It is two years since I have been in the field in Cambodia  - and so as I visited the province of Kompong Thom for the third time and was looking for changes – the partners in the provinces and Phnom Pehn told us how the civil society is shrinking  and most NGOs both international and national seem to be in a ‘keep their heads down’ mode

The Oxfam programme in Kompong Thom integrates  approaches to livelihoods, governance and DRR with some humanitarian response – it works in villages which are remote where there are incomplete roads and a few services – as ever the community’s resilience is amazing.

In the village of Or Amgkor, I met with a savings groups who had been in operation for 8 months – each week the 13 members save more than 1 dollar each and they smile as they reflect on their achievement – the fund has helped community members pay of debts, finance buisness activities pay for medical treatment. Their ambition is to have millions of riel in their savings box.

Morn Mon (in blue) and Meas Saley (in red) are also part of the group for husbands and wives which explores gender relationships in a very practical way – how couples can support each other in sharing work, how they can better communicate with each other – they say that already they can see changes within their families - thir home life is better (although their is still much to work on they say!) They can see definite changes

And so can I!

Nepal, best known perhaps to the ‘outside’ world for the beautiful majestic Everest, is a country of stunning beauty and contrasts – the mountains, the hills and plain lands and extra ordinary people who survive in an environment which is difficult and often hostile

It is also a country which is still very poor in many areas – where inequality is very obvious and political turmoil is the norm

The new constitution is still not passed; the congress is dissolved and basic services such as health and education still not available to everyone

Of the young people graduating from school or University only about 10% of them will find a full time job.

Nepal is not capitailsing on its youth bulge as so many other Asian countries have…

The only ambition that most young people have is to leave Nepal and 1500 young people get on planes every day and fly to the Middle East, Europe and beyond to find work – this is a under estimation as this does not include those who cross the open border into India

But amongst all this negativity there is of course hope and inspiration – yesterday I met Pradip who is the ‘retiring’ president of the Association of Youth Organisations Nepal (AYON) – and an Oxfam partner – who tells us about wanting prosperity for Nepal, about organizing young people to understand their rights , to campaign on issues important to young people such as access to free health care, to find a role for young people as their country develops, identify role models and positive images , to reclaim ‘youthhoods’ from so many who have had to marry early.

I ask Pradip why he stays in Nepal – he’s obviously smart and could leave if he wanted to – he says he is part of the problem and therefore needs to be part of the solution – leaving is not a solution for Nepal – he wants to stay – to tackle the corrupt political processes, persuade those in power to hand it over to the next generation – he wants the country’s leadership to be like a river – constantly flowing not stagnant!

He is the hope of Nepal – the young who want to find prosperity in Nepal – good luck to him and so many others.

Lombok the island next to Bali has mountains and beaches and the beauty masks poverty. Oxfam has been working with local partners and the district government to prepare communities to respond to the natural disasters that occur – floods, mudslides, volcanic eruptions

We visited the village of Belanting about a two hour drive from the capital Mataram, at the foot of an active volcano, the village is next to a small river which provides a good water supply for its crops.

We are met enthusiastically by a team of mainly young men and women, dressed with heavy boots and carrying knapsacks – they are the village emergency response team, they watch for potential disasters, alert the villagers when they have to evacuate and lead and manage the response along with key members of local government.

They told us about the events last year, when it had been raining for 3 days and 3 nights – there was an early warning alert from the village high up in the mountains that the rivers were rising and could reach them soon – the mustered the teams – some gathered and monitored information, the logistics team made sure everyone was ready, they alerted the local communities to the need to come to higher ground, bringing with them some (but of course not all) their belongings

At the muster station they were already pitching the big Red Cross tent, to protect people from the cold of night and house the sick and elderly – the teams are trained in basic first aid and can care for people until their can get proper medical assistance. The community lost 2 people during the flash floods and the emergency response team said they practice their skills so that no-one will be lost again.

I had the privilege of being in the same room as an icon this week – attending the World Economic Forum meeting in Bangkok I was luckily enough to hear Aung San Su Kyi speak, sit behind her, see her in the corridor – the first time she entered the room there was a hush – I could feel that everyone wanted to speak to her, ask her a question , just look at her – but mostly the meeting participants gave her space (the media cameras did not – I guess a good photos of ASSK outside Myanmar after 24 years were at a premium)

It is a strange thing – seeing a person so famous in person – I was fascinated by her trade mark flowers in her hair – they always matched her outfit – she seemed so calm – always in the middle of a chaotic group – but never distracted by it.

Imagine being able to leave your country, your home for the first time in such a long time  (especially as she travelled so extensively previously) – what must it feel like? So much has changed – I wanted to know if she was scared? – we are expecting so much of her…someone did ask where she gets her strength from – she said it must be in her DNA – her mother taught her duty above everything – she said she can’t say she has always been good, but she tried her best – she is amazingly humble.

I have a regret – I was speaking to the SG of ASEAN in a small meeting and she was sitting in front of me – I could have introduced myself to her – I was that close – and do you know what I thought? She must be so tired of people going up to her – so I just smiled and took my seat again…

Myanmar on the day when Aung San Suu Kyi took the oath to enter parliament (which I was – yesterday!!) – who would have thought that were possible just a few short months ago. And there is no doubt that things are changing fast – the interest  from donors, other INGOs, the private sector is unprecedented – and the challenge now is to understand what might happen and how to respond to that change – people are cautiously optimistic but after years of secrecy and uncertainty people will have to learn to engage with the outside world again – but more importantly be ready to raise their voices about what they want for the ‘new’ Myanmar.  I am not sure if it’s just my imagination but I think the sun was shining particularly brightly yesterday!

March 26 is Independence Day in Bangladesh, each year the thousands of Martyrs are remembered and people reflect on their own or family’s experience of the liberation war – everyone I know in Bangladesh has a story to tell.

This year the Independence Day celebration was particularly special for Oxfam in Bangladesh – we are one of 5 organisations and 120 individuals recognised by the state of Bangladesh for our contribution to the liberation war of 1971.

The war of 1971 is long forgotten by most of the world – but it marked the birth of the nation of Bangladesh  – a small populous nation which continues to struggle with the many challenges of development but if full of people who are proud to call themselves a Bangladeshi.

I lived in Bangladesh for almost 6 years, I cut my development teeth on the wide variety of development solutions being practiced here and learnt to love the country where language, art, songs and singers are valued as much as doctors and engineers.

And those foreigners who were recognised as honourees of the liberation war were from many countries and from many walks of life – the first journalists who saw the plight of people in the refugee camps, MPs and Senators who raised the issue in the UK and US, world leaders who supported the emerging nation on the world stage, diplomats and army leaders who attended the signing of the surrender, but also those who organised the concert which raised more than 2 million dollars decades before live aid and who wrote the liberation songs which motivated the nation.

And of course Oxfam, for doing what we do best, providing those in need with the basics to keep them alive and then start to rebuild their lives. Julian Francis, who ran the operation and continues to live and work in Bangladesh, was individually honoured for his and his team’s tireless work and Oxfam as an organisation was recognised. Given my connection to the Desh, I was very honoured that I could collect the award on behalf of the team.

As we all sat on the podium surrounded by dignitaries and VIPs, a short video was  shown about the war including clips of many of the honourees, but also the devastation and cruelty – many of us had tears in our eyes as we watched.

The citations followed outlining the many contributions of the honourees. The president, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister presented the awards and certificates. Later in the day the Prime Minster invited us to a reception where she was very generous with her time – speaking to each one of us – she obviously has very personal memories of that time.

Back at the Oxfam office in Dhaka we celebrated with cake – the team were very proud of Oxfam being recognised but are proud to work for an organisation which over the last 40 years has contributed in so many ways to the lives of poor people in Bangladesh

I too am very proud of the team and the award – it continues to be an honour and privilege to work for Oxfam.

Photos

The honourees, Julian Francis, Sarah Ireland with Prime Minister

What do you say on a day when all around the world there are inspiring and moving gatherings of women and men celebrating and recognizing success – a big thank you to all of you who have been working tirelessly to raise awareness of women’s rights, to try and  make equality a reality, support and accompany women in all walks of life with the aim of a fairer and more just world.

It is right to take a moment to reflect (and maybe shed a tear or two) on the contributions of our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, cousins, friends, colleagues who have shaped our lives and made us stronger

THANK YOU

Its been 3 weeks since I was in Pakistan – an action packed visit with Penny, OGB’s International Director, along with Oxfam NOVIB’s International Director, Theo and Regional Director, Anjo – flying from one end of the country to the other, taking in Oxfam staff teams, OGB and NOVIB partners, the occasional parliamentarian and old friend or two. It was a busy week but we still found time (mainly in the back of cars on bumpy roads) to reflect on where Pakistan, the country is going, how change might happen and how organisations like Oxfam engage in that process – it’s a tough year ahead for Pakistan I think……

But as ever there are moments of joy when you visit communities and see the impact of all actors working together – I had one such moment on this visit – in a field in Sindh.

The Government of  Sindh had decided to allocate some government land to poor women headed household – progressive I hear you say – indeed – one of our Partners decided to support this process in enable women to know about the allocations and how to apply (sounds simple but in a rural area with low literacy rates – just how do you get your messages across?) – many were successful (although a number had their allocations contested – rich landowners contested their ownership – and them with little redress). Power in action…

We met one amazing woman who talked to us at her 3 acre field holding her deed of entitlement . She had been given by the partner through an Oxfam grant,  a starter kit of seeds and fertilizer to grow her own wheat – since that first crop – she has saved some for her family and sold the rest, raising enough money to buy new seeds and even to hire labour when she needs.

She is an older women whose family has grown – so this is her dream which will keep her in income for the rest of her life – she was clear that she didn’t need more land nor did she want to try new crops – this was enough – this was the improvement in her life she needed to be happy.

We asked her what her husband (who was sitting across the path from her) thought about her being a landowner – she replied that theirs was a long-term love – and he supported her and wanted her to be happy.

I asked how she had learnt to deal with all the new things that come with owning land – hiring labour, getting a good price, learning how to plant and harvests – and she said - when I got my land I got my brain! And that is power in action!

Inspired or rather maybe concerned by the number of questions about how I manage my time as Regional Director – I set about thinking how I do my work and what lessons I may be able to share – these won’t work for everyone, so take what is useful for you

So here goes;

1. Talk – to your line manager, your colleagues – so that you are clear about what you should be focusing on – keep that conversation going – talking through issues and challenges is a real way to come to solutions
2. Plan – you Do need to plan – an annual workplan for your team, with clear priorities – develop a 3 month plan for yourself so you know what your contribution is to the bigger plan – then plan at a weekly or monthly levels. Plan any trips or work outside the office in advance to that you can fit your other work around trips or meetings
3. schedule - I know you may not be the type of person who likes to plan ahead – but scheduling/keeping a diary/using your LN calendar is a real practical way to keep track of your commitments (and lets others know how busy you are!). It will ensure that you make the most of your time
4. To do list - yes we all need them – I have one for every day and its very satisfying when you are able to cross things off – it will also show you when you are putting things off – when they keep appearing on the list!! I use post its for a daily to do list!
5. Do the hard stuff first - I try to do one hard thing (or one I don’t like) first thing in the morning because then the rest of the day will seem easy! We all need to tackle things we don’t like – so tackle them head on – courage!
6. Time to think – plan in some time to think – whether to have a paper to write or a PIP to revise – so you will need some head space to decide what and how – put aside a couple of hours every month, plan it in your diary, find a quiet space in which to work. Giving ourselves thinking time helps us to work more productively
7. Keep people informed - you can’t do everything all the time – so if you are not going to be able to make a meeting or a deadline – inform people – renegotiate – have a discussion about priorities – silence won’t help anyone!
8. finally, keep TALKING - there are plenty of people out there who can help you sort through the complexities of work and expectations – use them!

So there we go – not all the answers but some things that work for me

Thank you to Mobeen from the Pakistan programme who inspired me to write this post

Good luck with getting your ducks in a row (i.e. getting more organised and using your time better!!)

I had some tough questions at my webinar this morning about Leadership – so that got me into reflective mode – many of the questions were about ‘difficult ‘ situations, disagreement in teams, how to get ownership in decision-making. I wondered if the reality of the Leadership challenge is ‘doing difficult things’ or the fear of doing difficult things….

I guess it all starts will ‘me’ or ‘i’ – when I think about where I get my ability, strength, confidence to tackle the ‘difficult’ things – I know it comes for knowing what the consequences are if I don’t tackle this issue well, on time and in a sensible and straight forward way – much easier to get the ‘difficult’ thing done before the morning coffee break, than wait ‘until the time is right’ – believe me the time will never be right!

Confidence and self belief is a real critical factor in being able to tackle tough situations – knowing you have back up – from your manager, your team, your colleagues or your friends – helps! There is no substitute for experience here – I find I draw on it all the time – you need to think of so many factors as a leader when you go into a tough situation – appearance, tone of voice, environment, all play a part – as do evidence, triangulated information – but sometimes you just need courage!

Leadership for me is putting yourself out there – being prepared to do things your find hard or difficult and in doing so role modelling authentic leadership