Staff Interview with Sophie House

Can you tell us about your transition from Volunteer Leader, to Development Coordinator and Communications Coordinator?

I first came to SKIP in October 2016 as a Volunteer Leader where I helped in the Economic Development team and also as art assistant. Throughout the nine months as Volunteer Leader, I helped out in a few other areas too. As part of the economic development team, fundraisers were held maybe two or three times a year, normally trivia nights. I decided to host a joint fundraiser with another NGO in town.

It turned out to be quite successful so the Eco Dev program director asked me to host another fundraiser which again was successful and raised a decent amount of money. These events were what really led me to becoming the Development Coordinator. I finished my nine months as Volunteer Leader and really was not ready to leave - I knew I had much more to give and much more I wanted to experience too.At this time there was no one person who devoted their time to fundraising, grant-writing, and alumni outreach, so, due to my experiences in fundraising, this position seemed like a natural fit.

During my time as Development Coordinator I spent a lot of time liaising with the Communications Coordinator and also doing some tasks for her (as a remote volunteer, there were a few things that she needed help with and I was in most frequent contact with her). Therefore we worked together on social media posts and blog writing. When the position opened up again, it seemed natural for me to carry on with the role as I knew how everything worked. Also, Allison had done such a great job of establishing the Communications Coordinator role and responsibilities and setting out what needed to be done.

Describe a typical day/week of work for you.

At the start of the week I plan out the social media for all of the different sites. Liaising with the whole team to see what events they would like to be highlighted. I meet with those volunteers on the communications or fundraising team and discuss new ideas and events which are coming up. I spend time looking for new organizations who provide grants or writing applications.

Two or three afternoons a week I am in SKIP, either on the patio or working with the children in the library. It is really lovely to be able to have a variety of shifts, either at SKIP or in the office.  Every so often, there are new volunteers arriving too, so it is lovely to meet all of the new faces. Usually there is a social activity once a week for all of the volunteers too, so anything from a family dinner to board game night!

You volunteered in Nicaragua for three months. What were some of your major takeaways from this experience?

I had three main takeaways which shaped my understanding of sustainable development! 

The first was learning the different faces of poverty. I learned that not all charity work is glamorous. I was 23 and I had been to developing countries before, but I had never volunteered in one. We were staying with host families in the village we worked in. I expected the living conditions to be really awful and they were basic, but not awful. I remember myself and the other volunteers being surprised and thinking it is not actually that bad really.

Sure! It isn’t bad if you’re there for a few months, a limited amount of time!  But as time went on, I realized that there are different types and faces of poverty and the poverty we were experiencing wasn’t dramatic, it didn’t mean people were starving. It did mean that they had very limited choices. I remember speaking to one of the teenage girls in my family, and the main takeaway I got from conversations with her is that she was bored and she felt like she had no choices and her future was set. The poverty they live in means they do have fewer choices, they have poor and low access to education, health services, and job opportunities. They didn’t enjoy the same opportunity as those living in the developed world or in the major cities in their country. Once I realized all this, I started to view poverty in a very different way.

The second lesson was, learning the difference between a few months and a lifetime. I also back tracked and thought again about their living conditions, they were not awful, they were basic, but living in these conditions forever would not be pleasant and it was also dangerous. It leads to other negative consequences that you do not think about immediately. I think when people volunteer they have the tendency to view everything on the short-term, and do not realize the long-term effects of the conditions that people living in poverty face.

The final lesson I want to highlight is learning to observe. It is obviously great to think of new ideas and be passionate about changing a situation for the better. However, it is fundamental to observe and to listen to the people you are working with and trying to help. The service users of an organization know much better what they need than I do. I learned that if I wanted to help people and create effective, long-lasting change, I would have to listen to what they wanted and what their problems were. Everywhere is unique and needs unique solutions; I learned that you cannot transfer one model of success from one part of the world and expect it to work in a context so different.

Why is Peru an ideal location for volunteers and travelers?

Peru is great both for volunteers and travelers because it has such a fascinating history that you could be here for decades and not fully know everything. Because of this there are so many trips you can make to see different archaeological sites, ranging from the most touristy place ever to abandoned ruins on mountain tops! There is so much to see - mountains, sea, lakes, and the jungle, and the food is awesome. On weekends and holidays there is so much to occupy your time.

There are some places which attract a lot of tourists but there are also places which are really off the tourist track (Trujillo for example) so you really get sucked into local life. There is also a network of NGOs in Trujillo which makes it a great place to volunteer.  The local people also appreciate the presence of the NGOs as they realize that the local sector leaves some gaps to be filled.

What makes SKIP easy to market in fundraising campaigns?

SKIP is a great organization to fundraise for because we have a close-knit community. We work with the same families throughout the year, and in order to attend our after-school classes, mothers’ workshops, psychology sessions, social welfare talks (everything we offer), they need to be enrolled in SKIP.

We work with the same children for years, watching them grow-up through nursery, primary, and secondary. Therefore, it is easy to market because we know our families really well, we are able to tell our donors that we know exactly who their money goes to. Our focus is to provide them with quality education and healthy home environments. Having such a clear mission and knowing our service users so well makes it easy to persuade people to support SKIP!

If you could participate on a SKIP volunteer program, which would you choose and why?

Well I have a special place in my heart for Volunteer Leader, just because I do not think there are many experiences like this. It was exactly the position I wanted. I gained such valuable experience about how NGOs operate. I would encourage anyone interested in a career in international development or social work to apply.

However, if I had to pick a new one, it would be the mothers’ workshops. I have been able to work with them in different capacities, but being able to work with them in their jewellery, sewing, and knitting workshops would be amazing. All of the volunteers who work with them have such a good time and they form such close bonds! The mothers are great - so kind, hard-working, and appreciative. They love attending the workshops, interacting with the volunteers and other mothers, and learning and making new things. I have been able to observe at times and being with them really gives you an intense feeling of family and what SKIP is all about.

What does meaningful travel mean to you?

Meaningful travel to me means learning. Learning about cultural differences and the way countries, societies, and communities operate differently. When I travel I don’t feel like I have to tick off everything on the list of “top ten things to do”, but to observe and really get an understanding for the way people live in a country. The quickest way to do this is by volunteering, but picking somewhere to volunteer can be difficult. It needs to be somewhere which cares about the service-users in the long-term and is not there purely to serve volunteers.

Meaningful travel also means being respectful of the culture and learning about the differences before judging them. It also means exploring, trying new foods, doing new things, challenging yourself, learning about yourself, and seeing amazing natural beauty!

Why do you think it’s important for individuals to travel and experience new cultures?

I think everyone should travel because it gives people perspective on their own lives. It helps understanding between people from different backgrounds and cultures. I think understanding breeds acceptance and patience, which leads to a more loving and caring society.

To me, it is important that people step outside of their own bubble and realize that there are so many different ways to live and you don’t have to follow one path, you can do it differently.

Where do you see SKIP in the next five years?

I see it remaining the same beacon of stability and safety for the community that it is now, except working with a larger number of families and having helped more children graduate from school (and hopefully university) and having supported more mothers. It would also be great to have the mothers products sold in more places and some more decent school furniture for our classrooms.