How I Became - a volunteer abroad w/ Grace Clark.

Volunteering can often be thought of as something you would do in your free time or alongside a job. This couldn’t be further from the truth for Grace, whose volunteer role has not only transported her to Samoa but is contributing to her dream career in international development. 

Having just completed her university degree, Grace is now working in Apia helping to connect with youth and educate them on sexual health. She discovered this rewarding role through Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA), a Kiwi volunteering agency who has been sending local talent, with experience in all sorts of domains, around the globe for supported volunteer roles for over sixty years!

We chat to Grace to get a peek into her everyday as a volunteer!

Name: Grace Clark

Age: 21

Job title: Youth Programme Mentor

Current job: Volunteer through Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) at the Samoa Family Health Association

Firstly, give us an insight into your work in Samoa. What does an average day look like for you?

Every day is different and often we will do things with little warning and have to hustle really quickly to get things ready in time. Some days I assist with community awareness programmes or help take our mobile clinic out to rural areas to supply them with family planning options and counselling.

However, most days I am in the office working on things with the Youth Officer. This involves tasks such as scheduling meetings, coming up with monthly initiatives (like peer educator training or media projects), writing proposals or making social media posts. For example, recently we’ve been working on turning the comprehensive sexuality education material into easy-to-understand media posts.

What did your pathway towards starting your work as a volunteer look like?

I really want to build a career in international development so I reached out to a mutual friend who works at World Vision as a Youth Advisor and asked how she got to the position she is in today. She told me that having field experience really helped her and that VSA would be an awesome experience for me as a fresh graduate. When I finished university I was really keen to start doing some practical work and truly helping others, so I knew VSA aligned with my goals.

What’s the best thing about your work?

Knowing that even my small contribution will help people.

What’s the hardest part?

Working in a different work environment and having to really slow down because progress takes so much longer here. I’m a very productive person and I like to make the best use of my time so it’s been hard to change pace, especially after working so intensely at university.

What advice would you give to those looking to volunteer abroad?

When people say, “it was a life-changing experience” it’s not simply because it is an awesome opportunity, it’s also because you have to learn to be independent, without the support networks and normal life you had at home. You have to walk through all the difficulties, the culture shock and the dull moments of life on your own. You will grow and learn so much, but don’t be fooled by thinking that growth will come through fun and good times, it comes from pushing through all the hard stuff.

What kind of skills does your job require?

It requires facilitation skills, taking initiative, working in a team, running workshops and trainings, mentorship, networking with our partners, creating forms and systems for working with partners.

What part of your job gives you the most satisfaction?

I love working with the Youth Officer and mentoring her and learning so much from her. We have a very reciprocal relationship where we are both constantly learning from each other.

What’s an unexpected element to your job that people don’t realise you have to do?

Young people are not empowered in the way that they are in NZ which can be a bit of a challenge to overcome. Also trying to talk to young people about their sexual rights, especially in a conservative country, and advocating for their sexual and reproductive health choices is a constant challenge and there are many barriers to our success due to long standing beliefs and taboo in the community.

Describe your job in three words

Playing the long game (I know it’s 4 words but I don’t count the “the” lol)

To learn more - and view videos of some of VSA's amazing volunteers - please see https://vsa.org.nz/thevsaway/