Rest and Relaxation

Most jobs in the world don’t get something called Rest and Relaxation (R&R), but in the international aid and development world this is something everyone gets and needs…Aside from getting time off we get something which tells you exactly how to spend your time- resting and relaxing! (Luckily I was forced to rest and relax when I went to the Kenyan coast and spent four days inside due to the nonstop rain, mostly spent eating and sleeping.)

Here are some other things that you only get at a job in the international aid field:

• Emergency evacuation lists of who should get to leave in case of an emergency (how do you decide?!?)
• Acronyms - from the names of different organizations to names of programs- it’s a whole other language
• Security trainings, weekly security meetings, daily security updates, security levels from 1-5 - you get the picture…
• You can go to work in gumboots/ wellies when it rains, and this is considered professional dress.
• You share your office space with chickens, goats, and numerous insects and lizards.
  We all know how to speak in radio code and have radio names.
• The only way to get around is the white land cruisers with the organization name on the door or motorcycle.