LWF - Learning experience from Induction visit

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Learning experience from Induction visit to LWF Page 1 20 April 2009

LEARNING EXPERIENCE FROM INDUCTION VISIT TO LWF, GENEVA

To: Tore and Pia, LWF, Geneva

CC: Philip, LWF, Kenya

From: StigSubject: Learning experience from Induction Visit to LWF, Geneva 14

th-15

thApril 2009

Date: 20 April 2009

Dear Tore, Pia and Philip,

With this memo I would like to say thank you very much for your very kind and warm welcome of me in

Geneva last week, and the time and effort you took introducing me to LWF and your work. This has been

the most positive Induction I have had in my 25 years long, professional experience ...

I took a few notes from the meetings, I had with you and your colleagues, and in the following table youcan see my learning experience – my take outs – from these notes/meetings and “open ideas”, which you

are welcome to use if you believe they are worthwhile ...

SUBJECT LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND OPEN IDEAS...

1. LWF Among other, I was given information about and learned the following:

• A presentation of people and countries, which LWF work in

• The organization and profile of LWF including DWS, DMD, DTS and ACT

• Global strategy including core values, the responsibility of the organization and empow-

erment of the beneficiaries

• LWF work with beneficiaries on one hand and donors on the other – similar to my experi-ence within Insurance working with private customers on one hand and clients like banks

on the other.

• I found that much of the work carried out in the “Aid Business” is identical to the “Insur-

ance Business” and based on: Trust, values, “keeping agreements”, policies, “service obli-

gations” as a term, meetings, reporting etc.

• In this sense LWF work like I have done working for Insurance Brokers – as “mediators” –

just doing aid work instead of insurance.

• When repatriation programs are designed, food distribution or schools may be closed to

“motivate” people going home. Similar programs are not always established at home. I

was thinking of the insecurity people may feel if they don’t know about the situation at

home: Security, food, water, shelter, schools etc. – do I want to stay at the camp or “hope

for the best” going home?• I understood that the task of prioritising how to spend funds between emergency and de-

velopment programs can be difficult ...

2. Counselling and

hygiene promotion

• I learned about Trauma Healing Programmes for example in Liberia

- Social workers train members of the local community “over a few weeks” to carry

out counselling

- Allocated counselling resources are 1-2 counselors per 1.000 inhabitants

- “1st

priority needs” are identified and treated first

- People with low self esteem are motivated by “best-case stories”: People who have

managed the difficulties and make it on their own …

• I was thinking how much resources are allocated today in Dadaab and how much is needed

considering the degree of difficulties, the population experience?

• Would it be possible to have local social workers training a part of the population of Dadaab to start doing 1st priority counselling, if there is a gap?

• Would it be possible to finance such a project, if needed, through savings on the salary ac-

count by recruiting more international volunteers (see later in this memo), or ...?





• And would it be possible to do a similar initiative including hygiene promoters?

3. DMD • Education, training and development projects for churches and people all over the world

• “Cartridges converted to crosses” by a local church are sold to make funding for activities –

I liked this idea, both the symbolism and the idea of raising funds ...

• The HIV and AIDS work, where I understood that the pope’s statement lately of condoms

not being helpful in this work doesn’t help LWF’s work ...

• I received the “Grace, Care and Justice” handbook on HIV and AIDS work and will never

forget the story about the thick design of the book to protect it from “rough conditions”

when local ministers around the world bicycles with the book in their hands or luggage...

4. Communication I was given information about and learned the following:

• Lutheran World Information bulletins and member mailings

- Printings of 2,000-3,000 to members and a long list of medias, etc ...

- A feature story of Dadaab would be appreciated by the editor ...

- I promised to talk to Philip about the opportunity of supporting the idea of an article

written in a “suitable language” ...

• I promised when coming to Kenya to ask questions and listen to the team hereby respect-

ing their experience without the team feeling that I want to take over (a feeling I have ab-

solutely no intentions to give)...

• I also received the feedback: “Never hide your passion and commitment”.

• And this is my strategy: To be committed, not hiding who I am, but with absolutely no am-

bition to take charge. Instead trying to support and motivate people by being happy, help-

ful, loyal, understand people’s situation and true needs by asking questions and listening,

like I tried to do in Geneva ...

• I promised not to give any public comments after my visit to Geneva, which has been part

of my strategy all along ...

5. Cultural differ-

ences ...

• I talked to some people about differences in culture between receiving and giving coun-

tries of aid ..

• One person mentioned the problem of some aid workers being “cynical” thereby protect-

ing themselves against the experience of people suffering ...

• Another person said that people in giving countries are “not in talking modes”, not happy,

self sufficient, don’t understand the pain of people suffering, and that people in receiving

countries like to talk and listen and support other people, because they understand the

feeling of pain ...

• We talked about vulnerable people may be poor money-wise, but rich human-wise, and

people in developed countries may be the opposite ...

6. Finance, funding

and reporting

I was given information about and learned the following:

• An overview of all LWF income divided by country (member churches/agencies)

• LWF’s reserves are placed safely giving an annual income of approx. 3%

• Different donors require different reporting’s, there is no standard reporting’s among do-

nors and NGO’s and I thought of all of the unnecessary work done because of this and the

idea of NGO’s and donors meeting, agreeing on one format only ...

• I learned about the establishment of Act and the purpose

- A voluntarily cooperation between member churches

- One branding name in different countries – I think it is a good idea

- Unite tools and expertise in one place improving quality ...

- Putting together appeals and reporting including objectives, detailed budgets and

reporting on variances ...

- Appeals are only funded with 60-70% and it has become increasingly difficult funding

new projects ...

- When a donor country changes strategy, LWF and its projects may suffer ...

- NGO’s in USA were mentioned as examples of NGO’s losing money because of losses

on the investment market or currencies due to the financial crisis.

- I was thinking that losses on the stock market – which the vulnerable people have no

influence on – hereby reduces the aid given by NGO’s with a more aggressive in-

vestment policy than LWF’s ...

- Some Governments require organisations with “a national flag” when contributing to

people suffering





7. UNHCR • Tore and I had a meeting with Peter Joshi, Emergency Management Officer, UNHCR, who I

have talked with earlier on the phone to hear of his former experiences from Dadaab

• Peter earlier introduced me to the idea of following up on a youth education program on

“conflict management” hereby training 40-50 new leaders per year for the “future Somalia

in peace”

• At the meeting I said that I would personally like to follow up on this, but that it was up to

LWF to decide if this could be included in my job, and it was decided that I will do nothinguntil I arrive in Kenya, where Philip will decide my assignment ...

• The meeting was informal discussing generally about the situation in Dadaab and the diffi-

culties etc. in Kenya and the region ...

• Tore was happy to receive a new contact at UNHCR and has agreed on a follow-up meeting

with Peter ...

8. Why do I want to

volunteer?

A common question from you was: “Why do you want to volunteer for LWF and leave a good

job in Denmark?” I gave the following answer:

• The last 3-4 years I have “felt” there must be “another purpose to life” than office-work

• I have 25 years of experience within Banking and Insurance, and

- I feel I know this work and I have no more ambitions,

- I have earned the money I should earn, and

- If I should do something different in my life, it is now …

• I now feel that helping other people is what I would like to do in the future ...

9. What did I do? • I left my old job 1st

January 2009, and continued working as a consultant while searching

for opportunities with NGO’s working in Refugee camps

• I thought it would be easy finding NGO’s that would accept me doing humanitarian work,

but it took more than four months …

• I wrote an application to do pure humanitarian work and sent it including my CV to a total

of approx. 120 NGO’s in different countries, among others

- All or almost all NGO’s in Denmark - and received no/negative replies

- Red Cross/Caritas in approx. 15 countries - and received no/negative replies

- Approx. 40 NGO’s in Kenya – and received replies from 6-7, mostly negative

• LWF was the only NGO inviting me in for talks …

The negative replies included the following reasons

• Volunteers are only “recruited” locally

• NGO’s only accept “experts” from developed countries working within their field and they

are hired on contracts securing salary, insurance, vaccination, recovery plans etc.

• NGO’s do not accept volunteers from developed countries doing humanitarian work

• A few NGO’s said that maybe I could do office work alone, which I rejected

These answers surprised me because I understand there are vulnerable people all over the

world suffering because NGO’s are understaffed as a result of lack of funding, and because lo-

cal people/refugees may not have the necessary skills, education or work permits to do the

work that experts from developed countries do.

- An Aid worker in Dadaab: “There are huge needs in all sectors and we don’t have the money to do any-

thing about it. We can’t even go look for the most vulnerable refugees because when we find them, we

can’t help them. It’s overwhelming. We have asked that this situation be officially declared an emergency

but that hasn’t happened” . Source: Human Rights Watch – “From Horror to Hopelessness”, March 2009.

10. How did I agree

with LWF?

• I sent my application to Tore and Philip the 20th

February 2009

• I had a telephone interview with Pia in the beginning of March and we agreed that I could

do a mix of office and humanitarian work, if possible ...

• I had an interview with DanChurchAid in Copenhagen 19th

March

• I was asked to do the following, which I agreed doing

- Give 2-3 references on former employers

- Send a medical declaration confirming that I am in a good physical/mental condition- Take out insurance including Hospital and Medical expenses, home transport etc.

- Receive a full vaccination program





• I was offered to do office work (finance, policies etc.) and organize activities at the Save

Haven, which I accepted because it combines office and humanitarian work.

• I will start the assignment the 4th

May 2009 and I was told that maybe I should stay in Nai-

robi the first 14 days ...?

11. Skilled volunteers –

an opportunity for

LWF?

People in the developed countries with the same mindset as I ...?

• There must be thousands of financially secure people in the developed countries feelingthe same as I: “There must be another purpose to life than what I do now …”

Opportunity for LWF?

• If LWF can recruit skilled volunteers – doing work that local people cannot do – LWF can

save on its salary expense account and do more activities directly for the beneficiaries.

• The possibility to establish a program where the skilled employees next to their work also

educate local people to do the experts’ work in the future.

Open ideas ...

• Advertise for skilled, international volunteers on LWF’s website.

• Check official criminal records to protect beneficiaries from volunteers, who are convicted

• Let volunteers sign an internship agreement including

- The exemption of LWF from responsibilities,

- Job description and code of conduct (go through the importance of the code of con-

duct – I understand from meetings, that some people have violated these rules de-

signed to protect people in a very fragile situation ...)

- A declaration from the volunteer stating that he/she is able to work and takes own

and full responsibility of medical insurance and vaccination

• LWF to offer volunteers to take out medical insurance through a LWF group insurance

plan on the volunteer’s own expense and to recommend necessary vaccinations.

• According to the need of beneficiaries and LWF’s program responsibilities recruit

- Managers, teachers within higher education, engineers securing new/improved

camp layout, sanitation, water, garbage facilities, translators securing improvedcommunication, (doctors, dentists) etc.

• I had a talk with Pauli about the opportunity of more volunteers and we talked about “the

difficulties of managing volunteers”, the importance of communication (a true under-

standing of peoples needs) etc. We talked about brainstorming together on a proposal

finding solutions to this to be used by Rudolph, if Tore believes it is a good idea ...

Please feel free to contact me, if you should have any comments or questions to the above. I am looking

forward to coming to Kenya, to get to know all people and to our continued cooperation …

Kind regards,

Stig

Documents

LWF - Learning experience from Induction visit