Overseas volunteering plans took an unexpected turn for Caroline Strugnell CA in 2020, when the global pandemic caused countries to swiftly shut their borders.

The Wairarapa-based chartered accountant had signed up with Accounting for International Development (AfID) – a social enterprise that offers experienced finance professionals the opportunity to use their skills to make a difference as volunteers – and was preparing to head to Malawi and Tanzania to work with two social impact organisations.

“Obviously COVID meant that I wasn’t able to volunteer in person,” says Strugnell, who recently retired from full-time work.

“The charity in Malawi did not have very good internet connection, so I couldn’t work with them remotely but the organisation in Tanzania was well-connected, so I ended up volunteering with them remotely for about three months. I absolutely love Africa – I’ve volunteered there in the past and am planning to go back next year to volunteer again.”

Beyond the numbers

Strugnell is one of more than 1000 accountants to have volunteered with AfID partner organisations, which include a blend of international charities and grassroots NGOs such as hospitals, micro-finance institutions, conservation projects, women’s empowerment programs, and schools.

Strugnell worked with Upendo Honey, a social impact organic honey company based in Kigoma, Tanzania. By creating a stable economy around honey, Upendo seeks to directly contribute to the conservation of large forest areas while creating sustainable employment for local residents.

“Upendo uses Xero, which is a platform I’d never used, but it’s pretty user-friendly,” says Strugnell, whose volunteering work included improving Upendo’s financial reporting structure.

“I also did a lot of reconciliation, looked at their coding structure and had a bit of a look at their payroll requirements and taxation.

“I also volunteered during this time on a review of a capital project for a game reserve called Ol Pejeta Conservancy in the Laikipia region of Kenya,” says Strugnell. “They were looking at putting in solar power for the whole game reserve, working on the principle that if they could make it work for Ol Pejeta Conservancy, it could be done for many game reserves. The whole experience gave me a lot of satisfaction.”

Developing problem-solving skills

For Ethan Cheow CA, volunteering with AfID allowed him to blend his love of travel with an opportunity to give back. He travelled to Bangalore, India, in 2019 to volunteer for eight weeks with social enterprise Essmart.

“It provides B2B distribution for products that help rural areas – things like solar-powered lamps and agricultural gear,” says Cheow, who is currently employed in a contract statutory reporting role at Afterpay in Melbourne.

“My main role was to create a management reporting template for the CEO, who is not an accountant and doesn’t have much experience with Excel. I helped her create a template that’s easy to use, so she could report financial information to her investors. I also did an informal audit of their accounts as well.”

Cheow says the immersion in another culture was a “learning experience” and he valued the opportunity to contribute his skills.

“It was also valuable from a professional point of view,” he adds. “I worked at EY for a number of years, where I did audit work for very well-established clients, so working with a startup where accounting capabilities were not as developed helped me to improve my problem-solving skills. I figured out how to do things in a simple way, so that people who are less trained in accounting could still benefit.”

Volunteering, again…

Strugnell is busy planning her next trip to Africa and is looking at opportunities to volunteer at Amakhala Game Reserve in South Africa, as well as opportunities in Malawi.

“Volunteering is both satisfying and rewarding,” she says.

“AfID is a fantastic group to work with, and I think if you want to go out of your own country to volunteer, going through an official organisation is a very good idea because if you experience any issues while you're there, they can help you.

“And if you’ve never been to Africa, volunteering is a wonderful way to experience it.”

Combine volunteering with team building

Volunteering can bring a sense of purpose that benefits individuals and teams.

Sydney-headquartered Team Building with Purpose runs a variety of team-building programs that use workers’ skills to benefit charities, with 50% of the net profit from each event going to charity partners. Events involve teams working with charities such as youth mentoring organisation Raise, as well as Habitat for Humanity, which provides access to safe and decent housing to help families break the cycle of poverty. Teams gain a unique insight into the charities, while collaborating for meaningful change.

In 2023 CA ANZ conducted a survey that generated 870 complete responses to reveal members are making a significant contribution to society, with one in five respondents working in paid jobs for charities or not-for-profits.

Download the Counting for a Cause report to learn what motivates members to volunteer and how CA ANZ supports them.