The trials
of working for an NGO, especially in a developing country is somewhat of an
adjustment. It is like “bootstrapping” in entrepreneurship. You just kind of go
with the flow, don’t know where things are, don’t have all the supplies, there are slow
connections, sometimes no internet. But
either way it is still fascinating. I get the chance to work with an
organization that is doing really amazing work and I can make an
impact. Not to mention all the personal challenges of working in a multilingual
environment. Conversations take place in Arabic, French, and English. My mind
spins in meetings as I hear words from all 3 languages thrown around. I find
myself having to translate French documents and speak in French to do my work. Working
in French is no joke, but I am glad at least I get a shot at it.
I meet with
the head of the organization in his office to discuss on projects and what to
do. I will head up a trade mission in order to attract American businesses to
North Africa. How will I do this? I have a no idea, but am not too worried. In the midst of the buzz in his office, he
starts spewing out random names and cell phone numbers of government officials
and ministries that I should contact and meet with to discuss the project. We
get interrupted by a phone call – there is a problem in the slums and they ask
for his help. He then calls a news station so that they can get some footage
of the issue. We continue discussing the project, then he discusses his radio
spot this evening to confirm which language he will be conducting the interview
in.
The next morning I walk into the
office to see a camera crew shooting video of the boss and folks in the office. This is awesome. The staff in the office is super friendly and are all working
on really interesting initiatives from the Cultural Center, Global Youth
Festival, Health Center, to promoting partnerships with U.S. Cities. I can see
myself changing the world, one day at a time, here, while sipping on the famous
Moroccan mint tea.
No comments:
Post a Comment