More Background!

I have always wanted to take a gap year, but for one reason or another I was not able to do so before I went to university. I then spent 4 years studying law, including 1 year at DePaul University in Chicago and 4 weeks studying Inter-American Human Rights in Costa Rica. It was this year abroad that made me want to get into the arena of human rights. When I came back from the US I started researching opportunities for students who have just graduated to work in this arena and they are few and far between. To volunteer abroad I would be expecting to PAY £3000 for 3 months of working for free, not including flights. I then stumbled across VSO and that was that, I would get paid to do the work I was passionate about.

I attended the interview for VSO around the same time I was interviewing for some of the summer placements with Irish commercial law firms. It was amazing how at home and relaxed I felt at the VSO interview in comparison to the law firm interviews. I knew VSO was what I wanted to do. I was over joyed when I was told that I was accepted and I stopped all other plans knowing I would be going away with VSO in the Autumn.

Unfortunately it wasnt all plain sailing, in April I was told due to the recession it was unlikely I would be placed for the September placements and I was looking at January 2010. Talking about it with my parents, January didnt seem like a bad plan, it would give me time to work and in the mean time I would apply for other things and see what came up.

When I filled in my placement questionaire about what I wanted from a placement I thought I was pretty flexible - Africa, something legal/human rights and near other volunteers. It turned out this wasnt as straightforward as I thought. No Africa placements came through, there were no legal placements and I got offered stuff in an isolated region. It seemed VSO wasn't taking my desires into account in any way!!

I went on the first VSO training course after I turned down my first placement. It was a reality check - the point of me doing VSO was not to get out of it what I wanted, but to give something back, to do what was needed, not what I wanted. Also as a Christian I believe that there is a plan for my life and the right thing will come along at the right time

When I was finally offered Mongolia these thoughts made it easy to say yes. It may not have been Africa but there have been a lot of positive comments made by past volunteers about living and working in Mongolia. From the job description sent to me I think I can do the job I am being asked to do, I also have asked if I can be involved in some of the policy work as well and they are very happy to get me involved. Also education is one of the most basic of human rights.

Every blog, VSO or peace corp, gets me so excited about Mongolia, I have ordered every book the library has on Mongolia and I am starting the language classes online. It is so exciting and terrifying at the same time!

It is really happening

So anyone who knows me knows I have been waiting quite a while for VSO YFD (Youth For Development) to be a reality so I suppose it is not really a surprise that it has taken a while to sink in!

Here is a basic background so far:
October 2008 - Applied to the VSO Youth For Development Program
14th January 2009 - Interview day for VSO
Jan/Feb 2009 - Accepted onto the Youth For Devlopment Programme
25th June 2009 - Offered Bangladesh - turned down due to bad reports from past volunteers
24th July 2009 - Offered Thai/Burma border - turned down due to security concerns
10th August 2009 - Offered Mongolia
13th August 2009 - Accepted Mongolia
20th August 2009 - Confirmed for Mongolia

In the next few weeks before I leave I have a long list of things to do (as well as working 9-5!!)

1. Attend VSO Skills for Working in Development (SKWID) course (27-31st August)
2. Learn Mongolian
3. Learn about fundraising/marketing
4. Research Mongolian Culture
5. Buy clothes suitable for the -40 degree temperatures
6. Clear my bedroom so it can be used as a guest room by my parents

And many more things I am sure, they have just slipped my mind right now!! lol!