Two is Company!

Are you thinking of volunteering but you'd rather share the experience with your partner or a friend? It is possible to volunteer with your friends, family or even a work colleague. In communities where we now support a network of organisations there are opportunities for volunteers with a broad range of skills to work together or closeby on separate local programmes. Even if they are not qualified accountants, we are confident we can can still create them a rewarding assignment based on their talents.

Management Accountant Patrick and his girlfriend Helen, a drama teacher, are travelling the world for 7 months discovering Southern Africa, Australia and South East Asia. While in Africa they spent 2 weeks with our partner the Barefeet Theatre in Lusaka, Zambia. While Patrick worked on the accounts Helen threw herself into the organisations creative work.  “Barefeet Theatre couldn't have been a more perfect match for Helen and me. We had a great time while hopefully benefiting the organisation and improving their long term sustainability in the process”

Two friends and Hong Kong accountants John and Lester spent 3 weeks with our Cambodian partner the Pari Project. They worked together on an audit exercise, identifying areas of weakness and creating a budgeting and timesheet monitoring system. “Since our location was exactly in the downtown city centre of Phnom Penh, it served as a nice starting point for us to do some travelling during the spare time. All in all our two-week experience was an unforgettable one"



Siva and Anisha (above), two accountants with a spirit for adventure had the feeling that they should be giving something back to this world. Their assignment took them to Rwanda and an amazing school called Ahazaza for 10 weeks. “Anisha and I lived on a farm and the staff and animals were all up about and making noise by 6am! We walked everywhere, the hillwalking really improved our health compared to the normal sedentary commute. It was lovely having so much free time to spend together! We felt stress free for most of the placement - it was nice living a slower pace of life and not feeling rushed off our feet all the time. It was awesome”
 
Retired couple Steve and Hilary travelled to Nepal to volunteer at the Happy Homes. While Steve focussed on improving their financial management Hilary spent time teaching and caring for the local children. “Mixed emotions about leaving. Obviously very glad to return to family and home but it has been a tremendous opportunity to experience a culture and workplace very different to those of the affluent West. There are not many times in one’s life that you can do this, so the trip has been very worthwhile for both of us and I trust we have made a positive contribution to Happy Homes.” Read their blog here.

Two friends and colleagues Jordan and Steve decided to take a few months off from their Big4 employers in Bermuda and flew to Zambia. They worked for different local charities - Jordan supported the Ubumi Project and Friends of the Street Children in Kitwe while Steve worked closeby in Kabwe. After their assignments they went overlanding together.“Steve and I will head down to Livingstone on Saturday to see Victoria Falls and I will be attempting the 3rd highest bungee jump in the world (ahhh!). After that we head into Botswana on safari for 3 days, then we fly to Johannesburg to meet up with some friends. Our trip ends in Cape Town where we meet more friends, see the sights, and hopefully do some scuba diving (great white sharks!).”

We have recently arranged placements for married couples, partners, colleagues and friends in Nicaragua, Malawi, Nepal and Zambia. Therefore we know that, whatever you wish to do, wherever you wish to go,  we will always try to make it happen.