From the 1st of September 2019 to the 31st of August 2020 I will be taking an unsalaried career break. I will volunteer with Manna Project International (MPI), a non-profit operating in Ecuador, Nicaragua, and the USA. It fosters communities of talented young leaders to become the next generation of social change agents by engaging in collaborative, on-the-ground service with local community development projects that focus on health, education, children and young people, women and livelihoods.

I will be volunteering in Ecuador, South America, for 12 months as MPI’s Director for Programme Research and Development. The purpose of this role is to network and facilitate the growth of community development projects in communities who want to get involved with MPI. I will be using ethnography, participatory action research and coproduction research with interested communities to nurture community development projects at the grassroots level. I will also be responsible for sourcing funds to finance such projects.

I will not be salaried for this role. MPI have agreed to pay for my lodgings, food and working VISA. But I must cover the remaining of my living expenses for 12 months. These include flights, medical / dental insurance, day-to-day living costs, and some savings for any emergencies. I am currently selling most of what I own to make a start on these costs. I need at least £1000 to not go into debt. Anything over that will allow me to focus on volunteering and not have to take on additional jobs to be able to make ends meet.

I would really appreciate your financial support, however little, to be able to do this. I chose to volunteer with MPI due to their fantastic reputation, not just in the international development field but with grassroots NGOs.