Richard Taylor – Youth for Development volunteer – Research Officer – Ethiopia

Richard Taylor’s year spent volunteering in Ethiopia helped hundreds of people gain life-saving access to water. Ten years on, it’s proved to be his springboard to a sought-after career. Now a policy officer with the Department for International Development in Sudan, Richard claims VSO gave him a unique insight that he still uses today.

Forging a career in development
Richard wanted to work in development after completing his degree in Politics and Economics, but he knew that his summer jobs and gap year in India weren’t quite enough to guarantee him a job. ‘I was looking for ways to get the experience to compliment the development courses I was doing,’ he recalls. ‘So when I saw a poster for VSO’s Youth For Development programme I went for it. It seemed ideal.’

The job
Richard volunteered in Ethiopia as a Research Officer. In a country where just 22% of the population have access to safe water, Richard’s job was to research the financial sustainability of a new water programme in Dalocha, an area in the south of the country.

‘I was testing the suitability of the user fees that were paying for the water programme,’ says Richard. ‘My translator and I travelled around villages and did in-depth questionnaires with a cross-section of women on how much they’d be willing to pay for piped water and how much time they thought it would save them.’ Richard’s very practical research resulted in a change to the pricing policy, giving more people in Dalocha vital access to water.

Challenging stereotypes
All Youth for Development volunteers work on global education projects that aim to challenge stereotypes and raise awareness of global issues. Richard’s project involved documenting village life, enabling him to share his findings back in the UK.

‘I had over 1000 photos as well as sound recordings, maps produced by the villagers, interviews and various data, such as market prices,’ describes Richard. His material was used to create a website for GCSE geography students, and later quoted in a professional journal for geography teachers.

Springboard for a career in development
Ten years later, Richard describes his year in Ethiopia as his springboard into development. He returned to the UK, finished his degree and looked for a job. ‘Like many people, I couldn’t find a job in development straight away, so I joined the Office of National Statistics while I pondered my next move. I looked around for a year or so and was on the brink of going back to university when by chance I saw a job at DFID, which I went for. My experience in Ethiopia was crucial to my application and I was offered the job,’ says Richard.

‘My role involved managing our discussions with other donors about increasing aid effectiveness and helping to take the International Development Act through Parliament.’

Richard then spent three months as an office manager in the Democratic Republic of Congo before returning to London and joining the Africa Policy Department. He worked on a range of issues including migration, social exclusion, gender and relations with the African Development Bank. ‘The first three would have probably been quite incomprehensible to me if I hadn’t had the Ethiopian experience to base the work on,’ says Richard. He joined the Sudan Unit as an Aid Effectiveness Policy Officer in January 2006.

Ten years on and still drawing on YFD experience
Volunteering was invaluable in developing Richard’s planning skills. ‘The experience of setting up a research project from scratch has been useful in designing projects ever since.’ He still uses his year in Ethiopia as a benchmark to compare all his experiences to.

‘The insights VSO gave me into how the poor actually live were invaluable. I hate to say it but you don’t necessarily ever have to meet them if you’re in the aid business. Now I'm more often in capital cities and government ministries I still try to ask myself "well would it work in Dalocha?” It's amazing how few of my colleagues have that sort of reference point.’

Richard thinks young people considering Youth for Development should think hard about whether it’s the right programme for them. ‘But if you go in with some realistic expectations and an open mind, I think you’ll get an enormous amount back,’ he says. ‘It’s possible to make a huge difference to those around you.’

IMPACT

  • Richard’s research led to a change to the pricing policy, giving more people in Ethiopia vital access to water
  • Richard's photos and maps used on a global education website for GCSE Geography students
  • A subsequent career in development, attributable to VSO YFD experience