First month at work complete...VACATION TIME

My organization closes from December 20th-January 6th, providing me with a well needed rest. Since I arrived and began work about five weeks ago, I have been going non-stop. To give you an idea of the variety of things I've done: conducted a bids analysis and hired a developer for the creation of a new database, hosted said database developer for three days for initial plan of the system, edited and contributed to three donor reports, created terms of reference with a funder for two consultancies that are now advertised, organized and conducted our main bi-annual qualitative monitoring workshop (three days), organized and conducted our bi-annual organization wide monitoring and evaluation week, assisted in drafting of two project proposals, AND a myriad of other random small projects. Our organization's financial year is the same as the calendar year so December is an extremely busy time for us anyway. If you have any idea of the pace of Africa and/or NGOs, you might accuse me of exaggerating the amount that I've achieved, but I swear it's true.

I've typically been going to work at 8 and often don't leave until 6-7. This is not a sign of my workaholic nature, rather it's an unfortunate byproduct of much of my work being dependent on other people. I spend a lot of time chasing people around getting signatures or input on certain projects. Also, I try to leave work at the office so I'd rather stay an extra hour than be at home pecking away on my computer. I do feel like the hours and stress level will reduce and some of it is self-imposed; I must admit that I've been both conscious of making a good impression and doing a quality job on anything I am involved in. I also assume that my salary is higher than most of the other local staff and as a result I want everyone in my organization to feel they are getting a good value from me. 

Reflecting on my first month I feel extremely satisfied. I have established a good rapport with pretty much all of the staff, from the senior management down to the social workers, cooks and cleaners. As a result of my interactions with staff and field visits, I not only have a clear idea of what we do, but I believe and support our mission and programs. 

I feel like I've made myself available to all programs outside of my department without imposing myself. An example is that I've seen some outdated methods with some of our economic empowerment programs and I've shared some of my previous experience with the program manager and staff. They immediately invited me to give input on their upcoming programs next year and welcomed any strategies and experience I had. I have also volunteered myself to assist in fundraising and grant writing, as our financial situation is (like most NGOs) quite precarious at the moment. For me, it's classic life in an NGO, participating in all programs wherever help is needed, working as a team, and at times, really feeling that "labor of love."

I've also realized how "at home" I feel working for an NGO in a developing country. Part of why I've been able to get so many things done can be attributed to my past experience working in such environments. Patience, understanding, and doing things immediately instead of putting them off for later are all key factors to getting things done. Plus, the "rapport" building cannot be understated; people are far more likely to do their part if they like you.

But for now, I've got over two weeks to enjoy myself! Finally, time to full immerse myself in Swahili, explore Moshi, go on day trips in the surrounding area, catch up on my reading, play guitar, and RELAX.