Alex is an anthropologist, an explorer, and Director of Outreach and Curation for Omprakash. Alex grew up between the U.K., South Africa, and Singapore, and hasn’t stopped moving since: so far, she has studied, conducted research, or worked in 14 countries. She is an avid believer in life-long exploration; of places near and far, others, and self.
What is your favorite travel memory?
Many of my favorite memories of travel are actually those moments where the line between traveling and living in a place began to blur; the moments where you realize you’re beginning to form close relationships with people and the place, rather than just passing through anonymously.
If I had to choose one standout travel memory – not a favorite memory per se but a formative one – it would be arriving in Cambodia to volunteer abroad for the first time, during my gap year almost a decade ago. I remember the excitement and sense of adventure I felt at the time, as well as what I now realize to be the problematic ideas I had about my place in the community and the 'help' I thought I could give.
It is interesting to think back on that moment, in light of how quickly my preconceptions began to crumble in the following weeks, days and months, giving way to the more complicated and often uncomfortable, but ultimately much more fulfilling, journey I’m still on.
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
As an Anthropology student, you’re encouraged to ask questions – that’s what I loved about it – but I often felt the itch to start putting it into action. However, when it came time to put what I learnt in the classroom into action, I was disappointed to find that most organizations wanted me to leave my questions at the door and just get it done, with little room for reflection or conversation.
By contrast, Omprakash is an organization that encourages continuous questioning – and therefore continuous learning and growth – not only in its students, but also amongst its many Partners, and within the admin team.
This has allowed me to begin to explore what happens when thoughtful action, radical questioning, and open dialogue come together. It has taught me to embrace complexity, rather than trying to sift through and try to distil it. It has encouraged me to keep asking more questions, even when I feel I’ve found the answer.
My work with Omprakash over the past few years has allowed me to grow personally, as well as professionally. Working at Omprakash is not just a job – it’s an all-encompassing project, that is as much a spiritual, intellectual, and communal endeavor as it is an occupation.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
The best conversations I’ve had with return students are those in which they explain the transformative effects of their time abroad and the connections they’ve made with people. For some, an Omprakash Grant enabled them to travel abroad for the first time… Others are seasoned travelers, but our EdGE training and mentorship program opened their eyes to a whole new way of seeing, interacting, and being in the world.
It’s been amazing to see students I’ve personally mentored undergo this transformation during their time abroad, and equally inspiring to have volunteers from 5+ years ago (way before I had become a part of Omprakash!) get in touch just to say how life-changing their EdGE and volunteer experience was for them, and how it continues to influence them years later.
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
Omprakash doesn’t really offer programs – rather than ‘placing’ students with organizations, we help students to connect with our Partner organizations directly, and work out mutually beneficial volunteer arrangements from there…
Our network of 180+ Partners is wonderfully diverse; each organization has its own unique makeup, vision, and social change mission, and I’m sure there is so much I could learn from each of from them! I have actually been lucky enough to have the chance to meet numerous Partners in South America, and speak to many more online.
I am excited to have the chance to meet dozens more of our Partners in Africa this Fall, as Omprakash will be hosting their fourth Partner Conference in collaboration with one of our Ghanaian Partners in Accra.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
What makes Omprakash unique is the depth of commitment each member of the team has to our fundamental mission of facilitating learning through relationships. Although we have a lot going on in the day to day, the team never neglects or sacrifices this vision.
I am most proud of my team members for their openness to different opinions, and willingness to embrace the complexity of issues in the volunteering industry and beyond. Rather than trying to avoid difficult issues or discussions, they lean in to complex debates, and endeavor every day to put theory into practice, while continuing to question our own position within this space.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
In purely financial terms, we are certainly not the most “successful” volunteer company (we are actually a non-profit, rather than a company), but I do believe that Omprakash is extremely “successful,” if we define success in terms of staying true to our mission.
I think what makes Omprakash successful in creating and sustaining meaningful partnerships and facilitating transformational learning opportunities is a commitment to continual learning, openness to adapt, and unwillingness to compromise the values that emerge from this process of continual reflection and respectful dialogue.
