My name is Jan Geusens. For 8 years I worked as a VVOB associate in Vietnam. Since 2007 I am the programme manager of Cambodia. While I sometimes have nostalgia looking back at my Vietnam period, the last 3 years have probably been the most exiting and rewarding in my life as a development worker.I vividly remember the circumstances when I arrived in Phnom Penh three years ago. As before there was no programme manager present in Cambodia, I was faced with many challenges, moreover because the projects were already running for a couple of years. On top of that, I arrived at a special time; during the transition from project to programme operations. As VVOB became increasingly professional, the organisation examined and optimised the role of the associates, the relationship with local counterparts, the organisational structure, the management of personnel, as well as the implementation strategies. In 2009 this process runs at full speed and demands a lot of flexibility and efforts from everyone involved.
As I look back at the past 3 years, I realise how much has changed in VVOB Cambodia, all within a short period of time. Associates work closer in team, which integrates well within the structures of the Cambodian institutes. The intervention programme is more coherent and aligned with the priorities of the strategic partner. A closer cooperation with the central departments of the cabinets involved, encourages ownership and sustainability. Together with the most important actors in the education sector in Cambodia (e.g. BTC, UNICEF, JICA and USAID), VVOB brings the capacity of the target groups to a higher level. Hence why VVOB is highly appreciated by the Cambodian and international partners, especially because of the high quality of its contributions.
Although there is still a lot of work to do and new challenges present themselves, I am a satisfied man. It is very rewarding to lead a strong programme team, which indeed can be very proud of its accomplishments. Admittedly, I gained a few more wrinkles during the last years, but it definitely was, and still is, worthwhile!
