{"id":3051,"date":"2025-05-31T15:52:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-31T13:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/led.digicube.dev\/you-rarely-regret-what-youve-tried-but-often-what-youve-never-dared-to-do\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T16:18:59","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T14:18:59","slug":"you-rarely-regret-what-youve-tried-but-often-what-youve-never-dared-to-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/led.li\/en\/you-rarely-regret-what-youve-tried-but-often-what-youve-never-dared-to-do\/","title":{"rendered":"“You rarely regret what you’ve tried – but often what you’ve never dared to do.”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In 2025, the LED will be celebrating its 60th anniversary. During these decades, many people have not only contributed their knowledge through an assignment abroad – they have also gained a new perspective on life. <\/em><\/p>\n\n

One of them is Alexandra Jehle-Somda. In 2013, she traveled to Burkina Faso via the LED, initially for an internship and later for an assignment lasting several years. Today, she lives with her family in Liechtenstein – and has remained connected to Burkina Faso in many ways. In this interview, she gives us an insight into her motivation, her experiences and what her work has achieved to date. <\/em><\/p>\n\n

Her professional career began with a commercial apprenticeship. Nine years of professional experience were followed by a voluntary internship and then an assignment via the LED. <\/em><\/p>\n\n

Today, she is involved in two fields of activity that are particularly close to her heart: She works 50% for the Liechtenstein Red Cross as a coordinator in the House of Families and also works for the Verein f\u00fcr Humanit\u00e4re Hilfe e. V. (VfhH).<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Alexandra: What made you personally decide to go on an assignment? How did you choose the location? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

At the age of 25, I was looking for a change: a meaningful job and to get out of the small country. I turned to the LED and was given the opportunity to do an internship abroad. The choices were South America and West Africa. In the end, my curiosity about Africa and the subject area of the assignment drew me to Burkina Faso. <\/p>\n\n

The original seven-month internship was not enough – I extended it by another three months. Back in Liechtenstein, I still had the feeling that I could do more. I drew up a concept with project proposals and presented it to the LED – with success. I was allowed to return for a follow-up assignment, this time with an employment contract and a clearly defined remit. <\/p>\n\n

When and for how long were you on assignment? And what were your tasks? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

My assignment lasted from November 2014 to January 2017. I worked at the center for children in need “Les Saints Innocents” (LSI), which is run by Catholic nuns and was largely set up by the VfhH and with the support of the LED. With various projects of its own and around 100 employees, it is now the largest employer in the region. <\/p>\n\n

My tasks included optimizing administrative and organizational processes as well as implementing an infrastructure project: a business and guest center with conference rooms, overnight accommodation and catering. The project strengthens the financial independence of the LSI center, promotes village development and creates jobs. From planning to implementation and operational start-up, I was asked to play many roles. <\/p>\n\n

What (expected or unexpected) challenges did you face during your assignment?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

The start of my internship was really tough: I arrived in February – in the middle of a hot spell with temperatures of up to 50 degrees, while there was snow at home. Combined with the unfamiliar diet, it was really physically demanding. <\/p>\n\n

The behavior of many people towards me also irritated me at first. Some bowed – that made me uncomfortable. Only later did I understand that it was not a sign of subordination, but an expression of deep hospitality. In many cultures in Burkina Faso, it is taken for granted that guests are treated with great respect – regardless of their origin or status. <\/p>\n\n

Overall, there were climatic and cultural differences that I had to get used to. Working with the local people, on the other hand, was enriching right from the start: the Burkinab\u00e8 are smart, pragmatic and very committed – that, and their wonderful sense of humor, made working together productive and lively. <\/p>\n\n

How was the support from the LED before, during and after your assignment and where would you have needed more support?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

The LED prepared me well. Between my internship and my official assignment, I was able to take part in a Comundo (then still INTERTEAM) course – a valuable time to reflect on my experiences and learn new things. <\/p>\n\n

It was challenging to balance the sometimes differing expectations of the three partner organizations (LED, association, center). At such times, I was glad to be able to count on the advice of the LED. In the event of another assignment, I would invest even more time in the joint preparatory work and clarification of objectives. <\/p>\n\n

What were your highlights during this time?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

I am still deeply moved by how the people of Burkina Faso deal with the daily challenges of their lives. For many, it is a constant struggle for survival. It was all the more touching to see how much hope and support the center gives – children who find protection there, employees with a secure income and the many people who seek support from the nuns. The cohesion, the lived solidarity – they save lives every day. <\/p>\n\n

What have you learned that will help you in your current job or in your life after your assignment?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

I have learned so much! The LED enabled me to start working in the non-profit sector, where I found my calling. After the assignment, I was able to take over the management of the VfhH and continue to develop the projects locally for another six years. In my current role at the House of Families, I still benefit from my wide-ranging experience in Burkina Faso: developing and implementing concepts, introducing structures and processes and inspiring people to achieve common goals. <\/p>\n\n

Are you still in touch with the people in Burkina Faso?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

More than that – I found my love there and started a family. Our children both have citizenship. Burkina is home – just like Liechtenstein. We are regularly in contact and on site, both privately and as part of the association’s work. <\/p>\n\n

What message do you have for people in Liechtenstein who are interested in an assignment but are still undecided?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

An assignment abroad changes your view of the world – and of yourself. I can only encourage you to take the plunge. You rarely regret what you have tried – but often what you have never dared to do. If you are prepared to learn, listen and get involved, you will get a lot back – both professionally and personally. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 2025, the LED will be celebrating its 60th anniversary. During these decades, many people have not only contributed their knowledge through an assignment abroad – they have also gained a new perspective on life. One of them is Alexandra Jehle-Somda. In 2013, she traveled to Burkina Faso via the LED, initially for an internship … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3054,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/led.li\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3051","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/led.li\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/led.li\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/led.li\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/led.li\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3051"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/led.li\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3058,"href":"https:\/\/led.li\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3051\/revisions\/3058"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/led.li\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/led.li\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/led.li\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/led.li\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}