I first heard about the International Learning Opportunity (ILO) while attending the Welsh Public Sector Summer School in 2015. It is a Welsh Government funded scheme which gives participants the chance to spend 8 weeks working in a completely different part of the World. Countries involved include Uganda, Namibia and Lesotho. This year I returned to summer school although this time as a facilitator rather than a participant and the ILO team were present once again. Whilst I had been tempted to apply in 2015, this time I decided it was time to actually bite the bullet.
The ILO scheme does not pay your salary while you are abroad so the first step was to approach my line manager and ask for 8 weeks leave. Fortunately, I have a very forward looking boss currently who saw the potential benefits for participation in the scheme, so with Margy’s agreement it was time to apply. The interview was fairly informal and once they had been convinced that I was fairly resilient, the focus was on finding the right placement. Initially, I had been planning to go to Uganda but I was then made aware of an opportunity in Lesotho, a country not unlike Wales in some ways but highly unlike Wales in others. After a few conversations with other people who had been before, the decision was made and I sit here surrounded by things I might need to pack and wondering what I have let myself in for.
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