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Not your usual 9-5: A day in the life of an AfID volunteer
It's already the end of my third week and I cannot believe I am already half way through my time in Zambia. It is going so quick! Most of this week I have been involved in a lot of detail working costing the returns we are receiving back from department co-ordinators listing activities involved in their programmes, consumables and returns. We are using these to produce expenditure listings for each department.
I have been working with Regina (assistant accountant) and department co-ordinators. Lists from department co-ordinators have sometimes been like a wish list of all the equipment they would like – new computers, 275 new bike - with lack of information in relation to quantity of items required or frequency of activities. The skills I have developed as an auditor of always asking questions have come in useful. These returns have often been from departments in the community clinic which has not been funded from international donors before and has never had a budget. Others have been very detailed containing all relevant information. I have found these have come from department co-ordinators whose programmes have been funded from international donors before and so they are used to the level of scrutiny which is applied as part of the grant application process.
I have been working with Regina (assistant accountant) and department co-ordinators. Lists from department co-ordinators have sometimes been like a wish list of all the equipment they would like – new computers, 275 new bike - with lack of information in relation to quantity of items required or frequency of activities. The skills I have developed as an auditor of always asking questions have come in useful. These returns have often been from departments in the community clinic which has not been funded from international donors before and has never had a budget. Others have been very detailed containing all relevant information. I have found these have come from department co-ordinators whose programmes have been funded from international donors before and so they are used to the level of scrutiny which is applied as part of the grant application process.
Regina has learnt very quickly, and I left her to complete the process whilst I was away on safari.
I have also been completing some excel training with Haxley (accounts clerk) who is also very keen. Thanks to the spread sheets Claire sent me just before leaving I have developed an interactive excel training course which I am pretty proud of. I have even mastered IF, SUMIF, COUNTIF formulas myself!
So all in all a productive work week, but I am beginning to realise how much work is involved within producing the budget for the organisation and also setting up the processes for monitoring it. Time is also starting to run out. Fingers crossed I get to a stage in which the budget is in a state for Bwafwano to use.
Patricia (Accountant) and Haxley (Accounts Clerk)
Last weekend I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with Miyanda, who is another AFID volunteer. He is a Zambian but has worked in many countries – New Zealand, U.K, India, Caribbean – and it’s the first time he has lived back in Zambia for many years.
He took me on a guided city tour of Lusaka pointing out many more interesting facts than the Lonely Planet does! This trip happened to occur with Independence Day for Zambia and people were celebrating 46 years of independence. It was very interesting to hear his perspective on his country after the time he has spent abroad, and as with many people I have spoken to, I have been impressed with the passion and enthusiasm he had when talking about his country. I have found many people to be very proud of their country, proud to be Zambian, and hardworking and determined to work to ensure a better life for themselves and others and are optimistic about the future. This feeling is similar to how people at Bwafwano have expressed themselves. They are very determined and ambitious to make Bwafwano grow and ensure it is successful in the future.
As Zambia is celebrating its 46th birthday here are a few facts I have learnt:
- It is a landlocked country that shares its borders with 8 other countries!
- Population of the country is about 12mill (twice the size of London), whilst being about the size of U.K, Ireland and France combined. It is one of the most thinly populated countries in Africa.
- Economy is heavily reliant on export of copper
- HIV and AIDS have had a massive impact on the country – 1 in 7 adults is now infected and life expectancy at birth is only 40 years.
- President Mwanawasa died in 2008, and he appears to have been a popular president.
I also thought I would let you know what a typical day is for me as an AFID volunteer. Here goes:
6am – normally wake up and make a cup of tea (not quite the same as tea back home because of long life milk and no Yorkshire teabags!)
6.30 - shower, dress, make porridge from jungle oats, take malaria tablet and get my things ready for work
7.30 – walk to work
8am – start work. For the first hour I tend to check emails, news etc.
9am – 4pm - work on various projects with the rest of the accounts team. I normally have a cup of Zambia tea at 11 (very milky and creamy), and take a walk in the market at lunchtime). I also spend some time in the playground playing with the children.
4pm – leave work and walk home
4.30 – relax, have a cold drink, chat with Mrs Chikoti, her daughter and niece.
5.30 – go for a run resulting in a very sweaty red faced Catherine which is very amusing for local people
6.30 – make tea , normally rice or noddle’s with veg. Sometimes with a beer or cheese if I feel like treating myself!
7.30 – 10 – watch DSTV, read, write emails or blog, finish some work or learn some French! I have got up to unit 5 which is ordering food and drink – wine and beer mainly which is very appropriate
Oh and one last thing.... it is now officially rainy season!
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