|
ABV is an international development agency that sends Volunteers to the developing countries of the Asia Pacific region. ABV assists developing countries in the region to reduce poverty by developing the capacity of local organisations, which it achieves through the transfer of workplace skills.
When clients request our help with e.g. a particular business problem, ABV sources and supplies highly skilled and very experienced Volunteers to work alongside counterparts in the client organisation. In accordance with ABV objectives, there must be a clear element of "skills transfer" or "training" during any Volunteer assignment. For this reason, Volunteers offer clients their knowledge and experience, working alongside them to provide practical trouble-shooting advice and training. ABV Volunteers listen, suggest, advise, train and mentor clients. They do not take over from the client nor do they do the work of the client.
We do not encourage clients to become dependent on Volunteers - one of the reasons why assignments are usually short-term. However, mutually respectful friendships commonly develop between clients and Volunteers. When this happens it is not unusual for Volunteers to continue to informally mentor clients by email for months after an assignment has officially concluded.
"Sustainability" is another key ABV objective. For example, when clients have developed the capacity to solve problems independently and continue successfully to run or grow their business or organisation over the long-term, we regard our assistance as having been "sustainable". Sustainable benefits may appear long after the Volunteer has returned to Australia.
|
|
