Story
During the pandemic I have looked to change my career and have used this time to study through the Open University to pursue a career in humanitarian relief. The career path focusses on academic study with students encouraged to gain practical experience in the international field and in fund raising. The main approach to gaining practical skills is via internships with national and international organisations. Voluntary internships provide the opportunity to learn about how national or community approaches differ and consider first-hand how the policies directly influences people and the environment.
V.A. Corps
VA Corps is a charity based in Cape Town. The area of work I intend to support is refugees and asylum seekers from Somalia, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe who reside in the city’s outlying townships. The VA Corps relies on volunteers, with interns working throughout the city and assisting the vulnerable parts of the population where the asylum seekers and refugees are living. Through their internships, VA Corps aims to guide interns in their work with refugees and asylum seekers for a period of eight to ten weeks.
Although South Africa is recognised as one of the most progressive societies in the world, difficulties remain, as in many other western democracies, when displaced peoples look to navigate through refugee and asylum legislation. With that in mind, foreigners living in South African townships often face xenophobic attacks from the local population which often results in death (https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/09/17/south-africa-widespread-xenophobic-violence).
This internship is to start in September 2021. This is dependent on international COVID restrictions.
G.V.I.
Exploitation of natural resources as well as political insecurity drives human migration. GVI is a global non-government organisation who relies on voluntary interns to support their work. GVI work with local communities to protect marine areas and conserve delicate coral reef environments.
I am looking volunteer with G.V.I. for a period of twelve weeks (June 2022) to gain a better understanding of the potential conflict between economic and environmental goals, while considering mitigation options at the local level gained from a global perspective on solutions. The project aims to support local fisherman to plan and manage stock. Interns will actively collect data from community fishing grounds, which many communities rely on and attempt to stabilise essential habitats.
I believe, given how the past eighteen months have unfolded, that making an impact in a good direction is important to all of us. I’ve always wanted to do something good and for me, this is the best way to do that. This year has given me the push to want to attempt a new career in the humanitarian sector by contributing with hands-on experience in two areas that are very important to me.
I’ve decided to leave my career as a chef to start an online degree with the Open University to study Politics, Economics and Philosophy to work within the humanitarian aid sector and to support important issues around the globe.
To raise the money to support these internships, I’m going to be cycling the North Coast 500 around the Scottish Highlands. This is going to be an intense adventure with climbs like Bealach na ba’, which is the steepest ascent road climb in the UK. On this one-week excursion, I plan to take a tent, food, and necessities on the bike with me whilst cycling on average eighty miles a day to help raise money for the internships.
The date which I plan for this trip to start is the 5th of July 2021, finishing in Inverness on the 12th of July, a week later.
I am also raising money by selling home baked goods around East Lothian.
In total, the trips are going to cost a minimum of £15 000, which I need for everything. Through work, I have already saved half the necessary funds.
The two internships together come to just over £10 000 and the flights, visas and living expenses will come to £1 500 which leaves the rest (£3 500) for food and water for five and half months.
This is a life-long dream that I am excited to embark on. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you in advance for your generosity and support.
All the best,
Lachlan Irvine-Hand
VACORP Internship Human rights
