Volunteering abroad from Feilding | Stuff.co.nz

The North Island town of Feilding seems a world away from Papua New Guinea, but that’s exactly where Ernest Nieuwoudt is e-volunteering from for Volunteer Service Abroad.

Nieuwoudt is working for Pacific Island Projects (PIP) as a digital communications and marketing advisor, tasked with developing PIP’s online communication strategy and delivery of its digital content across numerous channels.

PIP is a not-for-profit organisation that supplies the forestry sector with a one-stop source of information, collaborating with partners and stakeholders to develop living and learning resources covering agriculture, forestry, and education.

Volunteering for VSA wasn’t something Nieuwoudt had considered as he assumed he would needed to be based outside of New Zealand, but when an advertisement caught his eye, he took another look.

“I thought I’d need to be hands-on in PNG, but I learned there is such a thing as e-volunteering. It ticked a lot of boxes – there were projects on offer with a lot of support and resources. And how cool to learn about different cultures without being there. I’ve also met some great people, all without leaving Feilding!”

Nieuwoudt is mid-way through his 12-month project and according to PIP managing director Simon Rollinson, the e-volunteering concept was “working well”.

“It’s great to have someone who can respond to our communication and marketing needs, whether that’s the development of our communication strategy or quickly sharing a useful communication tool or resource when it’s needed,” Rollinson said.

“We’re making good progress and I’m confident by the end of the project we’ll have something that meets the information needs of our technical and financial partners. Ernest plays a valuable part in realising that objective.”

Nieuwoudt spends around five or six hours a week on the project, tucked in around his full time marketing job, and said good preparation and a shift in thinking were needed before the assignment began.

“You have to switch off from your normal life and tap into another part of your brain. There’s a lot of analytical thinking and flexibility required. Together with PIP we had to come up with resourceful solutions, especially driving a digital project in a country where internet access was limited. Adapting PIP’s channels and messaging to reach every member of their target audience including schools, research institutions and industry is my key task and while sometimes challenging, it’s been incredibly satisfying and enjoyable.

“For anyone considering e-volunteering with VSA, I say ‘just do it’. Make the time and you’ll be rewarded. Working with other cultures also gives insight and perspective on how fortunate we are here and how we take many things for granted that are challenges in other cultures. It makes you think creatively and certainly gives you an appreciation of what you do have.”