Getting to Kufunda - what we've had to do

1. Decide that we are going to go 'somewhere' to work on a project where can get international development experience.
2. Identify what we both want to get out of it: what particular experience do we each want to learn?
3. Search for projects that will enable both of us to fulfil our goals. This involved internet searching, paying some agencies to find projects for us. This was helped by having some background knowledge of some projects through permaculture networks, but involved about 2 weeks work trawling through different options and a lot of bad information. There are an awful lot of projects that are set-up to fund themselves through paying volunteers rather than being a proper skillsharing opportunity. It is also difficult to understand what you will get out of the project in terms of experience, especially if you want it to be more than a holiday. We were really looking for something that will potentially lead-on or stand us in good stead for employment in the development sector, so our criteria were fairly strict.
   
4. Get in touch with shortlisted projects to find out more about them. Explain what we are looking for, the skills that we have and how long we are expecting to stay there for.
   
5. Refine list based on feedback, practicality, costs and other parameters; prioritize projects.
6. Contact the projects on the priority list; get accepted (hooray!).
   
   
7. Research the country in more depth, speak to the people from the project in more depth about what we need to bring, what we should bear in mind, what to expect.
8. Research and plan finances, logistics of travelling there, vaccinations, visas & documentation, travel insurance, safety considerations, what we need to bring with us.
   
9. Decide date for travel that fits in with the project.
   
10. Undertake neccessary logistics - book plane tickets, book in for vaccinations (cholera, rabies, hep B, hep A, typhoid, yellow fever, diphtheria, tetanus, TB, polio, meningitis), secure travel documents.
    
    
11. Begin packing up life in London - taking stuff to charity shops, selling stuff on ebay, moving out of the house, start saying goodbyes to people. Pack & repack, whittling things down.
    
12. Lots of things having to get done on final days, and not enough sleep. Just about got there - only need to get on the plane now!