Celebrating The Moment

Thanksgiving
Fifteen years and fourteen African countries later, and I am still thankful, still happily and readily learning, and yet still aspiring, longing in fact, for more.

It’s almost fifteen years to the day since I started working and when I think about the journey to the destination of that first paid employment, the remembrance comes with warm yet defiant memories. That first paid employment.

After completing post-graduate studies it was of course time to realise the benefits of all those many years of studying and learning. So, the work hunt, the job hunt began. The journey lasted almost a year.

Yes. Almost twelve whole months.

I was determined to seek and find employment within my field of study and interest, that is, international development, public sector reform, with reference to Africa. Applications were completed day in, day out. Some were completed for posts in the UK, others for posts in Nairobi, Abidjan, Washington or wherever and with whoever else I felt I could work with to pursue that area of professional and personal interest.

Believe me, although I was not counting, I must have completed a thousand odd application forms and/or CVs during that time. The expectation, the wait, the agony, the pain. When? Will I? Could I?

Our greatest fear
These were questions I asked myself day in, day out. Will I? Could I? When will I get that job? Will I, could I even, get that job?

After some two months or so of agonising anxiety and wondering if I really ought not to have completed a degree in Law or Accountancy, I decided to do something useful /add value to my job search by engaging in voluntary work with organisations that work in the sector that I desired to be employed in.

Two offered me positions – oh yes, competition for voluntary work with many organisations is thick and fast.

I found myself engaged in voluntary work twice a week for Oxfam Campaigns, and three times a week for the Institute for African Alternatives, a development policy research institute. I doubled up that three to four times a week by working in the evenings in paid employment as a market researcher. And there were mornings when I hopped on the wrong London Underground train, not quite sure which of my three work stations I was headed for.

Days were good and days were bad. And I kept asking: ‘When?’ And also asking ‘Will I?’

Advice and Counsel
As if the agony of all of that was not enough, some ‘friends’ thought to periodically ‘advise’ me. Scorn at me. Pity party here…!

In not so many words what they were saying was that I may not be quite as intelligent as all those many university degrees that I held suggested. Otherwise, why would one graduate from two of the UK’s top universities and then embark on voluntary work?

Well, foolish as I may have seemed, the strategy was that since I was determined to work in my sector of interest and yet paid employment was not yet forthcoming, rather than either

(i) sit at home and be depressed whilst I complete five job application forms a day, or
(ii) take up paid employment in a sector not of primary interest but which would give me an income

I chose to offer my knowledge and skills as a volunteer worker in the hope that the experience gained would eventually propel me to attaining employment in that sector of preference.

And that is exactly what happened.

Fifteen years later
I have worked with three major global organisations, enjoying a satisfying career, and have made some lifelong friendships on the circuit. In addition, my remuneration has increased over that time by some 900%, inflation adjusted and all.

Now, tell me, should I not be celebrating the moment?

So in celebrating I pray:

(i) May the work of our hands always be blessed: Deuteronomy 33v9
(ii) May The Lord teach us to profit and lead us in the way that we should go.
(iii) May the plans that The Lord has for us, good plans and plans that are not of evil, plans to give us a hope and a blessed outcome, come to pass in each of our lives
(iv) May The Lord continue to turn around our captivity, as He did that of Zion. So that we would be like those who dreamed. Then our mouths would fill with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then we would say among the nations, ‘the Lord has done great things for us.’ The Lord has done great things for us and we are glad. Psalm 126 v 1-4
(v) In the midst of difficult times may we be able to be still and know that He is Lord. May we be able to stand still and see the deliverance of the Lord, which He will accomplish for us today, for the Egyptians we see today, we shall indeed see them no more! Exodus 1 v 13