Winter 2025 ONLINE Events Recap
Our July event focused on providing valuable and practical insights for navigating the aid and development sector as young professionals, while our August event provided a safe space to share useful tools for maintaining well-being among those working in the sector.
Both events were held ONLINE so that we could keep warm. We are grateful to the astute speakers who shared their invaluable experiences. Here is a recap of both events. Don’t worry if you missed them; you can also watch the event recordings below.
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Breaking into the international aid and development sector has never been easy. It’s a space defined by passion, purpose, and the drive to support the welfare of communities around the globe. Yet, for many young professionals—whether freshly graduated or shifting gears from another industry—the path can feel daunting. The sector can feel crowded, jobs aren’t always easy to find, and career paths rarely follow a straight line.
To explore these realities, a recent event, “Insights and Guidance for Young Professionals Entering the Aid & Development Sector,” brought together voices from across the field. What emerged was a powerful reminder: there’s no single path into this work, but there are countless ways to make an impact.
“Being in a different field and having experiences in different areas has helped me become exposed to a wide variety of people who are working on social development. This has shown me many different paths I could take, hence I'm not afraid of not following a traditional path.”
Angelica Ojinnaka-Psillakis, one of the event's speakers, discussed how she initially navigated a career in the development and aid sector. She began her career by studying psychology, then transitioned to research roles combined with community activism, and now has over 10+ years of experience in rights-based advocacy, youth and health policy, and community development.
Our second speaker, Georgia Kane, provided valuable insight as an early-career professional at Save the Children Australia, where she works as the International Programs, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator. She was open and honest about having impostor syndrome, comparing her career pathway with others as social media use increased. However, she reminded us that:
“Having varied academic and professional backgrounds is a valuable asset, not a limitation. The development sector needs diverse, reflective, and evolving practitioners, and this is where we can stand out and share our perspectives.”
Angelica also highlighted the importance of having a mentor or sponsor who has been in the space and witnessed the changes as we navigate the ever-changing and currently under-resourced assistance and development industry. In her experience, this type of assistance will be quite valuable to young professionals in the industry.
Another topic that often comes up in conversations about working in the development and aid sector is how we measure our impact. How do we know we are doing the right thing in such a constantly shifting and complex system? It’s easy to wonder whether we are truly making a difference. On this, Georgia reminded us: “
It’s the key relationships you build and your willingness to unlearn and grow that create lasting impact.”
The session then continued with a very engaging Q&A, where participants voiced their concerns about navigating the aid and development sector as young professionals—ranging from how to frame their interests when applying for jobs, to understanding power dynamics and finding their place in the field.
In closing, both speakers affirmed that having a linear and ideal pathway is not necessary in pursuing a career in the development and aid sector. Having diverse perspectives and the willingness to grow and to learn are more crucial and essential to the sector’s strength. While having skills and qualifications opens doors, it’s the ability to build networks and relationships that will create a lasting impact. For young professionals, it is an invitation to believe in themselves and to step forward authentically and trust that there are many ways to contribute meaningfully in this industry.
Nina Natasya - WiAD Communications Volunteer Intern
You can watch the full event here.
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Staying Grounded in a Shifting Sector: Practical Tools for Wellbeing in Aid and Development
The aid and development sector is facing unprecedented challenges—conflict escalation, funding cuts, and a growing sense of uncertainty. For many professionals, this has led to emotional fatigue, burnout, and a deep questioning of purpose.
“It’s not just a job,” said psychologist Anneke Outred during a recent Women in Aid and Development session.
“This work is part of who we are. When programs are dismantled or we disengage from communities we care about, it doesn’t feel like a professional inconvenience—it feels like a personal loss.”
Outred, who works specifically with development professionals, emphasised the importance of recognising the emotional toll of these changes. She introduced the concept of moral injury—the distress that arises when individuals are forced to act against their values, such as cutting teams or withdrawing programs. “These changes shake our identity,” she said. “They leave deep emotional scars that don’t resolve with rest alone. They need to be acknowledged and processed.”
She also spoke to the visceral experience of emotional strain, noting that many people feel “overwhelmed, heavy, uncertain,” and that this is not a personal failure. “That’s your nervous system trying to survive in a sector that’s under immense pressure,” she said.
“Your care, your empathy, your pain—they all point to your strength. But they’re also reminders that you need care too.”
Outred reinforced that self-regulation is key to sustaining impact. She introduced the Yerkes-Dodson curve, a model showing how moderate stress can enhance performance, but chronic stress leads to burnout. “We often live in a state of chronic activation,” she said.
“Our systems aren’t designed for that. We need to find ways to return to the green zone—where clarity, creativity, and compassion thrive.”
One way to begin that process is through journaling, a tool championed by writing coach Ingrid Jones. “Journaling isn’t a miracle cure,” Jones explained, “but it gives me perspective every time. It helps me move from overwhelm to clarity.”
Jones shared her personal journey with journaling, describing how she developed a framework to move beyond venting and into growth. “We have 60 to 80,000 thoughts a day,” she said. “That’s the length of a novel. Journaling helps take the weight off your mind and allows you to problem-solve emotionally.”
Her approach includes:
Free writing to release thoughts and emotions
Visual prompts to connect with feelings
Compassionate inquiry, asking “What’s one step forward?”
Jones also stressed the importance of writing without judgment. “Use any notebook. Let it be messy. It’s for your eyes only,” she said. “Set a timer—even 10 minutes can make a difference.”
Both speakers emphasised that resilience doesn’t mean pushing harder. “There’s no moral high ground in burning out,” Outred said. “Being in the red zone doesn’t mean you care more—it just makes you more depleted.”
For leaders, fostering a culture of care starts with modelling emotional awareness. “Understand your own stress zones,” Outred advised. “Be curious about what’s going on for yourself and others. Create space for people to say, ‘I’m in the red zone.’”
The session closed with a reminder that connection is a form of resilience.
“The future of the sector won’t just be built on policy or funding,” Outred said. “It will be built on people who stay connected to themselves, each other, and their purpose—even in upheaval.”
Whether through journaling, breathwork, or simply naming your emotional state, the message was clear: you matter too.
In a sector built on care, caring for yourself is not optional—it’s essential.
Prue Vincent - WiAD Communications Committee Member
You can watch the full event here.
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A massive thank you to our amazing speakers, Georgia Kane, Angelica Ojinnaka-Psillakis, Anneke Outred and Ingrid Jones. Thank you to all those who attended. You ensured this event was a success.
We hope to see you all again at our next series of in-person events coming up in October!