An interview with MSF: The tough side to NGO work

The pattern is a classic. You leave secondary education and it’s off to university. You know you should have chosen to study something with a future job in mind, but apart from a vague grandiose vision of "doing something meaningful" you’ve not yet made a career plan. Yet, as the graduation ceremony looms ahead, you suddenly realise that “doing good” comes down to the hardcore reality of rolling up your sleeves, a constant conflict with the authorities, the frustration of not being understood, and long hours which seem to provide no positive end result. Fancy it?

The Yorker also spoke to Andrew Rylance, a former York student who is now a freelance consultant frequently working with NGOs on individual projects. We ask him about the significance of NGO work:

“The most important question to ask when assessing the work of an NGO is: what would the situation be like if they were not there? Governments often lack the financial resources or capacity to carry out extended health programs or the electrification of rural areas and explicitly request assistance from NGOs.”

Governments often lack the financial resources or capacity to carry out extended health programs or the electrification of rural areas and explicitly request assistance from NGOs.
Andrew Rylance

Fair enough. The hard work of NGOs does pay off, though sometimes in unexpected ways. Dr. Hallam spoke about his work in Darfur. He remarked that although the MSF may not be able to help every single person, their presence alone stands for help, care and sanctuary. So it is clear that NGOs do make a positive impact.

However, before you start thinking that it is all peaches and cream from here, there are some realities to be considered. Firstly, many NGOs are started by enthusiasts for a particular cause. This is admirable, but it also means, as Andrew points out, that they may sometimes be forced by circumstances to “dabble in areas of which they have little or no experience”. Of course, while some of this has been solved by an increasing trend of outsourcing to specialists; for NGOs with less access, the lack of expertise is still very much a problem.

Don’t be fooled by “doing good”. Hallam stated that Western intervention is not always ideal:

“I think we should give them the benefit of our expertise - engineering, medicine, crisis resolution, [and] problem solving. But in terms of psychological help, [as] the victims of trauma come from a different culture, you will find that they have their own methods of dealing with things, which is very different from western world.”

In terms of psychological help, [as] the victims of trauma come from a different culture, you will find that they have their own methods of dealing with things...
Dr. Hallam

As much as Western help is appreciated, the uninvited imposition of Western systems is not. The line for this is very thin, and perhaps impossible to draw. But we do need to be aware that help can only go as far as it is welcome.

NGOs run into constant conflict with local governments about which course of action to take. In a development project Andrew was involved in, even though sanitation was obviously the most pressing issue at hand, he had to compromise and allocate resources to an alternative that was acceptable to both the NGO and the local government. This is a key dilemma for Andrew:

“If there is something happening that you don’t agree with what do you do? Do you satisfy your own conscience and refuse to be involve[d], leading to no action in an area; or, do you swallow your pride, get on with the job and [suffice with] a limited positive impact?”

Another common myth is that with NGO work comes self-gratification. But according to Dr. Hallam it “only makes you feel worse about yourself” as “you only remember your failures.” He gave the example of a young girl who piggy-backed her sick brother all the way to an MSF facility, thinking the doctors could perform any miracle. Unfortunately the young boy died during the long journey and the quiet expression of rage on the girl’s face was something Dr. Hallam would never forget.

You only remember your failures.
Dr. Hallam

So why do the MSF workers carry on despite the heavy emotional baggage? Dr. Hallam ventures:

“One’s emotions do affect one’s work; you cannot help but be affected by what you see. You [just] have to learn to deal with that. Emotions are a good drive, [they make] you want to help more, work harder, [and] put up with the discomfort”.

The Yorker asked Dr. Hallam about the distinction between NGOs and Charities. In general NGOs are run by paid employees while charities are sustained by volunteers. NGOs also have a more distinct hierarchy, better organisation and stricter discipline.

A worker in an NGO will have more accountability to deliver on his duties than a volunteer in a charity as he is getting a tangible remuneration for his contribution. Therefore, while it may not be feasible to dedicate your life to charity work unless you have a goose that lays golden eggs, a career in an NGO is definitely a viable option.

But how suitable is NGO work for fresh graduates? Practically speaking, having a specialised skill will give you more to offer. Andrew argues:

“It seems as though a Masters is the entry-level for the majority of NGO workers in the field.”

However, Dr. Hallam believes that as long as you have a passion for the course, a love of adventure and a “natural desire to help”, you should just go for it:

“You don’t have to be older and more experienced - w else do you get your experience?” Given that most people embarking on new careers have no idea what they are getting into, this may not be as idealistic as it sounds.

Essentially, there are many questions involved in considering whether NGO work is for you, none of which are easy to answer. Andrew advises that, before making a decision, you consult more experienced personnel in NGOs and maybe try living in tough and complicated areas for a period in order to see how well you adjust.

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