---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was an aid worker for a decade and then…"
description: "\"I was an aid worker for a decade and then worked in the voluntary sector in the U.K. on U.K. child poverty and with the NSPCC and Save the Children. Bu..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f9/jo-cox-18539_children_i-was-an-aid-worker-for-a-decade-and-the_2516022.jpg"
---

#  I was an aid worker for a decade and then worked in the…

![“I was an aid worker for a decade and then worked in the voluntary sector in the U.K. on U.K. child poverty and with the NSPCC and Save the Children. But I had worked for ten years with Oxfam.” quote by Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f9/jo-cox-18539_children_i-was-an-aid-worker-for-a-decade-and-the_2516022.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f9/jo-cox-18539_children_i-was-an-aid-worker-for-a-decade-and-the_2516022.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f9/jo-cox-18539_children_i-was-an-aid-worker-for-a-decade-and-the_2516022.jpg)

> “I was an aid worker for a decade and then worked in the voluntary sector in the U.K. on U.K. child poverty and with the NSPCC and Save the Children. But I had worked for ten years with Oxfam.”

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

She describes a career shift from international aid to domestic child poverty work, highlighting long‑term dedication to vulnerable children.

**In simple terms:** She moved from global aid to UK child poverty work.

Key Takeaway

Focus on local impact after global experience.

Themes

career social impact child welfare NGO work

Mood

reflective determined

Type

biographical inspirational

When to use this quote

- volunteer coordination
- NGO management
- policy reform
- public speaking

Key Concepts

humanitarianism policy advocacy community development

Questions to Reflect On

- How does global aid experience inform local policy work?
- What motivates a shift from international to domestic focus?

A Different Perspective

Limited detail on specific achievements or outcomes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Aid Worker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aid-worker-1202450/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Save](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/save/) [Save the children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/save-the-children/) [Ten years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ten-years/) [Then](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/then/) [Voluntary Sector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voluntary-sector-1202449/) [Worked Voluntary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worked-voluntary-1202451/) [Worked Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worked-years-395873/) [Years Oxfam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-oxfam-1202448/)

## Related quotes

> [The 'private sector' of the economy is, in fact, the voluntary sector; and the 'public sector' is, in fact, the coercive sector.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-hazlitt/the-private-sector-of-the-economy-is-in-fact-the-voluntary-sector-and/)

[Henry Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-hazlitt/)

> [Initially, I tried to become an aid worker and someone who could help people, but I was unsuccessful in convincing anyone that I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-power/initially-i-tried-to-become-an-aid-worker-and-someone-who-could-help/)

[Samantha Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-power/)

> [“I’m an aid worker. I’ve been helping South Sudanese people who’ve returned to their villages after being displaced by the civil war prepare for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-grant/i-m-an-aid-worker-i-ve-been-helping-south-sudanese-people-who-ve/)

[Rachel Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-grant/)

> [“It's always instructive to observe the life cycle of the First World aid worker. A wary enthusiasm blooms into an almost messianic sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-godwin/it-s-always-instructive-to-observe-the-life-cycle-of-the-first-world/)

[Peter Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-godwin/)

> [A Canadian on the ground in different parts of the world, whether they're a diplomat, an aid worker, or a soldier, has an extraordinary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-trudeau/a-canadian-on-the-ground-in-different-parts-of-the-world-whether-they/)

[Justin Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-trudeau/)

> [Because it's unacceptable that the aid worker's chauffeur only speaks his own tribal language, an applicant is needed who also speaks English fluently -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-shikwati/because-it-s-unacceptable-that-the-aid-worker-s-chauffeur-only-speaks/)

[James Shikwati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-shikwati/)

> [Having been an aid worker myself, I know the power of aid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-mordaunt/having-been-an-aid-worker-myself-i-know-the-power-of-aid/)

[Penny Mordaunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-mordaunt/)

> [For the first week of the Sian events I was a first aid worker in the streets of Sian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-smedley/for-the-first-week-of-the-sian-events-i-was-a-first-aid-worker-in-the/)

[Agnes Smedley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-smedley/)

> [I worked for three years in a small IT firm in Chicago. I managed our client base, so I translated into human speak for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-tolman/i-worked-for-three-years-in-a-small-it-firm-in-chicago-i-managed-our/)

[Allison Tolman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-tolman/)

> [I like to work, and I worked for years as a camera person before I directed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-jenkins/i-like-to-work-and-i-worked-for-years-as-a-camera-person-before-i/)

[Patty Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-jenkins/)

> [I went to work in a woman's home in Los Angeles as a mother's helper. I worked there about two years. Went to school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-holt/i-went-to-work-in-a-woman-s-home-in-los-angeles-as-a-mother-s-helper/)

[Georgia Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-holt/)

> [It started with my parents, my dad who taught me growing up, my brother who played as well. I spent a lot of time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-anderson/it-started-with-my-parents-my-dad-who-taught-me-growing-up-my-brother/)

[Kevin Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-anderson/)

> [I did spend about 5 years in the Griffin Theatre Company in 1978 actually , and worked therefore about 5 years on a voluntary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dessaix/i-did-spend-about-5-years-in-the-griffin-theatre-company-in-1978/)

[Robert Dessaix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dessaix/)

> [I started out as a duo with Mis-Teeq's Sabrina Washington, and we worked for four or five years before signing a record deal. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alesha-dixon/i-started-out-as-a-duo-with-mis-teeq-s-sabrina-washington-and-we/)

[Alesha Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alesha-dixon/)

> [He was very modest, but once he got talking, he liked reminiscing about all the people he worked with over the years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-wagner/he-was-very-modest-but-once-he-got-talking-he-liked-reminiscing-about/)

[Barbara Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-wagner/)

## More by Jo Cox

> [Batley and Spen has a high proportion of people working in manufacturing, and we can boast the full range of industries, including high-skilled, precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/batley-and-spen-has-a-high-proportion-of-people-working-in/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [While we celebrate our diversity, what surprises me time and time again as I travel around the constituency is that we are far more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/while-we-celebrate-our-diversity-what-surprises-me-time-and-time/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [In Afghanistan, I was talking to Afghan elders who were world-weary of a lack of sustained attention from their own government and from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/in-afghanistan-i-was-talking-to-afghan-elders-who-were-world-weary-of/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [When the bombs rain down, the Syrian Civil Defense rush in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/when-the-bombs-rain-down-the-syrian-civil-defense-rush-in/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [Many businesses in Yorkshire want the security and stability of Britain's continued membership of the European Union, a cause I look forward to championing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/many-businesses-in-yorkshire-want-the-security-and-stability-of/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [I've lived and worked in Brussels and New York at the U.N. and worked all over the world. I would jump on a plane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/i-ve-lived-and-worked-in-brussels-and-new-york-at-the-u-n-and-worked/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [I have long argued that ISIS and Assad are not separate problems to be chosen between, but are action and reaction, cause and symptom,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/i-have-long-argued-that-isis-and-assad-are-not-separate-problems-to/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [My summer jobs for three years were going to work in my dad's factory and earn a bit of pocket money. I absolutely loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/my-summer-jobs-for-three-years-were-going-to-work-in-my-dad-s-factory/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [Brexit doesn't guarantee that migration will come down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/brexit-doesn-t-guarantee-that-migration-will-come-down/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [I never really grew up being political or Labour. It was just a realisation that where you were born mattered. That how you spoke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/i-never-really-grew-up-being-political-or-labour-it-was-just-a/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [I came in to make a difference, to be a minister, to make policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/i-came-in-to-make-a-difference-to-be-a-minister-to-make-policy/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [I live on a big old Dutch barge by Tower Hill on the Thames.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/i-live-on-a-big-old-dutch-barge-by-tower-hill-on-the-thames/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [I am Batley and Spen born and bred, and I could not be prouder of that. I am proud that I was made in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/i-am-batley-and-spen-born-and-bred-and-i-could-not-be-prouder-of-that/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [Immigration is a legitimate concern, but it's not a good reason to leave the E.U.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/immigration-is-a-legitimate-concern-but-it-s-not-a-good-reason-to/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

> [Da'esh and Assad are not separate problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/da-esh-and-assad-are-not-separate-problems/)

[Jo Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

[Explore all 34 Jo Cox quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/)

## More Children quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

[Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I was an aid worker for a decade and then worked in the voluntary sector in the U.K. on U.K. child poverty and with the NSPCC and Save the Children. But I had worked for ten years with Oxfam.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jo Cox"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/i-was-an-aid-worker-for-a-decade-and-then-worked-in-the-voluntary/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/i-was-an-aid-worker-for-a-decade-and-then-worked-in-the-voluntary/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f9/jo-cox-18539_children_i-was-an-aid-worker-for-a-decade-and-the_2516022.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f9/jo-cox-18539_children_i-was-an-aid-worker-for-a-decade-and-the_2516022.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f9/jo-cox-18539_children_i-was-an-aid-worker-for-a-decade-and-the_2516022.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I was an aid worker for a decade and then worked in the voluntary sector in the U.K. on U.K. child poverty…” — Jo Cox",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jo Cox",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-cox/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I was an aid worker for...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/i-was-an-aid-worker-for-a-decade-and-then-worked-in-the-voluntary/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-cox/i-was-an-aid-worker-for-a-decade-and-then-worked-in-the-voluntary/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
