review Training Materials for detailed guides

This section is for technical staff working with code

Required Tools

• Node.js (v18 or later)
• Git (for version control)
• VS Code (recommended) or your preferred IDE
• GitHub account with repository access

Installation Steps

1. Install Node.js from nodejs.org
2. Install Git from git-scm.com
3. Install VS Code from code.visualstudio.com
4. Request GitHub repository access from your supervisor

This section is for technical staff working with code

Clone and Install

Environment Configuration

Copy .env.example to .env and configure as needed:

13 Content Collections

The platform manages content through 13 different collections:

Core Collections

• news/ - News articles with 6 categories (business-spotlight, announcement, success-story, business-guide, news, education)
• events/ - Community events with registration, panelists, and calendar integration
• services/ - 100+ organizations with contact details and business hours
• resources/ - 140+ educational resources, PDFs, and guides
• docs/ - Platform documentation and help content

Community Content

• photos/ - Photo gallery with photographer credits
• stories/ - Community stories and photo essays
• inspirational-stories/ - Personal success stories
• community-voices/ - Community perspectives and opinions

Talent & Skills

• profiles/ - Skills exchange and service provider profiles
• jobs/ - Employment opportunities with categories and deadlines
• talents/ - Showcase of artists, dancers, and poets

Additional Content

• artists/, dancers/, poets/ - Individual talent profiles
• projects/, sites/ - Community projects and locations

Key Features

• Search functionality across all content types
• Pagination for large collections
• Category and tag-based filtering
• Responsive mobile-first design
• SEO optimization with metadata
• Social media integration
• Cloudinary image optimization
• Contact forms with email notifications

This section is for technical staff working with code

Key Directories

• src/pages/ - Main application pages and routes
• src/components/ - Reusable UI components
• src/layouts/ - Page layouts and templates
• src/content/ - 13 content collections (see above)
• src/utils/ - Utility functions and helpers
• src/styles/ - Global styles and patterns
• public/ - Static assets, images, and PDFs

Important Files

• astro.config.mjs - Astro configuration
• tailwind.config.cjs - Tailwind CSS configuration
• src/content/config.ts - Content schema definitions
• package.json - Project dependencies and scripts
• tsconfig.json - TypeScript configuration

Technology Stack

• Astro 4.x - Static site generator
• Tailwind CSS - Utility-first CSS framework
• TypeScript - Type-safe JavaScript
• Cloudinary - Image hosting and optimization
• Netlify - Hosting and deployment

As a staff member of Dzaleka Online Services, you are expected to uphold our community values:

• Respect: Honor the cultural diversity and heritage of the Dzaleka community
• Confidentiality: Maintain privacy of sensitive information and personal data
• Accuracy: Ensure content accuracy and fact-checking before publishing
• Cultural Sensitivity: Be mindful of cultural contexts and perspectives
• Empowerment: Support community empowerment through your work
• Attribution: Respect intellectual property rights and provide proper credit
• Professionalism: Maintain professional communication in all interactions
• Inclusion: Contribute to a safe and inclusive environment for all

By participating in this project, you agree to uphold these values and contribute positively to the Dzaleka community.

For All Staff

1. Read the Contributing Guidelines
2. Review the Training Materials
3. Check the FAQ for common questions
4. Introduce yourself to the team
5. Ask your supervisor for your first assignment

Helpful Resources

• Platform Documentation - User guides and help articles
• Knowledge Base - Internal documentation
• Help Desk - Get support and assistance
• Contact Us - Reach the team

Stay Connected

• Join team communication channels
• Attend team meetings and training sessions
• Share feedback and suggestions for improvement
• Stay updated on platform changes and updates

This section is for technical staff working with code

Git Workflow

1. Create a new branch for your feature:
   git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
2. Make your changes and commit them:
   git add .
   git commit -m "feat: your feature description"
3. Push your branch and create a pull request:
   git push origin feature/your-feature-name

Commit Message Format

Follow the conventional commits format:

• feat: for new features
• fix: for bug fixes
• docs: for documentation changes
• style: for formatting changes
• refactor: for code refactoring

Testing & Deployment

The site automatically deploys to Netlify when changes are pushed to the main branch. Allow 5-10 minutes for deployment.