An Interview with ...

Accountants Anna MacArthur & Mark Martin share their recent volunteering experiences in Zambia and Uganda.

Anna MacArthur, from Ernst & Young travelled to Lusaka, Zambia in April of this year to work for The EduSport Foundation; a UK Sport sponsored NGO using sport to foster education, development and empowerment amongst underprivileged communities.

Mark Martin, a self employed chartered accountant travelled to Kampala, Uganda in April to work with the Ugandan Society for Disabled Children. USDC provides medical and educational support to individual children, working closely with schools and families; campaigning to ensure that disabled children across the country achieve their rights.

What made you decide that you wanted to become a volunteer?

AM
I wanted to use my qualification for something worthwhile. I came across AfID by accident while searching for jobs online. It provided me with the perfect opportunity to get experience of working in a developing country but on a short term basis.

MM
I started working for myself three years ago. Once I made the decision to become self-employed, I was on the lookout for a way to do something of a voluntary nature. AfID fitted the bill for two reasons; firstly, I generally prefer to support third world causes. Secondly, because of the nature of my job it is easier to volunteer for a block of weeks rather than a number of hours every week.

Did you have a specific partner in mind before you applied?

AM
I had no particular partner or location in mind. I just knew I wanted to go to Africa - I didn't mind where!

MM
I had no specific NGO in mind, but as I had never been to Africa I wanted to go there.  I just thought that, at my age, it was a pretty poor showing that I hadn't been to such a huge part of the world.

Did you have any worries before you left?

AM
Lots of worries/apprehensions! In particular, I wondered if I would actually be of any help. The partner that I was assigned to already had a full time accountant - would I be able to add any value? The answer to this question turned out to be yes - the accountant at the NGO was very inexperienced and lacked confidence/drive to make any significant changes.

MM
No major worries, although I guess I was slightly concerned as to making sure I actually achieved something, given that my visit was a short one.

Did attending the workshop put your mind at ease?

AM
Yes. It was great to be able to discuss issues with other future volunteers. Everyone tends to have the same worries/concerns. As I live in the north of Scotland I hadn't met Neil or Anna face to face prior to the workshop -and so it was great to be able to meet them too.

MM
The workshop did help and it was beneficial to meet up with people in the same position as me.

What were your initial thoughts when you arrived at the NGO?

AM
Wow, this is more disorganised than I ever could have imagined! 

MM
First impressions were that the NGO was better organised than I expected. We started the day with a staff meeting and everybody introduced themselves.

How did you find the food?

AM
As I was in Lusaka (Zambia's capital city), I was able to get most foods that are available in the UK. I did however also try nshima, Zambia's national dish. Nshima is a bland but extremely filling porridge like maize substance, which the locals eat with their fingers. 

MM
It depends.  The local food was good but the Restaurants in the city were excellent. I got a lunch every day at work - chicken/pork, rice, beans, sauce, cassava, matooke (a mashed root vegetable) The hotel food consisted of chips with everything, very fried, a poor attempt at Western cooking

Go Sisters empowerment through sport programme - Lusaka, Zambia

What is the one thing you wish you had taken with you?

AM
To be honest, I took everything that I needed - based on advice from AfID and previous volunteers. I wish I had downloaded the accounting software I was later to use before leaving the UK. I now know that you cannot rely on the internet in a developing country!

MM
A jar of decent instant coffee would have come in very handy a breakfast time.

What did you take that you didn’t need?

AM
Generally, I took far too much stuff. If I had packed a little lighter I would have been able to take home more souvenirs!

MM

mmm... Pass on that one

What was the most challenging part about your placement?

AM
Dealing with poor infrastructure, inexperienced staff and a culture that fails to recognise any sense of urgency. The whole experience was very challenging, but also incredibly interesting and rewarding.

MM
The hotel was quite basic and my room pretty modest. It was noisy at night and I got a lot of mosquito bites in the first few days. I guess that in the first week it was quite challenging to keep focussed on the job in hand.

What is your one lasting memory of this experience?

AM
Too difficult! I have many great memories which I hope I won't forget. While I was on my assignment I was able to visit the Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park in Botswana, and the very north of Zimbabwe. These are obvious highlights. However, there were many other highlights - things that I experienced while going about my day to day life in Lusaka.

MM
The friendliness of the Ugandan people they are very polite and inquisitive without being pushy. 

What skills do you think you acquired during your placement?

AM
I have returned from Zambia with increased confidence, a greater appreciation of my qualification and training, and the realisation that I, as an accountant, really do have skills that can make a difference in the developing world. I can do more than just audit!

MM
I hope that my tolerance improved. On the technical side I learnt a lot about the issues faced by NGOs. The demands of donors, lack of funding, etc.

Would you recommend this scheme to your friends & colleagues?

AM
100% yes. I have nothing but praise for AfID! 

MM
I would certainly praise the scheme to friends, family and colleagues. I would strongly recommend the idea to anybody with the right skills who has the time and money available and doesn't have any restrictive commitments. 

For more information about the great work of The Edusport Foundation & USDC please visit their websites at www.ablechildafrica.org & www.edusport.org.zm 

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