An Interview with...

Stephen White (ACCA) shares his insights about volunteering as an accountant in a remote part of Uganda with the Kitgum Concerned Women's Association.
                                 

Are you normally the type of person that does this sort of thing? 

Not normally no; I’m not very adventurous or someone who’ll build schools or paint walls, you know, the typical image of a volunteer abroad. Honestly, I never envisioned a voluntary placement being accounts-based, enabling me to apply my skills abroad.  It came at the right time. I found myself with some time and money, with the desire to do something meaningful in a way that I felt comfortable.   

You chose to support KICWA, what drew you to them?

I did not have any set criteria about my partner organisation. I just wanted to work with an organisation that moved me in some way and KICWA certainly did. Also, they were one of the few AfID partners that had not had a volunteer previously. The organisation’s accessibility, being in the north of Uganda close to the Sudanese border, may also make it less likely place for volunteers to visit.  

What was it like being the first AfID volunteer to visit KICWA?

Funnily enough on my first day I was greeted by a detailed structured plan on how my time was going to be spent training the staff – very similar to a class format with me as the teacher, and the staff all students. Managing the expectations of the staff, making them understand that I was not there to take class but to coach them as they went about their day-to-day work was my first and foremost task.

When you are the first volunteer at an organisation, there are 3 key things that define your placement: understanding the financial structure of the organisation – almost akin to conducting an internal audit; building trust and strengthening their relationship with AfID and subsequent volunteers; and managing their expectations about the objectives of the placement. Once we revised the assignment objectives, it made the path forward a lot clearer.   

Did you find it challenging adapting to life in a remote Ugandan town? 

The unknown aspect of both being the first AfID volunteer in Kitgum, and at KICWA, did heighten my nerves. Luckily, I had done my own research prior to leaving and so I had a good sense of what was there and perhaps more importantly, what was not there. Once there, the staff were very welcoming .

Kitgum is a very quiet town; there is not much to do there. It is not the place for someone who’d like constant activity and entertainment in the evenings and weekends. That said, the guesthouse I was staying at had a constant influx of workers from national and international NGOs; the resultant mix of people was interesting. I was happy in Kitgum. I used the quiet time over the weekends to relax and reflect on my experience, and write my blog and notes. It made a nice change from watching endless hours of TV.  

Many volunteers worry that they may not have the correct skills to add value. Was this one of your concerns? 

I was one of them. I did worry whether I had sufficient skills to get my head around everything, and to do a good job in the time that I was there. What daunted me more was reading other people’s reports on all they had achieved whilst on placement. I was not sure whether I could achieve what they had. That said, once I started the placement, I found the work fairly basic and straightforward. My charity background helped me especially when it came to understanding the structure of donor funding, and how to budget for project and administrative costs.

You had an opportunity to meet with a women’s group that KICWA supports, that must have been a really rewarding experience?

Yes, both field visits were a great experience. You go out to the community see how people are living, get a feel for the work of the charity and see firsthand how it has positively impacted the lives of the beneficiaries. The biggest challenge for me was that on both occasions most of the conversations with the women were in Luo, and not English. A little difficult to follow proceedings, but overall hugely rewarding.

So...a gentleman from a local village offered to find you a wife from his tribe!?

Ah that! During one of the field visits, when I was taking a breather with Godfrey, the Programmes Assistant, I was approached by a man from the village. Godfrey introduced us and after much handshaking, he said asked me what UK tribe I was from. I was stumped! As a result, he generously said that I could claim his tribe as my tribe and that he would seek a wife for me if I wished! Funny thing is that the entire conversation did not happen directly with me but around me – thanks to me not understanding Luo, and him not understanding English.

Do you think that you adopted a new set of skills whilst on your placement?

Honestly, I wouldn’t say I gained new skills. I did, however, discover some elements of my character that gave me confidence. I found myself stronger and more resilient than thought I would be, and more accepting about things I thought would completely freak me out. 

Do you feel you made 'a difference'?

Yes, and it was not just while I was there. I made them aware about areas that they could improve on; not just those areas that the organisation itself has identified, but also areas that they were not aware of. I would have liked to have implemented the improvements, but it is gratifying to know that I’ve done the groundwork for someone else to follow up on. That, and there is the opportunity to remotely support KICWA as and when they need it.

Would you volunteer again?

Definitely! I wish I could’ve gone to KICWA for longer. In fact, I wish I was still there.

Do you have any advice for volunteers heading out to the field shortly?

Go with the flow and definitely take a torch. My 2 wind-up torches were my best buys by far!
 

Read Stephen's blog 'Quickbooks, Field Trips and Delicious Barbecue Pork'

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