Almost Reaching My Career Aspirations – Do Help Please

Dear Potential Reader and Anyone who might be interested to help donate,

Firstly, I am truly thankful for you, dear stranger - to help me achieve my career aspirations.

I would like to introduce myself so that you will genuinely know me better. I was a Senior Medical Social Worker working in healthcare (Singapore) when I decided that the long hours and unappreciative work environments needed a change. I wanted to regain my professional career, the career in social work that I started out with much passion in.

However, I was not receiving the sort of work-life balance which I had always advocated for. Desperate to make a difference in the social work sector pertaining to the care needs of such helping professionals like myself, I made a heavy and truly risky decision to quit my job and go on a self-funded personal development journey - taking on a distance-learning course with MENCAP and Manchester Metropolitan University on understanding the landscape of international social work, human development and knowing the social practice better and how I could contribute to doing so. I have always wanted to work in international settings, doing something bigger and much more meaningful i.e. perhaps working with refugees or even youth and children whom I like helping.

As I've taken a sabbatical off my job, to fund my own personal development and course overseas - I relied heavily on my personal funds for the past 6 months. My course is nearly completed and I am also onto the next stage of my humanitarian/social work career aspirations. I applied to be licensed and registered as a qualified Social Worker in the UK and in aid-needed areas in Europe. Hopefully, with this stint - it will lead me further down the route to being an international social worker/humanitarian worker.

I've all along paid for all my living expenses, transport expenses, courses, workshops which I attended full-time just to develop my professional self better and improve on my career horizons. For the last stage to getting my license registered (I've already been approved) - I will need to make payment to the Healthcare Professions Council in UK. The amount required for my name to be registered onto the list in their website as a qualified social worker is £180 (SGD$316 / USD$233).

I only require £100 as I am abit short of funds for this last part of application at the moment and taking into account, the day-to-day expenses which I've set aside for. However GoGetFunding policy is to state any amount above £250 HENCE I've decided to state £255 with the balance of £155 being donated to a charity here in the UK.

As I am passionate on helping youths and children who are in need of the basic needs such as education, shelter, food, clothes and not having their safety compromised - I've always wanted to work for UNICEF. In view of me raising funds, the balance which I do not require - I WILL make a ONE-TIME SINGLE donation of £155 to the UNICEF Fund. Hopefully, the amount that you contributed to helping me, can also help a child live for the better and change a child's future/life in some ways.

Honestly, I've exhausted all channels of funds for the last 6 months to survive on my own.

I am also in the midst of looking for jobs both in Singapore as well as on international shores (wherever fate takes me to in continuing my career), however the social work license is what hinders my job opportunities. So I really hope that you would help me to help others in my career. I'd love to repay it forward someday to you as well or through monetary contributions once I get a job.

Thank you and sincerely,

Irnina