Accounting for International Development (A f I D) offers accountants the opportunity to use their skills to make a genuine difference as volunteers and to gain invaluable hands-on overseas experience in the International Development sector.
A f I D is now supporting over 90 grassroots charities in 20 countries across Africa, Asia and South America and their partners need the assistance of more volunteer accountants to coach and mentor some amazing local people.
Volunteer assignments of 2 to 24 weeks are tailored to your needs and form part of an ongoing strategy to build the financial management capacity and long term sustainability of small community based charities.
You could be budgeting with a street kid centre in Kampala, coaching a hospital bookkeeper in Kigali or financial reporting for a primary school in Kathmandu.
Assignments are typically with 1 of 3 primary areas of focus:
• Conducting a Financial Health Assessment/Internal Audit
• Coaching and developing the accounting skills of local NGO staff
• Assisting with the preparation and analysis of financial plans and budgets.
The need for skilled accountants is largely driven by a lack of training at local level, combined with the complex reporting requirements of overseas charities. When you are a headmistress, a doctor or a nun trying to run a charity with very limited resources, it can be very difficult to keep accurate records and perform your normal duties - with a different set of accounts and reports required by each donor, of which there can be many, you begin to see the problem.
To help volunteers prepare for the challenges and complexities they are likely to encounter volunteer workshops are available in London with previous Head of International Finance at Oxfam GB, John Cammack.
Believe it or not it’s surprisingly easy for seemingly normal people to achieve amazing results, changing lives for the better. All you need is a little belief, the time and of course the will. We can’t promise to change your life for the better however we can guarantee a truly inspiring experience that you will never forget.
Many of our past volunteers have also used their experiences as a springboard into the International Development and Charities sectors.
For more information check out their website www.afid.org.uk.
If you are interested in this role please email your CV and covering letter to volunteers@tpp.co.uk quoting ref: BF052.