A Dose of Perspective

What a whirlwind week!  We've been hard at work on learning about our organizations and revising our Scopes of Work for the next three weeks, which turned out to not only be time-consuming (we thought we would only need 20-minute introduction meetings for each department of HFFG, when we really needed about 2.5 hours per dept....), but also exhausting.  Plus the heat here really saps the energy!  Most nights we get back, maybe go out to dinner, and pass out - just don't have the brain power to do more at that point.  However, the projects seem to be chugging along, and I think we have a pretty clear idea at this point of how we need to spend the next three weeks.  Hopefully we can stick to that!

In that vein, my team is heading out to the field early tomorrow - we'll be in the Brong Ahafo region until Wednesday, meeting with the regional coordinators and field staff to discuss a few of the projects they are working on (notably, sexual reproductive health (SRH) and malaria prevention).  But before leaving, I wanted to share a few pictures from our visit to Jamestown, a fishing village within Accra located in one of the old British parts of the city.

It certainly was a healthy dose of perspective - it's not the images you see most of the time, and is a true reminder of why what we are working on with these NGOs is so important.  But it also reminds you that economic development and global citizenship is ultimately about improving the lives of individuals.

These two kids were my favorite part - the smiles, the simple joy on their faces as they posed, and then the delightful screeches when they saw the tiny picture on my camera.  How can we not want to help?  How can we not do our best to give these boys the opportunities to grow up and lead a sustainable life?

xx

Here We Go Again - Adult-ing Version!

I like to think it was only a matter of time before I re-visited this blog. I guess I probably thought it would be sooner than 4 years later.

But here we are, on the brink of a new adventure abroad - so I'm back. But this time is for pro bono work, not studying, so kind of like the adult-ing version?

So, what is this pro bono assignment I've wriggled myself into?

On February 17th, I'll be flying from New York City to Accra, Ghana (through my favorite, London Heathrow), as part of a multi-company pro bono consulting cohort.  Run by PYXERA Global in partnership with USAID and the Public Health Institute, thirteen "consultants" from PIMCO, Dow Chemical, SAP, and WE Communications will work on consulting projects with four Ghanaian health non-profits in an effort to assist them streamline and expand.  For four weeks, we will lay down our jobs and lives back home, and work with our team to develop relationships with our partner organizations, learn about the space they operate, and provide sustainable recommendations for them.

To be honest, it's both incredibly exciting and modestly frightening.

The exiting part is easier to discuss.  I've never been to Africa, and have been eager to find a way there.  And to be honest, consulting in developing markets was something I always envisioned myself doing in the long run - a combination of my love for traveling, other cultures, economic development, and helping people. Plus, how often can one find the time to live and work in another country for four weeks, let alone find a company willing to sponsor and support it?  Learning about the PIMCO Foundation's global pro bono work was one of PIMCO's selling points four years ago when I interned in Newport Beach - it's relatively unique, and a brilliant way to encourage global citizenship and cognitive diversity among employees.  To be able to be a part of it feels like a blessing.

And, as I've spent more time volunteering at Memorial Sloan Kettering, I've become increasingly interested in the health sector - perhaps too late to change career paths (finance to medicine, not the easiest transition), but this project is an opportunity to lend my skills (whatever those may be) to help individuals be safe and healthy.

But now, considering this type of consulting is what I wanted, why modestly frightening?

One, it's easy to fall into a trap of thinking we are going in to "save" someone.  These are incredibly successful individuals - the organization I'll be working with is led by a board of incredibly competent and high achieving Ghanaians.  Their organization is already quite accomplished. The truth is, we are just as much there to learn from them as we are to help them.  As Ernesto Sirolli discusses in his TED talk "Want to help someone? Shut up and listen!", listening is essential in helping someone. And listening, really listening, isn't always easy - it's a hard skill to develop, and that makes it a little frightening.   

But it's also weird to think about just putting your life down for over a month.  Having a consistent job, going to the gym, seeing friends and family - it's comforting having a routine.  And while a month will pass in a blink of an eye, it's not always easy to hit PAUSE, and leave behind comfort and embrace something unknown.

But thankfully, excitement overcomes most days 😊

I will not promise to post every day - I did learn something about my blogging experience while studying abroad.  But for those interested in keeping up with our work, I'll do my best to post updates and pictures.  For more timely updates, follow me on Instagram at liv.hipkins!

Also, for those interested in another fascinating view on foreign aid, there's a documentary called Poverty Inc. available on Netflix, Amazon and YouTube, which discusses the impacts, both positive and negative, of developed countries' aid on emerging economies.