Pix > Expat Welcome Wagon - aka "my little job"
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The Office
This is the office where I and the other volunteers work a few days a week. There is a coffee machine and a water cooler and a little fridge. There are open office hours a few days a week so that spouses can drop in for a chat or a coffee.
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The Office - 2
The office is equipped with 2 printers and a company computer. The volunteers correspond with HR about new families headed for Lagos then reach out to the spouses to offer support and answer questions about Life in Lagos.
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The Office - 3
This is the outside of the Office. It is located at one of the company properties so I get to interact with some of the families I normally don't see. There is a balcony that overlooks the tennis court and the play area which is helpful because it is typically very quiet during office hours!
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Outpost Team 2013.jpg
My team of volunteers has really grown in the past year which is so nice to see. I think the program used to be perceived as a bunch of ladies who host coffees but now we run all the onboarding programs, the school bus program, professional development programs, the major holidays (Halloween, Christmas, Divali, Easter) plus help newcomers find their niche and get around town. We also run the website and the facebook page. Phew!
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Nigerian Cultural Day Program.jpg
For our fall coffee program, we offered a Nigerian Cultural Day theme as Nigerian Independence Day is Oct 1st. We had some of the cooks and stewardesses that work for our residents cook their favorite dishes so that we could all try a bit of Nigerian food. We had fish stew with pounded yam, fried plaintains, moi moi and jollof rice. It was a hit!
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Dubai Pic - 1
Day 1 of my trip to Dubai which The Company sponsored so that I could meet other women serving the same volunteer role I am - helping expats transition into their new countries.
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Dubai Pic - 2
My trip to Dubai was a 3 day Company sponsored workshop - I met some really amazing women that had lived all over the world.
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Dubai Pic - 3
All the attendees of the workshop were asked to run a "Q&A booth" about their location and major challenges they faced. Mine was "Recruiting Team Members and Volunteers". I got a lot of helpful feedback and have a great team after just a few weeks!
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Dubai Pic - 4
Last Day in Dubai - the ladies all signed each other's Company Tote Bags- the same welcome bag we offer all the newbies when they arrive. A great trip!
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Dubai Pic - 5
The Company took the group out to dinner at the Dubai Mall - by far the largest shopping mall I have ever seen with synchronized water fountains choreographed to Michael Jackson's "Beat It"!
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Volunteers!
This is my awesome crew of volunteers for my "little job" - honestly, it's not so little anymore which is why I need a big team! They are awesome and full of ideas!