Five Minutes with… Matthew Sear, VSO ICS Team Leader

Why did you want to become a team leader?

I’d always wanted to get into something like this. At university in Leeds I was part of a fundraising society and I’d been to Uganda for five weeks to work at another charity. I thought ICS would be a good way of doing a longer stint. I liked working in a team, and a new challenge – and it sounded exciting.

I absolutely loved being a volunteer in Zambia, exploring new things and learning about myself and my culture too. It was great for my personal development. That’s why I applied to become a team leader.

What did the job involve?

As a team leader in Zimbabwe, I was supporting the implementation of a replica of the project I had worked with in Zambia. The Ministry of Health wanted Youth Friendly Corners – open, free environments for youth to come and talk about sexual and reproductive health through fun activities and games. We talked about contraception, prevention, living with HIV/Aids and put them in contact with nurses and so on. These issues are almost an open topic here in the UK but there, it took a while for people to open up.

The role was also about supporting a team of volunteers to deliver the programme and helping with their personal development. It wasn’t just about the impact I was making in the community, raising awareness and seeing people learn. It was about giving young volunteers a chance to learn things like communication skills, leadership, working across cultures. I got a lot of satisfaction from seeing quiet or introverted volunteers transform into people who could confidently present their work to stakeholders.

What was it like working with your local counterparts?

I could not have done it without them! I was coming from the ‘outside’, so it was important to listen. Certain things may work in the UK, but there are differences in the culture that need to be appreciated. Both of us could bring participatory techniques, icebreakers and tools- and we planned the events together. Also they could translate. It’s important to take the time at the start of the placement to get to know each other and become friends. If you are strong as a team then you put more into your project; and I’m still friends with them today.

What were the best bits?

The debrief, where the volunteers present their achievements and learnings to community leaders, other volunteers and other stakeholders. My standout moment was hearing the local community talk about what they’ve got from the programme and where they want to take it in the future. It was hard work so seeing 18-year-olds stand up and talk about the value of it was nice.

Also there was one volunteer called Marlon Jerahuni who become one of my close friends. He started off as just someone in the community who wanted to take part in the sessions; he then became a national volunteer and eventually a team leader too. It was just great to see him evolve.

What were the challenges?

Being a team leader isn’t always easy. Sometimes you have to be assertive when dealing with people’s behaviours, managing expectations and a varied workload. You have to watch out for splits in the group. Make sure no-one is left out. Also working in a country like Zimbabwe which has some political sensitivities can be difficult; some processes can be frustrating. You have to stay positive.

That’s no reason not to do this though! The rewards are unparalleled and if you are an approachable team leader you experience every moment. You just need to listen and understand different perspectives from volunteers to their host families and the partners you work with. If you take on the responsibility of building relationships with everyone, you can move forward.

What do you do now?

I’m working for VSO in their ICS team. I started as an assessment co-ordinator and loved engaging with young people, helping them come to their assessment days. Now I’m a youth volunteering coordinator, so helping programmes in the countries where we work and supporting ICS teams directly in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. I know what it’s like so can answer all their general questions and help them become more open minded.

How has this equipped you for the workplace?

This has definitely prepared me for work. Before, I was out of university doing different things like sales. I just didn’t know what roles there were in international development.

This kind of opportunity gives you perspective, and shows you how to manage stress in the face of security or medical issues. It’s better than any internship because it covers so much, from issues with your host family to community talks. I had to talk to the President’s Office, so was thrown into things I never thought I’d be able to do. It shows you what you are good at and what you can development. It’s the chance of a lifetime; not just the 9-to-5 but it pushed you. I would have kept going if I could.