My life abroad working might best be described as a modern day gypsy or sales man. My flight plan open, continuous, and changing. One day working at an urban location in a NGO, corporate or government boardroom, another day in a far flung location on a field assignment.
Thirty years of mobility——-since 1981
Thousands of international, regional, and national flights,
Thirteen country assignments
Twenty-eight residences
Fifty-three locations in four regions of the world
America
Asia
Europe
Africa
Surrounded by people speaking over 100 languages & dialects!
Yesterday I was a teacher, psychologist, public health specialist, health communicator, writer, designer, trader, entrepreneur, colleague, coach, manager, boss, and leader.
Today I am a third cultured citizen, world traveler, and thought leader.
Today I support and coach others.
Today I use my knowledge of Asia Pacific Health, Education, and Private Public Partnership Development to improve and develop quality programs, projects, and systems.
But my soul experience is humanitarian and always the aid worker.
The goal is to introduce the job of aid worker to younger people who are interested in entering the humanitarian field of aid, relief and emergency.
I state “younger” because I have learned over the course of my career that many in the field do not enter out of uni but enter after having a career. Such wonderful organizations as MedAir.org encourage people with skills and knowledge to train with them in the field. Thus, my goal is directed to all people, of all ages, nationalities, and levels of experience to be empowered with information about this fabulous career.
Yes, this is an industry—- it is a social industry. Not much different than the health care industry in that it is a big and complex structure made up of many stakeholders. And, it is this stakeholder complexity that I will aim to introduce through my storytelling. In explaining my work in the field, I will talk story about the stakeholders that are important to creating change in developing countries.
Next to the goal of theaidworker.org are the aims….
Aim 1: To introduce stakeholders (etc— UN, USAID, EU, WHO, NGO’s, CBO’s, Private Sector, Government Groups, Churches and others),
Aim 2: To integrate through storytelling the importance the private sector plays as a stakeholder and how my own career in aidwork has been broadened and strengthened by my experiences also working with private firms ( Safeway Stores, Accenture, IBM, Grey Global, and Cathay Pacific)
Aim 3: To discuss and provide information about expatriate hood— the beauty of living and working abroad and the long term personal and professional consequences of the decision to become a global citizen.
Aim 4: To provide a virtual online service for personal coaching and guidance to aidworkers ( or future aidworkers)
Aim 5: To provide a forum for discussion of topics related to aid work.
Aim 6: To build a online store of world goods created by developing nations’ communities, by women, men and children for sale. Products made in the field with guidance from aidworkers.
Aim 7: To help people understand what the expressions ‘poverty alleviation’ means.
Aim 8: To help people understand what a humanitarian is.