Join First Things Foundation
First Things Foundation asks hard working individuals to give up their comfortable existence for at least two years. Why? Because when we live simply and share in the experience of those who suffer we gain humility and acquire insights. We have found that when we close our mouths and quiet our minds we actually turn out to be assets for the poor. It's not rocket science: Good projects and healthy change always grow out of authentic, loving, dynamic relationships. People matter more than plans. And bright, motivated, hard-working people can be found wherever one finds poverty. But we must be quiet and patient enough to find them.
Benefits
Be part of a small team of like minded individuals looking to shake up the aid world. See your ideas tested and implemented in the field as you learn what it takes to live in different worlds.
To Apply:
Please send an email to Andrew Schwark andrewschwark@first-things.org stating your desired country and why you would like to be apart of the First Things Foundation team. Likewise, please reach out with any questions about our sites and how we operate, but we highly encourage you to check out our blogs and about pages to learn more.
Current Start Dates:
Sierra Leone: October 2019
Guatemala: April 2020
Georgia Republic: October 2019
Abroad
Sierra Leone / Guatemala / Georgia Republic
Mini-Summary:
As a part of First Things Foundation, you will have the goal of befriending brilliant, impoverished visionaries in order to kick-start their ideas and dreams. On a larger level you are advocating for the poor, in order that they might become self sustaining community members. Much of your
responsibilities will be a continuation of the networks and relationships formed by previous Field Workers.
Responsibilities:
As a Field Worker, you will be one of the two points of contact for anything happening in your location. You will work in tandem with the existing Field Worker to continue creating a network of friends and stakeholders.
You will spend months 0-8 on-site:
Learning the local and colonial languages (4-6 hrs. study weekly & 4 hrs. professional tutelage weekly)
Creating deep, authentic relationships with friends and neighbors through daily drinks and meals (at least once a day)
Learning how to navigate cultural nuances through your immersionship with a local partner (12hrs/week)
Skyping weekly with the Foundation’s Director and Executive Countries Manager (once/week)
You will spend months 9-24 on-site:
Continuing to build a network of folks who can partner with us, fund us, provide us with additional advice, or just become good friends
Facilitating entrepreneurial progress and performing one-on-one consulting services
Creating profiles for our entrepreneurs and their ideas
Writing blogs about your experiences (once/monthly) and sending in pictures or videos for social media outreach
Training your replacement Field Worker who will arrive near the end of your service
Qualifications/Education/Skills:
A desire to better your soul, explore the world, and be deeply changed by brilliant people
Open-mindedness
A willingness to learn
Willingness to make fun of yourself and be made fun of
Physical Requirements/Working Conditions:
Here’s the deal. This isn’t luxurious living. We live simply and humbly alongside our neighbors in the third world. We sleep on the floor, walk almost everywhere, always drink water out of a filter, and occasionally come down with a parasite or in Africa's case: malaria. This is not your average job or volunteering gig. But if you want to have the opportunity to become profoundly changed over the course of 2 years, and help a few folks in the process, this is the job for you.