For anyone thinking about applying to VSO I thought I would give a brief summary of the past 6 months.
A placement overseas has been something I've wanted to do for a long time. It simply wasn't practical while the boys were small so it went on the back burner. When our youngest son moved out last November we started thinking about the next stage in our lives. We went to a Meet VSO event in Lincoln early in March and I decided to apply.
The application process is very thorough and includes a two stage online application, online video interview and assessment day in London. I heard that I had been successful in mid May. The next step is to match the volunteer to a placement. I completed a CV and profile and waited to see if any partner organisations offered a placement.
I didn't have to wait very long. I heard that I had a placement offer while on holiday in France early in June. This gave us plenty of time to research Uganda and talk through the options before accepting the placement in the middle of June. I then had a wait of a couple of weeks for confirmation of the placement.
At the end of June I handed in my notice at work and starting preparing in earnest with the first two online training courses and a long list of things to find and do.
VSO have helped every step of the way. I now have my passport and visa ready and am busy packing, sorting out my life in the UK and preparing for stepping off the plane in Entebbe. It's going to be a busy weekend and sad to leave my home in York and say 'au revoir' to our many friends. It's exciting and scary both at the same time.
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