Development workers

Development worker Teclah Ponde (right) talking to Clayton Marambo (Zimbabwe). Photo © Marcus Perkins/Progressio

The right people in the right place

Progressio development workers are experienced and professionally qualified specialists who offer skills, expertise and knowledge that is not available locally.

Before placing a development worker, we discuss with our partner organisations exactly what help and assistance can really make a difference. Then we go out and recruit exactly the person they need.

Find out how we recruit our development workers in our Jobs section – but be warned: it might make you want to be a Progressio development worker, too!

People with their heart in the right place

Our development workers are all committed to helping bring about real change – they don’t do it for the money, they do it to make a difference to other people’s lives.

Read what motivates our development workers Maggie von Vogt in El Salvador, Fi Oakes in Timor-Leste and Teclah Ponde in Zimbabwe.

And you can read lots more interviews with development workers in our development worker experiences section.

South-to-South skills exchange

Progressio development workers come from all over the world. Some come from Europe or North America. But more than half are themselves from the global South – be it Bangladesh or Bolivia, Malawi or Mexico, Ethiopia or Ecuador…

So they bring a real understanding of the challenges facing people in developing countries; and what is needed to overcome them. And they in turn go back to their own country enriched by the experience, with enhanced skills to tackle poverty and injustice at home and abroad, now and in the future.

Transferring skills and knowledge

The key role of our development workers is to transfer their skills and knowledge to our partner organisations to help them achieve real, ongoing practical change for their communities. They work alongside local people, empowering them to find solutions to the problems they face.

Read about the work of Nick Molyneux in Timor-Leste and María Eugenia Lacarra in Peru.

And find out more about what our development workers are up to by checking out our ‘where we work’ section.

Bringing lasting change

The success of our development work is measured by people and organisations being able to continue to work effectively after our development worker has finished his or her placement. Our development workers usually stay for at least two years – and longer if needed. They are there to make a long term, lasting impact.

And it does not cost our partner organisations a penny. All our development workers are fully funded by Progressio – thanks to our generous funders and supporters.

Be a part of it – give to Progressio and help our development workers give people the power to change their lives.