Jackie’s Way

When you first meet Jackie, it is difficult not be to be taken by her charm. She sat opposite me in her calm, collected, yet casual poise, occasionally breaking out in laughter.  But she still managed to exhibit a stern resolution as we discussed what it meant to part of BRAC’s first batch of international young professionals.

Jackie crosses the street in Barisal during one of her field visits.

Jackie Kamusiime from Uganda is one of 17 international young professional s. BRAC International’s young professional programme was initiated in 2013, aiming to groom and nurture future leaders of BRAC who would be fast tracked into management positions. The first ever batch of international ‘YPs’ comes from six BRAC operating countries, namely Uganda, Tanzania, Liberia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Pakistan.

The selected YPs undergo a 30-month comprehensive training period that equips them with hands-on management skills, development practices, and communications competence to take up future leadership in BRAC’s international operations. The first six months is comprised of a two-month long field exposure training within the YP’s country of residence, followed by four months of classroom sessions and field exposure in Bangladesh.

I caught up with Jackie at the end of her training period in Bangladesh. From almost falling off a rickshaw to drinking coconut water right from the shell in a village, it was all part of Jackie’s big Bangladeshi adventure. When asked what struck her the most about the birth place of BRAC, she answered, “The resourcefulness of the people. They will make anything out of nothing.” Jackie recounted that when travelling to Khulna as a part of the programme, she took note of how all the cultivable land was being effectively utilised. “While back in Uganda, a farmer might have a sizable chunk of land, but due to underutilisation, they will still consider themselves poor. The willingness to work hard and be innovative is something we need to learn from Bangladesh.”

Jackie believes that her motivation to learn is what led her here. For an MSc degree holder in corporate strategy and governance from the University of Nottingham, international development might not the most natural career choice. “When I was at business school, a massive global recession was taking place,” she said. “I started questioning the theories I was being taught.  At the same time, I could not agree that making a profit should be one’s ultimate motive.”

Skimming through an online job board, she came across the BRAC International YP programme. “The notice said, ‘We will fly you to Bangladesh to learn about BRAC’s proven development strategies and then you get to implement them in your own country’ – this is what attracted me the most,” said Jackie.  Recalling the highly competitive selection process she said there were 81 shortlisted candidates and that she was the 81st among them. But after five consecutive stages of screening, she finally received an appointment letter.

Now six months into the programme, Jackie believes her conviction has not wavered, “Coming out of university, I wanted to contribute so badly,” she said. “I think the YP programme has given me a platform to materialise the changes I envisioned in my mind.” The responsibilities that come with being among the first batch of international YPs in Uganda (where BRAC is the largest operating NGO) is something Jackie is ready to take on. “It’s a great opportunity and a challenge because we have to push barriers and set the mark,” she said.

Jackie, far left, stands with the rest of the YPs and Sir Fazle Hasan Abed during the certificate distribution ceremony held at BRAC centre.

When you are at the forefront of confronting something as complex and multifaceted as poverty, it takes all the ideas, courage, and enthusiasm one can muster. Yet Jackie does not seem to lack any of them. “I think the nature of poverty and how it impacts people are the same everywhere,” she reasoned. “My experience in Bangladesh has given me a very strong foundational knowledge. The low cost education model of BRAC, for example, is a very good way of delivering quality education to the underserved communities. By using the BRAC approach, but tailoring it to the context of Uganda, I think we can make some real changes.”

Looking ahead, Jackie hopes to see development actors like BRAC influence people’s lives in a way to make them self-reliant before they become overly dependent. “We told them you can do this,” she said. “Now we need to show them, hey! You can do more!”

With her enthusiasm to learn and eagerness to contribute, Jackie seemed poised to take on her future responsibilities with comfort and grace. Where Jackie will lead, I am convinced, many will follow.

Asif Imran Khan is a communications officer at BRAC in Dhaka, Bangladesh.