# Becoming an expat for work in International Development



## youkihali37

Hey all. I'm (27F) applying for PhD programs in international ag econ development programs but my back up option might be to just move abroad as an expat and do grassroots ag development with or without NGOs or local nonprofits.
I'd want to move with my partner (28M) who has an MLIS and wants to stay somewhat involved in libraries. I lived in East Africa for ~2 years through Peace Corps and I could ultimately go back but libraries are incredibly uncommon there since literacy rates are so low. We have discussed the idea of his promoting literacy there instead but that's a whole other conversation.
I'm looking for some advice of where my partner and I could move where I could do agricultural development work and he could work in education or library science in the event I don't get into grad school. Ideally, this would be somewhere we could live cheaply and might prefer somewhere that's developing. Thanks in advance.


----------



## ALKB

youkihali37 said:


> Hey all. I'm (27F) applying for PhD programs in international ag econ development programs but my back up option might be to just move abroad as an expat and do grassroots ag development with or without NGOs or local nonprofits.
> I'd want to move with my partner (28M) who has an MLIS and wants to stay somewhat involved in libraries. I lived in East Africa for ~2 years through Peace Corps and I could ultimately go back but libraries are incredibly uncommon there since literacy rates are so low. We have discussed the idea of his promoting literacy there instead but that's a whole other conversation.
> I'm looking for some advice of where my partner and I could move where I could do agricultural development work and he could work in education or library science in the event I don't get into grad school. Ideally, this would be somewhere we could live cheaply and might prefer somewhere that's developing. Thanks in advance.


In case you are German, like the flag you selected suggests, I'd recommend to contact GIZ, DED and the affiliated organisations:



https://www.bmz.de/de/ministerium/wege/bilaterale_ez/akteure_ez/einzelakteure/ded/



Since you said you've been abroad with the peace corps, I am guessing you might be American, though? In which case, above organisations are unlikely to be much use.

Please note that for many countries your partner may have to qualify for a visa in his own right, if the two of you are not married.


----------



## Paultyner

First, you might have a look at where you ultimately want to work, you may find that field experience is more valued over a PhD. Probably not true for WB but might be true for other potential employers.

Second, sounds like your partner needs to be based somewhere with a decent university, if he wants to work in library science there, so perhaps places like South Africa, Kenya, Singapore, and with regional travel?

Third, also thinking of your future employers, will you be staying in one place and looking for local or consultancy contracts (in which case you may find low local salaries difficult to sustain and/or not enjoy the variability in freelancing consultancies), or if it is a rotation/relocation deal where you change countries every few years but sent by your job (in which case it is very difficult to sustain careers for both people, usually someone ends up just following. Or divorced), or home-based with occasional travel (therefore based in your home country and you work in the country office / remotely and do occasional trips to field sites).

Good luck!


----------

