CompaniesSep 5 2013

Firing Line: Jo Cowling

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Jo Cowling, a mortgage broker for International Private Finance, a London-based firm specialising in mortgages for international properties, recently took a three-month sabbatical to help build schools and protect wildlife in Madagascar, a sizeable island off the southeast coast of Africa.

Ms Cowling, who said her employer was fully supportive of her plans to take three months of unpaid leave, said she was keen to go somewhere different with the aim of helping people. “To be honest, before leaving for my three-month sabbatical I was in a bit of a rut. I enjoyed my job, but it was starting to get repetitive and I felt I needed something.

“I just felt I needed a change. I wanted to do something different and give something back and thankfully the company I work for, despite being small, was keen to encourage it and see people return fresh and motivated.”

While living simply and doing manual labour in the blazing sun may not sound like everyone’s cup of tea, Ms Cowling said it was a fantastic experience that enhanced her outlook. Aside from making her more appreciative of what she had at home, she said the experience was also beneficial from a work perspective as it transformed her into a less judgemental person and a better team player.

She said: “Out there the general culture sees more people helping each other. There is much more of a community spirit – kind of like how it was here in the UK 100 years ago – and that definitely helped me in dealing with people. Now I am less judgemental, more relaxed, more extrovert and definitely better at working in a team and getting on with people.”

During her stay, Ms Cowling worked on a number of different projects for a UK-based charity, Azafady, which is dedicated to alleviating poverty in Madagascar by empowering the poor to establish sustainable lifestyles. As a Francophile, Ms Cowling said the appeal of going to a small French-speaking island in need of help appealed and that she was determined to work with a small charity to feel more involved.

During her three months there, she and a group of likeminded volunteers from diverse backgrounds worked on repairing schools and providing education on hygiene. Because the Malagasy people seldom have toilets, and especially not in their homes, the group also helped to build some “Turkish-style drop facilities” to be shared among community members.

Other tasks included environmental work, such as planting trees and clearing woodlands, and conducting surveys to better gauge the priorities of the local people.

One thing that surprised Ms Cowling was how most of the Malagasy population was on the property ladder, even if most survived without electricity and water. This was in stark contrast to the UK, where many young people rent because they do not have the funds to buy a house in an inflated market.

“Everyone owns a house there,” she said. “You have a plot of land and build whatever type of house you can afford and, however small and insignificant their houses may look like, most people own them, despite just 5 per cent of the population having a job contract.

“It is very different in many ways. People in Madagascar live where they are from, and not necessarily where they want, and don’t tend to move around like here. However, while this may sound great, mostly all of these houses are without electricity and water.”

Another thing that struck her, particularly given the harsh conditions these people live in, was the type of values the locals abide by, such as trust, integrity and honesty. Whereas many financial institutions in the UK are making headlines for not respecting these principles, Ms Cowling said we could learn a lot by returning to, what she referred to as, “back-to-basic values”.

By seeing first hand how the locals lived and still maintained a positive attitude, Ms Cowling said she is now much better at managing stress levels and putting things into perspective. “I have become less restless and able to calmly find solutions to things that would have previously seemed disastrous,” she said.

“The experience puts everything in western life into perspective. Here, we worry about so many things that you really don’t need to worry about and, while some may complain about it, at least here we have the state to protect us, somewhere to live, and something to eat.

“For example, people in the UK often complain about the NHS, but there, in Madagascar, hospitals don’t feed people or offer washing facilities. These kinds of things give you a fresh view on how lucky we are and how unimportant some things we worry about are,” she added.

Now rejuvenated and reaping the benefits of a change in perspective, Ms Cowling has become a strong advocate of employee sabbaticals. While she understands that some companies may find it difficult to let their staff go, she believes it could go on to benefit all parties.

For those fortunate enough to work for companies that are supportive of sabbaticals, Ms Cowling urges these employees to jump at the chance to take part in something that could turn out to be a life-changing experience.

“The charities desperately need people, so there is no shortage of opportunities and I would urge anyone considering their options to go for it,” she said. “There is no real negative aspect, apart from not earning money, but if you have savings or any money put aside, it is definitely worth doing.

“Nothing can change your view of the world like that experience. You can travel and so forth, but being in a country like Madagascar, while helping out people in need, was truly a life-changing experience.”

Daniel Liberto is a features writer of Financial Adviser

Career ladder


2008 – present

International Private Finance

Head consultant – French team

2005 – 2008 Baydonhill

Mortgage broker

2000 – 2005

Based in France as a freelance translator, working for an estate agent and some other jobs

1995 – 1999

University of Birmingham