You don't need to be a software engineer to contribute. Health professionals, crisis responders, writers, and testers are just as valuable as developers.
Pick the path that fits your skills — all of them matter.
Write code, fix bugs, build features. Our stack varies by project — Python, JavaScript, and more. All skill levels welcome.
good first issue labelGood documentation is the difference between a tool people adopt and one they ignore. Clear writing is a high-impact contribution.
Try features, find edge cases, and report what breaks. Testing by non-developers is especially valuable — you find usability problems engineers miss.
If you work in healthcare, emergency response, or humanitarian aid — your knowledge is our most valuable resource. We build better tools when domain experts are in the room.
Have an idea for a tool that doesn't exist yet? Seen a problem in your field that software could help solve? We want to hear it — even (especially) if you can't build it yourself.
Share our projects with people who could use them. Star repos you find valuable. Tell colleagues in healthcare and crisis management that these tools exist.
New to open source? Here's the path from zero to merged PR.
Browse our repositories and find one that interests you. Read the README to understand what it does and whether it matches your skills.
Look for issues labelled good first issue or help wanted. These are intentionally scoped to be approachable. Comment on the issue to let others know you're picking it up.
Fork the repository to your own GitHub account, then clone it locally. Create a new branch for your change — never commit directly to main.
Implement the fix or feature. Follow any coding standards mentioned in CONTRIBUTING.md. Run existing tests to make sure nothing is broken.
Push your branch and open a PR against the original repository. Describe what you changed and why. Reference the issue number (e.g. Closes #42). A maintainer will review it within a few days.
JigsawFlux is committed to a welcoming, inclusive environment. We work across disciplines — engineers, clinicians, aid workers, researchers — and that diversity is our strength.
All contributors are expected to follow our Code of Conduct: treat others with respect, assume good faith, and focus on the work rather than the person.