Helping the world’s neediest people

Nov 10 2008 by Peter Elson, Liverpool Daily Post

Médecins Sans Frontières aid manager Duncan Bell, right, and colleagues at a field project in Gambella region, Ethiopia _320

If your job is boring, follow Duncan Bell’s example and take your skills where you can make a big difference. Peter Elson reports

WHEN Duncan Bell started working as a manager for a large supermarket chain, he never realised he could put his talents to saving lives.

But six years ago, he decided there must be much more to life.

“After university I’d spend 10 years in business retail management and I was slightly disillusioned,” says Duncan, 43, who comes from Crosby, moved with his family to Glasgow and returned to Southport.

He is now in the first term of a year-long humanitarian studies postgraduate master of science degree course at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, under Dr Tim O’Dempsey.

He is supported by his current employers, the famous international aid organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Over the past six years, the world-renowned Liverpool school has developed training programmes with non-government organisations, to bring professional standards to humanitarian assistance.

“It’s very difficult to keep people in humanitarian work, especially medical staff who usually only take one year out,” says Duncan.

“For the non-medical side – which is also very important – they aren’t enough people interested in a career in humanitarian work, as it’s a big commitment to a career overseas.

“The course already has been of immense value to me. It’s as if the course is tailored for me. The tutors are passionate about education, but also interested in my personal experience and that of the other 18 students.

“Hopefully, I’ll go back as a MSF head of mission, managing two or three projects dealing with our HQ in Geneva.”

Duncan’s career overseas working for humanitarian organisations started when he saw a newspaper advertising for help with a Danish community development association in Botswana.

“This involved travelling door to door to promote an HIV awareness programme,” says Duncan. “I got the job and absolutely loved the work, the people and the country.

“Botswana is beautiful and unlike most of Africa, a stable country. It has a tiny population in an area the size of France and is relatively wealthy from diamonds. But it has the scourge of Aids and suffers zero population growth. Essentially you pay to work for such non-government organisations and in return get the experience.”