Charity may begin at home but it can be enriching to work abroad

A charity that recruits volunteers to work overseas says managers who face redundancy could use their skills to help developing countries, writes FRANK DILLON

THE FALLOUT from the crisis in the financial services industry could have positive benefits for developing nations.

VSO, a charity that recruits volunteers to work overseas, says managers who face redundancy could use their skills to help developing countries and is seeking 50 experienced professionals here for placement over the next six months.

VSO says it urgently requires finance managers, accountants, economic advisers and general managers to offer their time and skills in 44 developing countries where it works.

The organisation says it offers challenging positions that will provide new skills and enhance the longer-terms job prospects of those willing to take overseas postings.

Traditionally, VSO recruited from the education sector but since September has had a surge in interest from business professionals, according to director Malcolm Quigley.

“Some have been made redundant and are looking for new opportunities, while others are taking stock of their lives after the boom and want to do something different. A recurring theme is that people are thinking about their personal legacy.”

Volunteers are typically in the 30s and 50s and single. They are paid an allowance during their postings, which typically last two years.

“People are initially daunted by the two-year timeframe, but it takes a while to get to understand the country and the culture, so it is only in the second year that people are fully adding value.”

A common misconception, says Quigley, is volunteers will typically work as teachers. In fact, the organisation seeks to draw on the existing skills and expertise of the managers.

Some are placed in local government bodies or government ministries where they take up management and financial advisory roles, while others work in small community not-for-profits located in rural parts of Africa, organising workshops for village leaders, women’s groups or HIV educators, many of whom have had no formal education.

However, despite lack of resources, many of the countries VSO works in are experiencing rapid economic growth. Ethiopia and Kenya, for example, are experiencing double-digit growth during a time of worldwide recession.

Mark Henderson became a VSO volunteer having been made redundant last year after 23 years working for the same multinational firm.

At 47, he felt he was at a stage in his life where he needed a completely new experience.

Friends who had engaged in volunteer work encouraged him to apply. After extensive training he was posted to Indonesia where he is currently working as a project manager in a 200-bed hospital in a town called Maumere in the province of Nusa Tenggara Timur.

“The project on which I am working is an accreditation project and I am helping the hospital management team in their efforts towards achieving a higher classification within the Indonesian healthcare system.

“If successful, this will give the hospital much more autonomy in managing its resources and reduce the amount of bureaucracy and direct control to which it is subjected.”

While Henderson says the initial training provided by VSO is useful in managing expectations, volunteers should have an open mind before they depart.

“The best expectation you can arrive with is that nothing will be as you expected.

“The most important characteristics a volunteer can have are flexibility and patience, to be prepared to live in a very different way and be prepared for things to happen at a very different pace.”

He says volunteers need to think about the financial consequences of their decision to take an assignment.

“A volunteer’s allowance will enable you to live modestly in your placement country but won’t cover things like keeping up with mortgage payments at home while you are away.”

Henderson says the experience of working in a different culture with very limited resources has made him more flexible and adaptable, which has added to his skill-base. However, he says it is unlikely that he will seek a job in the corporate world when he returns.

That has certainly been the experience of another VSO volunteer Denis Mahoney.

A former AIB executive at the IFSC, Mahoney recently took up a job with Trócaire following his 18-month placement in Ethiopia.

“I was reluctant to go back to a similar role, and I was fortunate enough to find a position that allows me to use my IT and management skills for the development sector.”

Mahoney worked for VSO in the town of Jimma in Ethiopia, where he installed computer and telecommunications networks amongst other things.

“I was surprised at the quality of the IT infrastructure already in place. Mobile phone and internet penetration levels are quite high. It’s not the picture we are used to from the television screens.”

Mahoney says the experience has been personally enriching, and suggests that those interested in volunteering do their homework and talk to a range of people who have experienced it before committing.

VSO is holding an information evening for people interested in volunteering on June 27th in the Irish Aid Volunteering and Information Centre, O’Connell Street, Dublin 1.

Call 01-8147070 to book a place or visit www.vso.ie for more on volunteer placements.