Africa: Does anyone combine volunteer / development work and travel?
 

Hi guys

Very short life story: Back in my early twenties, whilst doing a Bachelor's degree I had the idea to buy a truck and drive around Africa for a couple of years or so. Things changed, mostly the central Sahara became off-limits for travellers and I instead I turned to Eurasia, ended up spending almost five years on the road until I had done just about everything I wanted to do, and decided to come back. Did a Master's degree and got what seemed like a pretty nice job in an energy company.

That was a few years ago and I'm starting to tire of this career and question if I want to stay in the industry much longer. The world is changing; the era of having a career for life in one company is over; the idea of a globetrotting career in Big Oil seems now like an out-of-date daydream.

So I'm thinking it might soon be time to do that trip to Africa. However, now being in my mid-thirties, I'm looking to do a trip which would mix personal travel / exploration with giving something back, and also give me something to put on my CV, helping me get back into conventional employment after the trip. I can spend 2-3 years travelling and will not need to earn money during that time, so unpaid work would be fine. With a background in geoscience I think I would have something to offer energy / geology / water based projects above a pair of hands, but I'm not sure.

So, getting to my question, does this sound like a reasonable idea, or is it really a naive fantasy to stop off en-route and work on projects? Are there local NGOs who can use short-term (e.g. 3 month) volunteers? Is there a need for technical people with specific skills?

I'm really sketching this out as an idea, so I'm not really sure if I'm asking the right questions even, and I'd be very grateful if someone with some experience of this could give me some guidance.

Thanks!

EO

Hello:

There may well be local organizations who could make use of someone with your talents as a volunteer, but I think it would be frustrating for you - if the local organization is not sufficiently well funded to afford paid staff, it probably won't get much done... supply shortages and logistical hurdles would prevent it from accomplishing much.

I worked in the humanitarian sector in Africa for many years in the 1980s and 1990s. What I learned very quickly was that any organization that wanted to actually get things done had to have a massive logistics department and a supply chain - that was entirely under their control - that reached all the way back to Europe.

In light of your considerable professional qualifications (particularly in water-based projects), I think you would be better off seeking employment with a European-based NGO or humanitarian organization that operates in developing countries or countries affected by conflict in Africa. Not only will you get a proper (European-scale) wage, you will also be part of an organization that has the resources necessary to get things done. When I say 'get things done', I mean everything from the project itself to organizing your accommodation, on-site transportation, health care, etc.

For water-based projects, you might want to consider investigating the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) based in Geneva. They provide humanitarian assistance in conflict environments, and have a large and well-organized WATSAN (water and sanitation) department.

Michael

Hoping the Mods will allow me to post this!

Our NGO in Cote d'Ivoire has had overlanders pass through for a month or so.

However, we are in the process of buying land (hopefully I'll have the deeds by Xmas) and will be building a centre.

Our plan is to be completely off-grid, solar panels, well water and trying to be as sustainable as possible on the land.

So, I would be interested if you are, we can offer room & board but not a salary I'm afraid.

I'm looking for people to:
a) Help us design our energy needs (this could be done prior to leaving possibly)
b) Assist us in making the right purchases, locally in CI (unless I manage to persuade customs to allow us to import it for very little tax & no time constraints :rofl::censored: )
c) Be on site to make it all happen, negotiate with local companies etc but this will need a decent level of French

If that sounds of interest, please do PM me!

Hi there. I know a lot of people do the same thing. They work as volunteers and travel at the same time all around the world so it is a good idea.

Hi, Im wondering if you will succeed because I think roaming around and doing some volunteer work from time to time will not offer the challange that you need.

Also, in the Netherlands, you could already do some research to orginizations helping abroad with water based project. I have no idea what this market is like, but I know Dutch organizations have been sharing their knowledge in Pakistan and Bangladesh for example. Maybe organizations like that offer work in parts of Africa.

Edit: looking at foreign affairs website it is mostly about quality drinking water, not more. Which makes sense of course.