Volunteer, Christadelphian Bible Mission (Apr 2006 – Mar 2007)
In 2006, my wife and I paused our careers to join the Christadelphian Bible Mission in East Africa. Tasked with strengthening local congregations and delivering community support, we embraced a year of cross-cultural engagement, logistical coordination, and hands-on project delivery across Tanzania, Kenya, and Zambia.
We facilitated daily seminars in 48 Tanzanian churches plus two Kenyan and one Zambian congregation. Designing interactive workshops on leadership, and Bible based literacy, we trained over 2,200 church volunteers to lead home-group study and outreach programmes. These sessions demanded rapid curriculum development, multilingual communication, and the ability to adapt teaching styles for diverse educational backgrounds.
Alongside the Red Cross, we supported two refugee camps on the Congolese border. I organised medical supply distribution, land purchases, legal advise, well digging, church repairs, sanitisation projects, and temporary classroom setups—managing a network of 50+ local volunteers and liaising with camp administrators. This role sharpened my logistical planning and risk-management skills, ensuring aid reached vulnerable families under challenging conditions.
In Sumbawanga, we spearheaded the construction of a residential orphanage for children without parents. From site selection and material sourcing to contractor oversight and community liaison, I directed every phase of the build project. When we left the completed facility was capable of caring for a large group of children, with dedicated learning and recreation spaces. Leading this initiative honed my budgeting, vendor negotiation, and stakeholder-engagement capabilities.
This year of service cultivated resilience, empathy, and strategic problem-solving—skills I bring to every professional challenge. Navigating remote environments and complex stakeholder landscapes taught me to deliver under pressure, motivate diverse teams, and translate vision into sustainable impact. My time with CBM reinforced a lifelong commitment to purposeful leadership and demonstrated my ability to execute ambitious projects from start to finish.