Julie, a french volunteer in GDCA
My name is Julie, I am a French volunteer from the European Union Aid Volunteer (EUAV) program. I support GDCA in matters of strategic development and fundraising.
I came to Ghana at the beginning of July 2022 to start working. When I arrived in Tamale, I was immediately welcomed by the team. I first met my manager, Philip, and the executive director Osman who warmly introduced me to the rest of the team. They made sure that the other European volunteer and I would be at ease and took care of all the details for our installation in our new home.
On my first day of work, during my induction meeting, I got an overview of all the activities conducted within the association. As I already worked online for two months before getting to Tamale, I already knew some of them, but facing all the project managers helped me realised how wide the impact of the organisation was. From governance issues to youth empowerment, I quickly understood that I would learn a lot.
Gradually, I understood the ways of working within GDCA. I got to go on field trips with some of my colleagues, which helped me understand better the objectives of the projects. Meeting with the beneficiaries and spending time with workers and volunteers in the districts was a great chance for me. I was also invited in various events and convenients where I was able to meet other partners of the organisation and learn about the broader context.
Taking part in those activities now make me feel like I can add my part to the greater picture. I feel more confident to exchange with the others, show initiative or give my opinion. I still have a lot to learn, but I know the team will always be available and help me getting through any concern.
My daily tasks consist in developing a five-years fundraising strategy, compiling all the ideas, resources and experiences GDCA already has and mixing them with effective fundraising methodologies. For that, I mainly work with the fundraising committee which is a team of 5 to 7 people from the board and the management team. They share with me their experience, needs and expectations and I try to organise them and write them down. I also do some tasks linked with communication issues, such as the website management.
If I had to go home tomorrow and carry only one thing in my suitcase, it would be this family spirit that makes working with GDCA so special. As Alhaji Osman often says, “laughing is the most important part of work, without it nothing serious can be made”.
