Alumna Rachel Donnelly heads to India for six-month volunteer service project
Mar. 6 - Rachel Donnelly ('03, B.S., Business Management/Finance) has started a six-month volunteer service project in India. She's taking a leave of absence from her position as financial services consultant with Accenture to work with the Volunteer Services Overseas organization. She took some time before heading off to complete a Q/A for the College of Management Communications Office.
Current employment: Accenture – Financial Services, Consultant. I am based in Charlotte , NC but travel based on where the client is located.
Q. How did you learn about this opportunity?
A. Volunteer Services Overseas (VSO) - the organization I am volunteering with - and Accenture have a partnership allowing employees who have worked at Accenture for over two years to take a leave of absence and volunteer with VSO.
Q. Why did you decide to leave your current position to volunteer in India?
A. I'm young, love to travel, and I thought this was a great opportunity to work in the world of development. Also, since Accenture partners with VSO, I was only required to take a leave of absence and I will be able to return to my current position at Accenture when I return.
Q. What will you be doing? Is this part of a larger organization/program? If so, what is it called, and tell me a little about it.
A. Volunteer Services Overseas is a volunteer organization that sends people, instead of supplies/money, who want to make a difference in the fight against poverty to some of the poorest countries in the world. Their vision is, "A world without poverty in which people work together to fulfill their potential."
The aim is for the volunteer to pass on their expertise to local people so that when they return home their skills remain, similar to working w/ the Peace Corps.
Once I am in India, I will be volunteering at the Positive Women's Network (PWN). The PWN provides counseling, awareness, and education services to women and children living with HIV. My role will be within their finance department, helping to develop financial systems and understand new financial regulations in order to meet the challenges of rapid expansion within PWN.
Q. How did you/will you prepare for this assignment?
A. To help me prepare for my placement in India, VSO provides two training sessions that each volunteer must attend. The first is Preparing for Change (PFC) and the second is Skills for Working in Development (SKWID). Each session was packed with useful information about what it will be like to live overseas, what to expect from your placement, tips for staying healthy, etc. In addition to the training sessions provided by VSO, I have a lot of Indian friends who have been very helpful, as well co-workers who have traveled to the region I will be working in.
Q. What do you hope to accomplish?
A. I hope to help the PWN to develop new financial systems (by looking at their current policies and financial record tracking tools) and enabling the local PWN staff to carry on this system after I return home. On a personal note, I also hope to experience India (culture, customs, food, etc.) and travel about the country!