Cambodia History Ron Burkard

Transcription

CARE Alumni Memories – Book 3
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Copyright 2013
Copyright Book Compiler
Copyright Articles Individual Authors
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be
reproduced, utilized, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means
(electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the
copyright owner and the individual authors.
The views expressed in this volume are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily those of the compiler.
Disclaimer: The publication of these memories of former CARE staff members consist of each individual author’s
personal recollections while working for CARE. No representations are made as to the accuracy or veracity of
anything the individual authors have written which is solely the work of the individual authors. These memories
have been compiled in good faith with the intention to preserve them for the benefit of future generations. No
harm or offense is intended to any person, living or dead.
Compiler : Cheenu K.T.Srinnivasan
Old # 408, New # 18
4th Sector, 18th Street, K K Nagar,
Chennai, India
Phone : +91 44 2366 3183
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INTRODUCTION
I am grateful to all of these wonderful people, viz the old timers, the usaid officials, spouses and
now the government of India official for their participation and making this collection a
memorable one.
My sincere thanks to Dr. Helene Gayle, President & CEO and Steve Hollingworth, COO, CARE
USA for their immense support and encouragement in this collection of memories, the history
of CARE USA.
I must also acknowledge Nanette Cantrell Vice President, HR, CARE USA for her support in the
creation of the CARE Alumni web site and for the decision (along with Helene and Steve) to
post these memories at the new alumni site.
Special thanks to "Fae" Frances M Lucas-Tulleners for her immense help in creating proper
space to display, to post, the history of this collection at the web site.
I also acknowledge the support and encouragement that my children rendered all along which
was a great strength to me.
My sincere thanks to all the authors for sharing their memories which made it possible to make
this historical document.
And, I acknowledge the kind assistance, rendered to me by my good computer friend,
Jeyamurugan, in putting together all stories, the photographs and other material in an
appropriate manner.
Cheenu
India address:
C/o Usha Vasu
#18, 4th Sector
627 Annie’s Way
18th Street, K K Nagar
Sugar Land, TX 77479
Chennai 600078
Phone 1 281 565 8164
+91 44 2366 3183
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MESSAGES
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
For almost 9 years I have had the honor and
privilege of serving at the helm of CARE. From
that vantage point, I have been able to come in
contact with some of the most remarkable and
inspirational people all around the world--CARE staff and the people we serve. My life has
been enriched by seeing first-hand how the
work we do turns nightmares into dreams and
dreams into reality for literally hundreds of
million people around the world. I believe we
can end extreme poverty in the world in our
lifetime and CARE is an important partner in
achieving that goal.
From the days of the
earliest CARE packages to our work today tackling the roots of poverty – it is our shared belief
that poverty can be overcome and all people deserve a life of dignity and security – that binds
generations of former and current CARE staff together. This edition of “A Collection of CARE
Memories” captures that vision. It allows us to preserve the legacy of our predecessors as well
as to pass them down to our successors.
I would like to thank Cheenu for your generous efforts and commitment to capturing the
memories and stories that together build CARE’s history. I would also like to thank all of those
who have contributed tireless efforts to maintaining CARE’s mission.
The memories reflected in this collection are truly an inspiration to the fight to end global
poverty. Thank you for your continued commitment to delivering lasting change to the
communities and people that we serve.
Best regards,
Helene D. Gayle MD, MPH
President and CEO, CARE
[email protected]
October 23, 2014
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Dear Friends and Colleagues,
A sudden devastating flash flood in Uttarakhand, India in the year 2013,
caused widespread damage and loss. Many lives were lost; livelihoods
and shelters were destroyed in this calamity. Channels of
communications and commodities got ruined. The place being a
pilgrimage site was being visited by thousands when the fury of the holy
rivers struck. Thousands of people got stranded, disconnected with no
water, food, health care, and shelter. Nobody, except Army helicopters,
could reach them, being a tough hilly and flooded region. In such a
scenario where lives were at risk, a few CARE India staff made a bold
decision and crossed over a risky broken path on the side of steep hill, to reach the affected
people who were surviving in hope of some help. Risking their own lives…, they reached them
and stood beside those people. More than the relief materials they carried with them to help
the flood victims, it was the hope, assurance, and much-needed confidence which was
conveyed and restored by those CARE colleagues.
This is only one of many stories that the CARE staff members create every day, in diverse
settings, all-over the world. The CARE Memories – Book 3, captures some of such inspiring
stories. The stories here are not mere description of experiences, but are messages packed
with power of dedication, spirit of commitment, and depth of passion with which a CARE staff
delivers to the organization’s “Mission”. It is for this dedication and commitment that the
organization exists. The spirit behind the organisation is its people and thus we always say,
“CARE’s greatest resource is its staff”!
I feel humbled and fortunate to be a part this Global organization and a great team. It has been
an exciting journey for me. I still remember the day when I choose to work with CARE, leaving
behind my dream of becoming a professor in paediatric medicine. It was a decision made in
search of a deep “Purpose” towards which I wanted to direct my life. On that day, a few friends
from CARE helped me take that decision by sharing their stories of CARE.
I thank those friends as their stories had the power of changing my own life course! “Stories”
have always been very powerful tools for facilitating Changes. I therefore, humbly, thank each
writer for their contribution to this CARE story-book. I also take this opportunity and invite the
readers to go beyond the content of the stories and feel the passion and dedication behind each
of these stories!
I would also like to thank Cheenu (KT Srinivasan - KTS) Bhai, for his strong leadership in
collecting, and compiling these stories, and making them available for the current as well as
future soldiers of CARE. While he continues this unique effort, often as a lonely leader, keeping
us all bonded, I would conclude by saluting him, and all writers for sharing the spirit behind
this marvel called ‘Memories’.
Best regards,
Dr. Muhammad Musa,
CEO – CARE India
[email protected]
October 24, 2014
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Dear Friends,
I would like to acknowledge all the leaders of change within CARE,
without whom this wonderful journey would have not been possible. It
was these leaders who gave a new direction to CARE. It was them, who
lead the way to progress, development and create immense possibilities.
While reading some ‘memories’, what touched me, was the hard work,
conviction, dedication and a never giving up spirit that these leaders had
in their work. It was these heroes if I may all so who were the driving
force propelling this journey towards change, and leading by example
demonstrating exemplary excellence.
With many milestones and success story to its credit, CARE today, holds a strong presence
globally. Today CARE’s identity has a resonating presence across 90 countries. This possibility
attributes to each one, who contributed and stood strong, leaving foot prints behind in the
organisational existence and history, for the coming generations to learn and follow.
While I feel humbled to contribute some lines to this beautiful book, I also feel touched to read
the inspiring stories of ‘memories’.
With the new journey ahead there are new heights to reach. Many milestones to achieve. There
is nothing concrete, as future resides in new synergies to emerge and lead with passion.
Best regards,
Dr. Nachiket Mor,
Board Chair – CARE India
[email protected]
October 18, 2014
Cheenu:
Congratulations on fast tracking the Memoire/Archive project with the New
York Public Library. Is it your intent to seek a second archive site? Perhaps
in Canada, Europe or Asia or with some international organization like
UNHCR or the United Nations? It would help to have Helene's blessings.
Charlie Sykes
Vice President (1981- 1994) Washington D C
(CARE USA total tenure 1961-1994)
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Dear Friends,
I want to convey my gratitude to Cheenu and the entire contributor to
this collection of stories and those collected earlier. All the stories
share a common theme and that is that through service to our brothers
and sisters we have developed a special bond with them and each
other. This collec tion of stories is the cement that bonds us to each
other and to those we worked for. Regardless of where we worked or
for how long the commitment to those we sought to help, for them to
be healthier, better educated and better citizens of their country it was
a privilege to be a member of the CARE organization and all it stood for. Phil Johnston
Best regards,
Phil Johnston, Ph.D.
5335 Briarleigh Close
Atlanta, GA. 30338
770 778 7883
Enable-USA
www.enable-usa.org
Dear Cheenu,
No, this time I'll call you as I did when I was in India, Srinnivasan
I wanted to personally congratulate you for your persistence and
dedication to the former personnel of CARE. I'd often thought how
unfortunate it is that all of the dedicated persons and their contributions were lost in the
dustbin of the past, but for you for now there is some record.
My praise also to Fred Devine that this is to be deposited in New York
Fondest regards. I am proud to know you as ever.
Henry Sjaardema,
November 12, 2014
CARE USA September 1961 - June 1982
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CARE USA QUICK FACTS
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CARE INDIA"S EVOLUTION - INDEPENDENT ENTITY
Hearty Congratulations to the new CARE India, which became fully independent entity with full
Member status of the CARE International Confederation on July 01, 2014
Dear friends,
Greetings from Chennai, India. I am delighted to share the news, information, the achievement of CARE
India received from Dr. Musa Mohammad. CARE India, on July 01, 2014, became an independent entity
with full Member status of the CARE International Confederation.
Congratulations to the new CARE India, its staff, the new CEO, Musa Bhai and the Board.
The complete details are in the attachment as well in Musa Bhai's message below. Thanks for sharing
these Musa Bhai.
All those former national employees, the international employees who all worked in India and of
course the entire CARE World would all feel proud and happy about CARE India's independent status
and its full member status of the CARE International Confederation.
Thank you Musa Bhai for all your kind words about me and my net working activities; I am humbled
and feel honored.
Warm regards,
Cheenu
From: Musa <[email protected]>
Date: Wed, Jul 2, 2014 at 10:35 PM
Subject: CARE India's Evolution in to an independent Indian entity and a CI Member
To: Cheenu K T Srinnivasan <[email protected]>
Cc: Nidhi Bhardwaj <[email protected]>, Kaushik Mitra <[email protected]>
Dear Cheenu Bhai,
Greetings!
Attached is the final version of the write-up on CARE India’s completion of transition to a fully
independent Indian humanitarian and social development entity, as well as achievement of a Full
Member status of the CARE International Confederation.
As mentioned in the attached note, we take this historical moment as an opportunity to remember all of
CARE India’s Ex-colleagues, partners, counterparts, and communities who had contributed varying
degrees of their professional lives to help the organization advance to reach this successful status.
Please convey our deep Thanks and Gratitude to all our Ex-colleagues and friends! My colleagues and I
in the current CARE India feel humbled and blessed to be able to carry the button in its last formal part!
This transition is not the end of our journey! It’s rather marks the beginning of a newer journey towards
our shared Vision. The new locally governed CARE India paves a way for us to pursue an even higher
level of Impact on underlying causes of poverty and social inequality, with sustainable positive changes,
and at scale, primarily as a valued partner of the Government of India, and its other partners. We are
committed to take the torch lightened by our Ex-leaders over the last 64 years, and move it towards our
collective desired future to materialize our dream of societies where, “diversity celebrated and tapped”
for synergistic and equitable human benefit, and of a world where poverty has been overcome and all
people live with dignity, and security!
I also wanted to extend our thanks to all supporters and well-wishers of CARE India, specially CARE
USA, CARE UK, other CARE Member Partners, CI Secretariat, and donors, for proactively helping us in
travelling through the long transformational change journey over the last few years!
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Thanks to you too, Cheenu Bhai for your leadership in keeping all of us in bondage with each other,
across generations of CARE professionals, across the globe! You have been doing this with deep sense of
history, and right sense of “Purpose”! Our salute to you for demonstrating this Indian leadership for the
global CARE – much needed at this transformational time of our beloved organization! CARE India team
proudly looks at you as an example, at this historical moment, and re-commit its bold leadership
commitment to help shape the global CARE we are currently envisioning for much deeper and wider
Impact!
With kind regards,
Musa
From the New CARE India
CARE India transitions to an Indian entity and
becomes a full member of the CARE International Confederation
June 30, 2014 is a momentous day for CARE. On this day, CARE India completed its transition from
being a branch office of CARE USA, which it was since 1950, to an exclusively locally governed yet
globally active Indian organization.
While this landmark transition has been taking place over the last four years and completed on June 30,
in this year, CARE India was voted by the CARE International (CI) Board, as a full member of the
confederation, as early as November 2013. It became the 12th full member of the current CARE
International family.
These two major breakthroughs have brought a fundamental transformational change in CARE’s
“presence” and “ways of working” in India. The changed status strategically positions CARE India as a
strong actor within Indian humanitarian and development landscape, as well as within the global CARE
family, enabling it to pursue its desired impact on poverty and social inequality, and thus facilitating
equitable growth opportunities for poor and marginalized communities.
On the occasion of the successful completion of a very systematic organizational evolution process,
CARE India team thanks all staff, leaders, alumni and friends, who served the organization during the
last 64 years, helping in their own individual ways to arrive at this important milestone.
June 30 marked the day when all projects, grants, contracts, staff, assets, and overall management
responsibility of CARE India have been completely transferred by CARE USA, and other CARE
International Members to CARE India. CARE India Board met on June 30, to review and approve the
organization’s Annual Operating Plan and Budget for the Fiscal Year 2015, for the first time, as the
legally authorized governing body. This marked a new beginning of Indian CARE with a renewed
commitment to pursue its vision and mission.
In this connection, Dr Muhammad Musa, the first CEO of CARE India, who also led the final phase of the
organization’s transformation over more than four years, emphasized, “The local grounding of CARE
India would provide us a much stronger legitimacy, more opportunity, and in-country accountability to
work with multiple actors in India and beyond. This will provide us with capability of pursuing
impactful and sustainable positive changes in some fundamental structural causes (root-causes) of
poverty, and social inequality, collectively with diverse range of actors. At the same time, CARE India’s
strength will remain in its ability to draw on CARE’s global knowledge and expertise to maximize the
impact of our work in India, as well as share our home-grown learnings, models, tools, and expertise
with the global CARE, to help strengthen its world-wide ability to influence institutions, processes,
decisions, and actions at various levels of the global systems, for pursuing our collective impact on
global poverty and inequality.”
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Expressing gratitude on behalf of the CARE India team to CARE India’s four-year old Governing Board,
Dr Musa added, “CARE India’s Board is a very dynamic and forward-looking one, and is very keen to see
CARE India’s verifiable value addition in the fight against poverty and social inequality in India, and
beyond.”
Going forward, the key strategies of CARE India would be to:





focus its work on empowering women and girls from poor and marginalized communities in
order to achieve equitable humanitarian and social development outcomes among its Impact
population.
build its field programs, technical solutions, and corresponding advocacy work in cutting-edge,
sector- focused interventions, primarily in health & nutrition, and disaster management, but
also in girls education and livelihood programming.
partner even more effectively with government, corporate, donors (institutional and
individuals), and civil society actors, in pursuing sustainable impact at scale through high
quality programs
tap the organization’s global knowledge, innovations, and expertise in a more strategic manner
for higher level of measurable impact
address key underlying causes of poverty and social inequality by piggy-backing effective
structural interventions on its sector-based projects and corresponding advocacy of
constructive nature.
CARE India thanks the Government of India, both at the national and state levels, for its continued
support, and close partnership over the last 64 years. It also thanks NGO and corporate partners, donor
organizations, peers, and communities for working closely with it over the years to achieve the ‘shared
goals’ of many. It looks forward to collaborating with even wider range of organizations, including many
other valued actors in the coming days to pursue the desired outcome of a world of hope, tolerance, and
social justice where poverty has been overcome and people live with dignity and security.
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APPRECIATION MESSAGES RECEIVED THROUGH E-MAIL
On Sun, Aug 17, 2014 at 2:32 AM, Daniel Shaughnessy <[email protected]> wrote:
Cheenu – My congratulations to you on the compilation and publishing of this book in this
format!
You have provided an invaluable service, not only to all of us who in one way or another,
experienced the work of CARE India, but also, to anyone interested in the dynamics of
humanitarian aid and international development - including the varied personalities of those
involved!
With gratitude and best wishes,
Dan Shaughnessy
*************************************
On Sat, Aug 16, 2014 at 10:08 PM, john <[email protected]> wrote:
Cheenu:
As I begin this email, I am reminded of the countless times I have congratulated and thanked
you for so many efforts you have made on behalf of CARE and all of us who are still, or were,
connected with it. Everyone knows the long, and tireless effort you have given to the creation
and publication of this book. Mere thank-you’s seem impotent, but you may be assured and
confident that as along as it exists and is read through the years, you will be acknowledged as
its chief architect. For that you will be remembered and appreciated, along with all your many
other accomplishments. Well Done!
Respectfully,
John Farmer
************************************************************************
On Sat, Aug 16, 2014 at 10:10 PM, Ron Burkard <[email protected]> wrote:
Dear Cheenu,
You have provided a great service to the CARE Alumni community. I know it has taken a lot of
time and effort on your part. I join with many others in expressing my deepest appreciation.
With thanks,
Ron Burkard
**************************************************************************
Hi Cheenu! YES you have done it! Congratulations to you and your computer
friends.
It looks great, is so easy to navigate, and gives so much
quicker internal access to readers.
You've made a magnificent treasure
even more magnificent for CARE and everyone...forever! Thank you, thank
you! CARE is so fortunate that one of its own was motivated to initiate
this ambitious project and then see it through....and is even continuing
to amass more eye-witness, personal stories. Like I said, A MAGNIFICENT
TREASURE!
Thanks so much!
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Best
Monroe Gilmour
************************************************************
On Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 1:21 PM, Walter Middleton <[email protected]> wrote:
Dear Cheenu,
Hats off to you friend. This is a MASTERPIECE. Hearty congratulations. Well done good and
faithful member of the CARE World Family, who through commitment, dedication, passion and
perseverance has produced such a wonderful document which contains memories of past and
present CARE employee. You deserve the Bharat Ratna.
I salute you.
God bless and looking forward to seeing you in October,
Walter Middleton
***********************************************************************************************
On Sun, Aug 17, 2014 at 2:57 AM, Virginia Ubik <[email protected]> wrote:
Great effort, Cheenu!
Thank you.
Ginny Ubik
********************************************
On Sun, Aug 17, 2014 at 3:34 AM, Trudy <[email protected]> wrote:
What a wonderful legacy! Thanks for allowing me to be part of this! Much appreciation,
Trudy Bower
***********************************************
Cheenu,
Thank you for making something that was good even better.
Larry Holzman
*************************************************************
On Sun, Aug 17, 2014 at 9:38 AM, <[email protected]> wrote:
You are amazing
Vasanthi Krishnan
and
an
inspiration
for
the
coming
generations.
Regards
**********************************************
Dear Cheenu,
Thanks for your untiring efforts in bringing the collection of stories to a great shape. I would
say it's not only the collection of stories, but collection of experiences and lessons which may
also provide motivation and directions to new employees at CARE.
I sincerely hope that CARE-India and CARE-USA may consider providing this e-copy to new
employees.
Thanks again and best regards
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Jitendra
Jitendra Kumar Sinha
***************************************
Your efforts in assembling the stories of all the wonderful people who serve in CARE will
provide an invaluable history for future generations.
Thanks again.
Susie Gonzalez.
Dear Cheenu,
Finally! I keep reading and re-reading and adding, and it is time to STOP!
I am a poor
proofreader so there could always be a mistake or two that I will find later. But I should not be
such a perfectionist. This is in simple Word format, in case you need to move things around.
And the “memories” themselves are probably “over the top” nostalgic. But that is the way
Irma and I are.
And YOU, kind sir, are an extra special colleague, friend and super human being. I see that there
are perhaps a couple hundred CARE memories write ups? What dedication and diligence on
your part! I am HAPPY that you maintained your persistence with me.
With all best wishes,
Marty Schwarz
************************************************************
Dear Sir,
Nice to see that you have posted my story at CARE Alumni site.
Your unforgettable contribution will live forever, which will keep me alive until the earth is
vanished. You or me may not stay on earth but this memory (yours and ours) will continue to tell
the story of us.
Your contributions thus will live forever.
GOD bless you,
Anwar Hossain
***********************************************
Dear Cheenu,
I always read all the stories that you post. You are doing an excellent voluntary job and you
keep doing this - a big salute to you.
Thank you again for your constant endeavor to keep this initiative alive and offer us many
stories to read.
All the best,
Deb
****************************
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CONTENTS
Sl.No
Author Name
Page No.
1
Meeta Lall
22
2
Narendra Kumar Dundu
24
3
Ashis Biswas
26
4
Dr.Manisha Chawla
27
5
Ashok Kumar Yadav
28
6
Rajeev Ranjan
30
7
Glenn Gibney
33
8
Paul Barker
35
9
Dr.Vasanthi Krishnan
42
10
Christine Steinkrauss,
44
(wife of Emil Steinkrauss)
11
Mohit Sharma
47
12
Anita Menegay
49
(Spouse of George Menegay)
13
Vibha Malhotra
52
14
Tom Alcedo
53
15
Jim Grossmann
57
16
P.K. Nanda
62
17
Deepak Upadhyay
64
18
Albrecht (Al) Hering
67
19
Victor Paul
69
20
Virginia Ubik
72
21
Harry H Houck
84
22
87
23
Carol Sue Bock Gonzalez
88
24
90
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25
Walter Middleton
92
26
Phanindra Babu Nukella
102
27
Depinder Kapur
104
28
Rajeev Kumar Jha
108
29
Frank Brechin
111
30
Frank Sullivan
113
Photographs collected during Meetings, Visits & Events during 2010-2014
120
31
Narain Tulsiani
130
32
Zahir Islam
139
33
Sushmita Mukherjee
140
34
David Rogers
142
35
Anith Suvarna
144
36
Justine Miley
146
37
Mary Vandenbroucke RN, MPH
148
38
Utpal Moitra
150
39
Rudy Von Bernuth
152
40
Malvika Varma
154
41
Soumitra Dutt
157
42
Gouri
159
43
Dr.Sushil Mudgal
164
44
Dr. Anoop Tripathi
171
45
Dharmendra S Panwar
173
46
Santosh Gupta
177
47
Surabhi Sircar
180
48
Pushpa Wadhwani Joshi
183
49
Meera Sundararajan
187
50
Gordy Molitor
190
51
Rudy von Bernuth
201
52
Cherae Robinson
204
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53
C.L.Thomas
206
54
Ajaib Singh
207
55
Srinivas Surisetti
209
56
Ron Burkard
211
57
Md.Muzaffar Ahmed
212
58
Purnendu Kumar
215
59
Robert Meyer
217
(son of late Robert H Meyer)
60
A.B.M. Fazlur Rahman
225
227
61
Steve Wallace
246
62
Md. Anwar Hossain
273
63
Martin Schwarz
276
64
Devashish Bhattacharya
279
65
Reju Dileep
281
66
Rienzzie Kern
282
67
Gayatri Kaul
285
68
Sujan Sarkar
287
69
Arunangsu Chowdhury
289
70
G V Rao
291
71
Padmapriya T S
294
72
Prem Shukla
297
73
Amiya Shanker
299
74
Marcia Lang
301
(Spouse of Jay Jackson)
75
Trudy E Bower
313
76
Ashfaqul Wahab
316
77
Ginger Sanders
319
(Spouse of Donald Sanders)
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78
Onkar Singh
321
79
Balbir Chaudhary
325
80
Marcia Lang
339
81
John William Carey
344
(son of Patrick Carey)
82
Tom Alcedo
356
83
Marcia Lang
364
84
M. K. Saha
369
85
Indu Shekhar Sharma
371
86
Dr.Sujeet Ranjan, PhD
380
87
Mamta Behera
384
88
History of Cambodia – Foreword Note
388

Ron Burkard
389

Rev Father Michael Lynch S J
390

Tim Aston
391

Emily Karen Gumpert
392

Mike Carroll
393

Graham Miller
395
89
Gregory Gottlieb
396
90
G.S.Raghavan
398
91
Dr. Sita Ratna Devi
401
92
T.Sudhakara Rao
404
93
James Newton
408
94
Harry Sethi
412
95
Marge Gorecki Tsitouris
414
96
Manjula Singh
428
97
Sudha Narayanan
431
98
Rajkumar Rai
433
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99
Wayne Nightingale
439
100
Anita Srivastava
441
101
Cynthia Carson
443
102
Ravina Srinivasan & Ravi Srinivasan
444
103
Dr.NK Sharda
445
104
Dr. Philip A Tanner, Ph.D.
446
105
Kathy Tilford
450
106
M Markos
454
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1
Meeta Lall
CARE India
May 1989 – October 1993
Even after twenty years of leaving CARE, the images are as clear as ever. As part of the in-house
evaluation team, we designed research studies for villagers who benefited from CARE’s projects across
10 states of India. A large part of our time was spent in the project areas: training local investigators for
data collection, and monitoring the interviews, discussions and case studies conducted by them.
Looking back, I feel my time spent in the field has had the greatest impact on me, and left me with very,
very fond memories of my five years with CARE.
I can still see the thick sheets of rain beating down on our jeep as we made our way to a village; the
green of paddy fields with their criss-crossing aals (narrow raised paths); the fluffy rice with dal served
in dishes of tender leaves tacked together with thorns; the shady tunnel made by giant bamboo plants
towering from both sides of the road; the cute baby goat which I longed to take back home for my
daughter.
I remember eating huge ragi rotis with red chilli chutney in a village in Peint. I remember sleeping
fitfully while mice raided the roof all night in Ambikapur. I remember napping on the trunk of a
tamarind tree on a quiet afternoon waiting for the villagers to return from a local wedding in Bihar.
Now that I start thinking, the images come crowding in and it is difficult to choose and pen down just a
few.
For a city-born and city-bred person like me, CARE provided the perfect opportunity to see the Indian
countryside. We travelled to remote villages usually with 15-20 investigators –mainly young girls just
out of school or college – and 3-4 field officers. Spending weeks with them – during the training and in
the villages - gave me a rare insight into their lives. Time spent with them was great fun. I remember
reaching a dhabha after a long day of data collection in Dhenkanal (Orissa). It had been ages since
breakfast and all of us were absolutely famished. The dhaba guy had long ago finished with lunch; now,
he rushed around flustered trying to organize food for so many of us! I remember the team spirit with
which the girls and I took over the job of making rotis while the dhabha guy made the sabzi and added
tadka to dal. I have never ever enjoyed a meal so much!
Visiting the villages and interacting with the villagers helped me understand – to some extent - how
rural India lives, how it celebrates, how it copes. I have joined villagers swinging happily in a wooden
ferris wheel; I have shared in their joy when they earned a few rupees from our income-generating
projects; I have haggled with them at the local haat.
I also learnt the true meaning of togetherness in a village community. Once we reached a village (the
same one where I napped on a tree trunk in the quiet afternoon), no one was home. Everyone was
visiting the local church where a daughter of the village was getting married. Only a few women
remained - cooking lunch for the entire village. Earlier in the day, each household had contributed some
grain – rice and dal – for the feast. Those who could not, were helping with the cooking. How simple, I
thought. Everyone had taken on the responsibility of a daughter’s wedding and chipped in to ensure its
success! All of us too joined in the celebrations and the feast was fantastic. There was definitely no data
collection that day!
The small village of Hadkaichond in remote Maharashtra is etched in my memory. The only way to
access it was by scaling a rough, rubbly track over three hills. The villagers lived on a flat elevated
plateau and were almost entirely cut off from the rest of the world. In those days, Hadkaichond had a
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population of about 300 with 60-70 households (even today, it is only 588.) I saw old men and women
who had spent their entire life in the village, and would one day, be buried or cremated there. I saw
young children playing in the fields oblivious of the vast world beyond. To me, their confined existence
was, and remains, a singular wonder.
Where else could I have undergone such a rich learning process but at CARE?
To this day, my dream home remains a hut I visited in Sarguja. This two room-thatch roof-mud wall hut
is on top of a hillock. A gentle breeze keeps the hut cool even on hot afternoons. From its windows and
doors, one can see a sea of yellow mustard on the slopes and in the fields beyond. Rocky steps lead
down to a sunken well. Children play happily in a clearing nearby. A simple way of life, I think?
Meeta Lall
[email protected]
E 28, First Floor, Kalindi Colony, New Delhi 110 065
0091-9810016568 and 0091-11-43103450
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2
CARE India 1989 – 1995
Maharashtra & Madhya Pradesh
A chilling night of insomnia
I will share with you an unforgettable experience of insomnia and fear, which I had during one of my
field visit while working with CARE Maharashtra as a Field Officer.
It was in December 1989, a very cold and drizzly evening. I checked into room No.2 of a government
Rest house of a block headquarters of rural Maharashtra. I visited this block for the first time for
conducting RSR at one of the ICDS project. This is a very small town and is the administrative
headquarters of a tehsil in one of the remote and tribal district of Maharashtra state of India. Those
days it was covered with a dense teak wood forest without any facility locally.
Soon after settling into my room, I went for a walk within the rest house premises. The structure of the
rest house was of the British era and it was partly wooden two storied mansion with a big dining room
and large balcony dumped with unused and old furniture and in the basement. The rest house was built
in a slightly isolated and somewhat eerie spot, located right on a river bank where the river Godavari
joins the Penganga river. From the balcony I had a spectacular view of the flowing river as well as a
local graveyard nearby. Believe me, I had a strange feeling with the ambiance of the rest house as it was
very depressing with heavy silence and I was the only occupant in this big rest house.
After walking for 30 minutes I collected my torchlight and walked out of rest house for my dinner. I had
to walk for 10 15 minutes to reach the snack corner. I had a nice dinner i.e., delicious hot fish curry
along with hot rice (I was told this place is very famous for fresh sweet water fish, because of the river).
It was cold and misty outside completely dark. I returned to my room at around 8.30 pm and was sitting
in the room listening to my Walkman and someone kicked my room door very loudly. When I opened
the door and looked around to see who did it, there was no one. I was shaken for few seconds. Later I
heard the cat meowing and I laughed at myself.
Again, after a couple of minutes another loud sound outside my door, yes, it was a knock of the door,
when I opened, it was Balayya (the care taker of the rest house) standing with a mug of drinking water.
Balayya shared many of his horrific incidents, rumors, scary incidents and of the weird noises
connected with this rest house, including the fact that he narrated a most unforgettable incident that
really struck into my memory. It was 15 days prior to my visit one of the visiting officers stayed in the
same room when he collapsed and died from a heart attack. And the body of the deceased is kept in the
rest house and in the same room for two days until his family members came to collect the body. Now I
had checked into the same room (probably I may be the first person to check into this room after this
incident). Out of my curiosity, I asked Balayya, “I saw a pair of slippers under the bed and whose it was?”
He replied back “Sir must be of him, his family members might have missed them while collecting his
articles and I will remove them tomorrow morning”.
After couple of minutes, Balayya left my room saying “Sir Good Night! In case if you need any of my
assistance press the call bell to call me”. Soon I started my work of filling my Daily Visit reports (DVR)
and logbook updating of my vehicle. Suddenly the power went out and there was complete darkness
which was oppressive and very scary I couldn't even call Balayya as the call bell wasn't functioning, due
to power cut. My only companion was a dim lit candle, and I rushed myself to have my reports done, I
was totally focused and I didn't notice it was already midnight. The candle light was very very dim,
almost off and the bad weather made the atmosphere of my room scarier. I didn't think about these
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things and continued my work. The candle went out in the blink of an eye and I was hopeful that I can
manage the night with my torchlight. I was not successful as it didn’t work for more than 20 minutes, so
after few minutes I was in complete darkness.
My heart was beating very fast, bad feelings and thoughts haunted my mind as the stories of Balayya
were rolling one after another; especially the incident of the person whose dead body was kept in the
same room and my attention from the pair of slippers of the deceased is not even deflecting. Moreover
the strange whining noise coming from upstairs made me more frightened, I dared not go up to
investigate the noise thinking it must be roof rats and mice. I can very well hear the loud and strange cries
than a bark of dogs, wolves, foxes or jackals perhaps coming from outside of the backyard.
So, I lay quietly on chair with a hope that the noise would go away, moreover there was no window to
ease my fear and I didn’t want to open any of the doors due to a fear of insects, mosquitoes, cats and
dogs.
It is no surprise that I started imagining about things were crawling all around me, and tried to imagine
the dead person and what might have happened in this room before he died; did he use the same bed,
the same pillow during or before death and why his slippers were left in the room even after his death.
Oh, I couldn't even go to the toilet or go to sleep. I sat in the corner doing nothing till the day broke with
a bright sunrise.
Although nothing bad has happened nor will happen, but it’s still a mystery night for me. Yes, I got
scared but I didn't run out of my room. I feel my experience was scarier than most horror films.
[email protected]
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3
Ashis Biswas
CARE India, Jan 2001 – May 2003
Maharashtra & Madhya Pradesh
I was in CARE from Jan 2001 to May 2003 and was the last State Director of the old Bihar office and the
first of the newly opened Jharkhand State Office. This was a particularly trying time as governance in
Bihar had reached its nadir under Smt. Rabri Devi. Things were not much better in Jharkhand which
was completely disorganized. Things would come to a pretty pass as Babulal Marandi was ousted from
power and a series of self seeking people occupied the highest office in the state. One of them, probably
the only Independent Chief Minister ever of an Indian state, is currently serving time in gaol. Another
worthy, accused of the murder of his Personal Secretary, still plays a major role in the politics of that
state.
All this was reflected in the frequent bandhs and the occasional cases of violence that
frequently erupted across the state. Over the last 12 years or so since its creation, how many
governments has this one state had?
In this scenario, there were murmers of discontent of how CARE's activities were lagging behind other
states. Yet, the Jharkhand teams won all Team Building awards, the State Office won the Most
Disciplined Senior Management Team Award, the transition from INHP I to INHP II was the smoothest
in Jharkhand. These speaks itself for how the activities were went on smoothly with all those
problems explained above.
We had other successes too: the Child Survival Project was highly rated by independent
evaluators; CREDIT I was the first Micro Credit operation in the history of CARE in India and paved the
way for CREDIT II and CASHE. USAID Mission Director in India, Walter North personally visited us and
spoke on the same podium as the Chief Minister. USAID subsequently identified Jharkhand as a
priority state along with the much larger Uttar Pradesh. Many of my colleagues rose to become
Directors within CARE itself.
The older Care driver literally wept when I told him I am leaving Care as my contract was not renewed.
Ashis Biswas
[email protected]
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4
Dr.Manisha Chawla
CARE India , March 2008 – May 2009
Rajasthan, Jaipur
After successful implementation of INHP- I (Integrated Nutrition and Health Project) and II phases,
INHP-III phase was planned so that the project could be phased out and identified best practices could
be integrated in the government systems. Herein a post of sector coordinator was created who was
supposed to provide technical and operational support to the government departments of Health &
Family Welfare and ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services). The INHP-III phase stated in 2006
and was to continue till 2009. I joined the program in March 2008, as Sector Support Coordinator
(INHP-III) and could contribute to the program for a little less than 15 months.
Among many tasks given to me in these 15 months, one task, I could say was most challenging, which
was to develop an ASHA-Sahyogini diary. As the name suggests it was to be used by ASHA-Sahyoginis, a
front line worker, who in Rajasthan was reporting to two departments, Health and ICDS. Quite logically,
it was also expected to have active inputs from officials belonging to both these departments. Though,
CARE was also working on the convergence of both these departments, it wasn't much visible, except
for the Maternal-Child Health and Nutrition days (Village Health and Nutrition Days) that too at the
lowest level i.e. village level.
Development of the ASHA-Sahyogini Diary included Coordination with different department officials,
having their technical inputs and compiling them in a form of a diary for the front line workers so that
their jobs can be made easy. The diary was developed with two major objectives which were to make a
user-friendly job aid for ASHA-Sahyogini and second, that it caters to both ICDS and NRHM (National
Rural Health Mission) programmatic needs.
It took me dedicated 5-6 months altogether to get these people together and have their inputs and
consensus on the content of the diary. This was the time where I learnt consensus building, negotiation
skills, advocacy skills, apart from these I also learnt to speak good Hindi (as it required using the right
words) and also type Hindi (as it required lot of typing, editing, etc.) (today I can type Hindi with good
speed, Thanks to this Diary). Believe me, it was much more difficult practical way to learn all these. But
on the better side, I also made good friends for life time in both the government departments with
whom I continue even today.
In terms of outcome, final product was very impressive and appreciated by all, as we all could actually
prepare a user-friendly counseling guide and record booklet for our ASHA-Sahyoginis. It was even field
tested in one of the districts. It was liked by all ASHAs with whom we interacted and they also
contributed to make it even better. The final draft was submitted to ICDS department.
I cherish these learning experiences which have been useful in my life.
Dr.Manisha Chawla
[email protected]
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5
Ashok Kumar Yadav
CARE India , February 1999 – May 2009
Ranchi, Jharkhand (India)
It gives me immense pleasure, being a part of a great program of INHP (Integrated Nutrition and Health
Project) from phase I (as Block Coordinator in high impact area) to phase III (as Program Officer).
I worked for full ten years and there was an immense joy in taking 10 years pin and certificate of
excellence. Although never wanted to disengage from the CARE Family, I had to, as there was restricted
scope in Jharkhand for project after INHP III.
I had the most unforgettable memories of working with CARE, some of the memories which are lifelong
through the vicissitudes of my professional engagements, are the days spent during BHUJ Earthquake in
Bhuj, Rapar and Bhachau area. A powerful Earthquake came on 26th January 2001, having 6.9
magnitudes on Richter scale, which caused extensive damage to life and property. Thousands of people
were seriously injured, traumatized & handicapped; physically, psychologically and economically. The
epicentre was located near the Bhuj, 21 of the total 25 districts of Gujarat State were affected in this
quake. In the Kutch district 4 major urban areas were mostly destroyed i.e. Bhuj, Anjar, Rapar and
Bhachau. CARE Medical team went first to provide medical care then our team went for rehabilitation
work.
I remember the day we reached the Bhuj city, we could see the overwhelming devastation; the whole
city had come to be a wreck. Some of the buildings were standing but every building had some major
cracks and most of the storied building had come to the ground. We were surprised to see the view all
around. We had seen all these in the TV and news but this was more than that. While moving around
Anjar and Bhachau we were shocked.
I stayed for few days in Bhuj camp, we all used to sleep in tarpaulin made camps and every day some
after shakes, tremor used to come during the night. For few days we used to wake up due to tremors
but after 2-3 days we understood that it will come like this so we were habituated of that after that. I
mostly spent my days in Bhachau camp. When I joined that camp, there was no one to cook food for us,
so we used to cook ourselves. There were no hotels, all were destroyed. Government had some food
camps and some organization at some places had food lungers (free food distribution) so we also used
to take food in that places. I went there in the end of February and whole March was there. I remember
the March month we did not celebrate our main “Holi Festival” (the famous festival of colours played in
Hindu families) and that day we were distributing our tamboos (folded House made of tarpolin, need to
be erected to live) and other household items in a village from 10 am to 8 pm. We had to cover Bhachau
and Rapar from Bhachau camp. We could get our cook after 15 days. The roadside hotels and telephone
booths were also started working from end of March.
The Next Disaster, which came in 26th December 2004, was Tsunami. I worked at different places, like
Nagapattinam, with Mr. Rajesh Srivastva and Mr. Brajesh Das, and then moved to Pondichery and
Cuddlore, where I stayed for longer time. We were working through different NGOs for rehabilitation
work in different villages of Cuddalore district. We had seen many families who were still in shock and
we had to give them psychological treatment and training for which we had partnered with MINHANS,
Jaipur. We had many stories which were so touching that we had to weep many times.
In the month of March, I went to Andaman Nicobar Island for the same work there. We were building
Aanganwadies (pre school for chidren below 6 years of age) and at the same time gave training to the
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Aanganwadi workers. After a stay of 20 days in Port Blair, I was sent to Kamorta in Nicobar Island,
which was a small Island of total 13 Kilometers. I went by ship there in 24 hours and when I finished my
work then I came to know that ship has been cancelled for some days due to bad weather. I had my
friendship with Mr. Arun, Assistant commissioner (a person from Bihar); he said now there is only way
to go back is Government six seater Chopper if a single seat will be available I will be sending you back.
Fortunately next day there was one seat vacant and I came back to Port Blair in three hours. I still
remember the Kamorta people showed me a hillock which was torn apart in Tsunami and I could see an
area of a Kilometer which was submerged in the sea with all population.
Living with the people at Kamorta was a good experience as it was full freedom and no fear of theft.
Houses were not locked and people lived with out fear. I asked is there any fear of theft, since I had a
good amount of cash with me. People told me if anything happens, the Police will find the thief within
4-5 hours. The place is surrounded by sea from all corners, so where the thief will go. Thus I could
understand why the punishment here was called KALA PANI(the island is surrounded all around with
the black water of sea, so there is no way to escape) during British rule because no one can swim and go
out of these Islands.
I remember people saying that on 26th they thought that like Dwarka (According to mythology the
capital city of Lord Krishna Dwarka was submerged under the sea) the Whole Island will be submerged.
Everybody was helping each other and praying to GOD. I learned here to live with each other without
any cast or creed and without any RELIGION differences, here all are island people and we are main
land people for them.
With all these learning and exicting experiences which have a great place in my life I salute CARE.
Ashok Kumar Yadav
[email protected]
General Manager,
KGVK CSR Usha Martin Ltd.
Tatisilwai, Ranchi.
# +91 9431798901
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6
Rajeev Ranjan
CARE India
September, 2007 – March 2008
I worked for CARE India for a very brief period... just about six months, yet this stint left an indelible
mark on my professional career. I have been an HR Professional since the beginning of my career, and
after working for 14 years in Steel Authority of India Limited in the HR Depatment, I changed over to
Rotary International, an International NGO based in Illinois, Chicago, USA, where I was heading the Club
& District Support Depatment for South Asia, the line function of the organization. After working for 7
years with Rotary, I felt that HR function was beckoning me. It was at this point that I got an
opportunity to work with CARE India as Director-Human Resources.
In September 2007, at the time when I joined, CARE India Country Office had just shifted to a renovated
office building in Hauz Khas Village. On my joining I was made to feel very welcome. What a wonderful
organization. What a wonderful set of people... highly enthusiastic, knowledgeable, well qualified,
intelligent, understanding, friendly, very focussed, and most of all highly emotional about their jobs. My
first point of contact in the organization was MS, who helped me in all aspects of my role including
orientation and onboarding. I was reporting to the then ACD (Programe Support) Radha Muthiah, and
the Country Director was Elizabeth Sime. Apart from handling all the routine HR functions such as
recruitment, performance management, compenstion management, Training & Development, talent
management, manpower planning, statutory compliances, employee relations, I also handled employee
related law suits and labour conciliations. Additionally, was responsible for overseeing Administration
and Facilities Management for CARE- India Headquarters in Delhi.
Within less than a week of my joining, I was asked to proceed to Bangkok to attend a meeting of HRNA
(HR Network Asia), that consisted of HR staff from all the CARE Offices in Asia. Representing CAREIndia MS, Sujit Ranjan and I attended. The meeting was very focussed and loaded with so many new HR
initiatives, which the vibrant set of HR Staff from across Asia undertook to execute throughout the next
year. I also had the opportunity of meeting Mohd Musa who was the Regional Director for Asia and I
was very impressed with his knowledge and thrust on HR issues. A few snaps from the meeting placed
below:
Meeting Signboard
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Participants from India-Rajeev MS & Sujeet
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Shopping in Big "C" at Bangkok
Relaxing moments off the meeting hours
In a short span of six months, with the suport from my team members, I worked on certain vital
pending policy related issues and updated HR policies. Reinitiated New Staff Orientation Program that
had not taken place during last 7 years. Carried out comprehensive Training Needs Analysis for all staff.
Conducted Performance Management Workshops. Revitalized and reinvigorated HRIS (Human
Resource Information System) and made it up and running. Built capacity of staff in handling this
function independently. Developed a complete set of HR Policies for the upcoming national entity
(CARE-India Trust). Completed certain vital long pending recruitments to key positions like Program
Director, CEO for Care-India Trust, Finance Manager, HR Manager, Administration Manager, Sector
Support Coordinator etc. Played a vital role in handling of staff related issues in transition from
International Entity to local entity.
I also had the wonderful opportuity of visiting a number of projects in the field, the most notable of
them being visit to a livelihood project of Crab Farming in Cuddalore near Pondicherry. A few snaps
with the SHG members and with the crabs are placed below:
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Rajeev Ranjan
Asia Regional HR Director
Room To Read,
New Delhi, India
Email : [email protected]
21 October, 2012
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7
Glenn Gibney
CARE USA & CARE Canada in Indonesia from 1989 - 1994
CARE Australia (in Myanmar) & CARE Canada in Indonesia
as a consultant from 1998 - 1999
100% Community Self-Financing for Community Water Supply Program in 100 villages in
Indonesia - CARE
In Indonesia, CARE had been implementing water and sanitation projects beginning in 1978. CARE staff
was extremely capable and had systematically improved the implementation of the water projects over
the years. It was these extremely effective community managed water projects that impressed me
most. CARE Indonesia had progressed along the community participation continuum to the point
where all local materials and labor were contributed voluntarily by the community. In all provinces the
government had joined in and was contributing textile expertise and materials. But there was more to
come.
In East Java CARE staff was approached by nearby villages for water supply assistance but CARE did not
have the resources to cover these villages as well. The CARE staff offered to show them how to build
their own community water system. And so it began. The community mobilized its own resources and
CARE staff provided the technical expertise and community participation approaches. The water system
was built without any monetary or material inputs from CARE. That was the beginning of community
self financing for water (sanitation was still a problem). CARE Indonesia recognized the significance of
this and obtained funding from USAID for this ground breaking program that CARE implemented in
more than 100 villages (mostly very poor) in Indonesia (in 3 provinces). Around this time, donors were
pulling out of Indonesia and USAID was closing its office. The project was largely forgotten.
The photo below
was taken with
CARE Indonesia 1990. We spent 2
weeks developing
community
management
training
modules
that formed the
basis for many of
the WASH programs
that followed in
Indonesia
with
CARE, World Bank
and AusAID over the
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next decade.
Iskandar was DCD at that time. CARE Indonesia had three big WASH programs (1 from CIDA and 2 from
USAID) including one focused on 100% Community Self Financing.
In the photo you will see CARE staff who had been implementing WASH projects in Indonesia from
1978 - 1990.
Top row : Jopie Sinanu (current consultant Makassar), Yuni (still CARE Indonesia), Iskandar (consultant
Jakarta), name forgotten?, Mary Judd (WB?), Alfred Lambertus (WB WASH Jakarta), Ikin
Sodikin (Papua Child Health Fund), Johnny Thomas, Rochmad Djatmiko (oil company), Pudji
Sutrisno (started as driver and now is finance and administration manager)
Middle row : Budi Raharjo (WB education manager), Nuri (passed away RIP), Muljanto (passed away
RIP), Rizal Malik (consultant and lecturer living in Jogjakarta), Tina Musa (ADB Manila),
name forgotten?, Rachmat (WASH consultant Bandung), Hildy Haiplik (in Toronto)
Bottom row : Hadi Sucipto (still CARE Indonesia ACD), name forgotten?, Yenni (CRS CD Indonesia), name
forgotten, Adji Setioprodjo (PCI Indonesia), Udin (Makassar), Glenn Gibney (Plan Vietnam)
Glenn Gibney
[email protected]
26 October, 2012
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8
Paul Barker
CARE USA
June, 1984 - February, 2012
The article below was written by Paul Barker on a subject “Queries from Afghanistan” while he
was negotiating an agreement with the Taliban authorities for CARE Afghanistan. Paul was kind
enough to obtain the permission to reproduce/printing of the article from the journal for me to
include it in the collection of Care memories – it’s an wonderful article and I am glad to circulate
this. The permission to take this article for including in the Care memories collection from the
journal is appended below – Thanks Paul
Paul Barker has permission to make up to 50,000 copies of "Queries from Afghanistan." from the
September 2003 issue of Friends Journal. The following credit must be included on each copy of the
reprinted material:
©2003 Friends Publishing Corporation. Reprinted with permission. To subscribe:
www.friendsjournal.org
Martin Kelly, Editor, Friends Journal – October 24, 2012
***********************************************************************************
In the context of President George W. Bush’s declared “War on Terrorism,” what does it mean to live, as
George Fox said, “in the virtue of that life and power that took away the occasion of all wars”?
What does the Quaker Peace Testimony mean in the context of an Afghanistan that has been
“liberated” from the terror of the Taliban regime by force of military arms? Indeed, what did it mean
in the context of the harsh rule of the Taliban? Are there times when the awesome power of modern
weaponry can be used to shake up the chess board of long entrenched “evil” regimes and allow
otherwise impossible outcomes? Does the destruction of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan vindicate
the use of war as a means to bring about positive change?
I have been given ample cause to ponder these and other challenging questions over the past years
and, indeed, decades. Revulsion at the horrors committed by the United States in Vietnam led me to
become a conscientious objector and eventually to find a spiritual home in the Religious Society of
Friends. Some restless spirit has led me to a career in international relief and development, spanning
five years with the Peace Corps in Iran, two years managing medical programs for Eritrean refugees in
Sudan for the Lalmba Association, and now 19 years working for CARE in Egypt, Ethiopia, Northern
Iraq, Palestine, and Afghanistan. It has definitely been interesting, but making sense of it through a
Quaker lens is not easy. Being philosophically and morally opposed to war as a tool to solve the
world’s problems is the easy part. What practical alternative do we then have to offer? Must the
Afghans of the world suffer under intolerable regimes forever because neither they nor the
international community have the will and the wherewithal to bring peaceful change? Can it be that all
that is required for the triumph of evil in the world is for good people to limit themselves to prayers,
demonstrations, and calls for peace?
If any group has been impugned in Western public opinion, it must be the Taliban. Their harsh and
uncompromising fundamentalist version of Islam seemed ever intent on rushing from one outlandish
extreme to another. And much of what has been written is true. Women were banned from most forms
of employment. Severe restrictions were placed on female education. Harsh shari’a punishments were
imposed on adulteresses (death by stoning), thieves (amputation of the right hand), beard trimmers
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(lengthy prison terms), and other offenders of Taliban morality. They conducted massacres in some
Hazara communities, and they destroyed archeological treasures, including the two giant standing
Buddhas of Bamiyan. As their easy territorial gains of 1994–96 receded into history, the Taliban
employed scorched-earth tactics and more sophisticated military campaigns against their entrenched
opposition in the center and northeast of the country. And as the years went by, the relationship of the
Taliban leadership to Osama bin Laden became closer and more protective. It is an appalling and
amazing list.
But truth is complex. The Taliban arose in the chaos of mujahidin-fractured Afghanistan. Reports on
abuse of women in mujahidin-ruled Afghanistan were as appalling as those later written to document
Taliban excesses. Armed factions had destroyed
cities. Highway robbery and extortion were
crippling any chance for the recovery of the Afghan
economy and society from the horrors of the Soviet
war. Yet from this chaos, in a matter of only two
years, the Taliban movement evolved and spread
with minimal violence to control half of the
country. Myths evolved about Taliban virtue and
invincibility. Cities, towns, and villages peacefully
came under the Taliban map as commanders
succumbed to perceived inevitability and bribes. By
the time the movement reached the outskirts of
Kabul, their extreme views on women’s rights were
well known, but still many Kabulis looked forward
to their arrival because at least it offered the hope
of peace and stability.
The Taliban were not a monolithic group. Their leadership included some university- educated officials
and some more progressive mullahs who looked for ways to temper the organization’s worst excesses.
There were some Taliban officials with a genuine concern for the welfare of the Afghan people. While
most in the West would not agree with Taliban values, we should recognize that for better or for worse
they were driven by values and an uncompromising commitment to those values. To believe that there
is “that of God in every one” is to believe and to act as though the Taliban leadership is worthy of
respect, to appeal to and to seek to nurture that responsible side of their being.
Agreement
In March 1996, six months prior to the Taliban seizure of Kabul, I traveled to Qandahar with three of
our senior national staff to negotiate a basic agreement with the nascent Taliban movement. I had
expected that this process would take a couple of months, with an initial visit to get to know the
accessible members of the Taliban leadership and reach an agreement in principle. A follow-up trip in
April or May might be required to actually negotiate and sign an agreement. Instead, through a period
of two days of meeting, sitting on the floor, drinking tea with, and getting to know Mullah Attiqallah,
then head of the Taliban Foreign Relations office, and Mullah Abbas, then mayor of Qandahar, we were
able to move from our initial draft to a negotiated and signed agreement. That agreement recognized
the integrity and responsibility of the two parties, the Taliban Authority and CARE Afghanistan. CARE
agreed to operate with respect for the culture and traditions of Afghanistan, and the Taliban agreed to
respect and support CARE’s humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan, including the right to transport relief
commodities over besieged frontlines to needy families in then opposition-held Kabul. We
subsequently made copies of the agreement to be carried in all of our vehicles operating in Afghanistan
in order to facilitate their movement through Taliban-held parts of Afghanistan. While we had
numerous “hiccups” along the way with our relations with Taliban officials at the local and national
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levels, our staff could always refer to the basic agreement signed with the Taliban leadership in
Qandahar as the basis for moving forward, and usually it would work. Even after Mullah Attiqallah had
been replaced by other officials in charge of Taliban foreign relations, some officials, when presented
with the signed agreement simply said, “What we have signed, we have signed.”
Education of Girls
A few months prior to the Taliban seizure of Khost in the spring of 1995, CARE had helped establish ten
community-based schools. Under our education philosophy, CARE would provide teacher training and
educational materials for the schools, but the communities were responsible for identifying and paying
the teacher and for providing an appropriate space for the schools. Before CARE would support any
community school we required that at least 30 percent of the students be girls. This was an ambitious
target even in pre-Taliban Afghanistan. When the Taliban gained control control of Khost and the
surrounding districts where the schools were
placed, they were dismayed to find village
schools teaching girls. They told the
communities to stop doing this, but the
communities all responded, “No, these are our
schools and our students and we are paying for
the teachers. We want our children to learn.”
The schools stayed open and over the ensuing
six years the Community Organized Primary
Education (COPE) Program expanded to 707
classrooms in seven provinces, with 465
teachers (15 percent female) and 21,000
students (46 percent female). The fundamental
legitimacy of the schools was established in the
communities through their Village Education Committees. Often the local Taliban mullah was selected
as a member of the committee. Building on hadith (sayings of the prophet Muhammad) such as, “It is
compulsory on all Muslim men and Muslim women to be educated,” and “Search for learning, even if it
is from China,” the COPE schools were accepted by communities and mullahs throughout much of
southeastern Afghanistan.
Employment of Women
The 1996 Amnesty International report on the abuse of women’s rights
in pre-Taliban Afghanistan is as damning as any report later written on
the anti-female excesses of the Taliban regime. From the rape, plunder,
and forced marriages of mujahidin-ruled Kabul to the beatings,
seclusion, and forced unemployment of the Taliban years, women of
Afghanistan’s urban centers have endured long years of abuse. In the
austerity of Taliban Kabul, the 30,000 war widows and their 150,000
dependent children ranked among Afghanistan’s most destitute people.
Their plight was made worse by Taliban edicts banning female
employment outside the medical sector, banning female education, and
banning women from directly receiving humanitarian assistance. But
through the nightmarish restrictions lay the seeds of possibility. In the
winters prior to the Taliban seizure of Kabul CARE had conducted
emergency distributions of food and non-food items to widows. In the
Taliban years this evolved to a year-round program managed by and for
women. The program grew to have a female distribution team, a female
monitoring team, and a female health and sanitation education team. Ugly incidents did occur from time
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to time. A squad from the Department to Promote Virtue and Prevent Vice (PV2 we called it) once
stopped a bus carrying CARE female staff, forced them to disembark and then beat the women with a
leather strap as they got off the bus. We suspended both the widows’ feeding program and a large
water and sanitation program until we received assurances from the Taliban leadership that the PV2
actions did not represent official policy, and that they would not be repeated. Later the regime tried to
force us to retrench all of our female staff. We appealed to Mawlavi Abdulrahman Zahed, Deputy
Minister of Foreign Affairs, saying that it would be shameful for men to manage a women’s relief
distribution program. He concurred and at significant risk to himself approved a mechanism through
which female CARE staff could continue to work. (We have more recently been pained to learn that
Mawlavi Abdulrahman Zahed is among the hundreds of Taliban now being held without charges or
judicial process in Guantánamo.)
Prison for Beard Trimmers
At 5:00 a.m. one summer morning in 1998 Mullah Nur ad-Din Torabi, the Taliban Minister of Justice,
led a group of armed Taliban to the CARE sub-office on a hillside overlooking the Kabul-Maidanshah
highway. He seized half of the office and turned its basement into a prison for men who trimmed their
beards. He set up a roadblock on the highway and sent all men who showed evidence of having
trimmed their beards up the hill to the CARE office/Taliban prison. One of our engineers was also
imprisoned: even though his beard met the Taliban length standards, he was a Dari speaker and
misunderstood the Taliban beard length question when it was put to him in Pushtu. It took us many
weeks of negotiation with very senior officials in Kabul before we were finally able to get the main
shura (council) in Kabul to issue a decree that the CARE office in Maidanshah should be returned to
CARE, and it took yet more weeks before the Ministry of Justice acted on the decree. Principled
engagement was not fast, but it did work.
Polytechnic
Also in the summer of 1998, the Ministry of Planning decreed that all nongovernmental organizations
should move their Kabul offices into the severely damaged dormitories of Kabul Polytechnic. We
protested at the security implications and the cost of such a move and embarked on months of
negotiations and stalling tactics. Finally, in apparent frustration, the Taliban began expelling
international aid agencies and sealing their offices. When we realized what was happening, the head of
our widows’ feeding program went to see Mullah Qari Din Mohammad, the Minister of Planning, and
told him, “I don’t want to discuss your plans to expel agencies from Kabul. I just want to know if we can
continue our widows’ feeding program.”
The minister thought for a few moments
and agreed to her request. She asked if we
could have that in writing. He told her to
come back in two days, and indeed it was
ready.
As these anecdotes indicate, it was
possible through patience, respect, and
tact to work with Taliban leaders at
different levels to address some of the
most egregious aspects of their policies
and practices. But the policy of principled,
cautious engagement was inadequate to
bring about fundamental change in
Afghanistan in the near future. The
constructive engagement strategy was not
adopted by all agencies working in Afghanistan; it was supported with limited resources; it did not
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directly engage all of the most senior members of the Taliban leadership; and there were strong and
uncompromising ideas and forces directing the Taliban regime who were not easily amenable to
persuasion. Does quiet, cautious engagement run the risk of bringing about only marginally important
positive steps, but ultimately end up giving a degree of legitimacy to a despicable regime? It is an
uncomfortable question. And it probably does not have a neat answer.
Ultimately, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan was toppled by a massive U.S. bombing campaign and an
insurgent ground war orchestrated by Special Forces and fought by career Afghan warlords and their
armies. The sense of relief that was brought by the fall of the Taliban is most strongly felt in Kabul,
Hazarajat, and northeast Afghanistan—areas that had suffered the most from Taliban excesses. The
results are more mixed in much of the rest of the country. The peace and security of commerce that the
Taliban had brought to the 90 percent of Afghanistan under their control has now been replaced with
resurgent warlordism, highway banditry, and a Taliban movement transformed into a guerilla force.
The near eradication of opium poppy production under the Taliban in 2001 has now been replaced
with bumper crops of poppy—80 percent of global production. “Victory” in Afghanistan is neither
complete nor assured.
And the costs of the military victory over Taliban are significant. The $10 billion plus spent in the
military campaign could be seen as a great investment if it were indeed a turning point in the
elimination of global threats of terror, or if it were to lead to a stable, progressive democracy in
Afghanistan. But these ends are very much in the balance, and there are other very real costs that
should be weighed. I find credible the estimates that between 3,000 and 8,000 Afghan civilians were
killed in U.S. bombing “mistakes,” more than the total number of victims of the 9/11/01 attacks in the
United States. And it has been estimated that the United States used between 500 and 1,000 metric
tons of depleted uranium in munitions attacking bunkers, caves, tanks, and other hardened targets. The
prospect of up to 1,000 metric tons of uranium oxide now dispersed over Afghan cities and mountains
is a sobering prospect for this and future generations of Afghans.
There has not yet been a complete or sustainable military victory over the Taliban. The military
successes against the Taliban have come at a high cost in lives and environmental pollution: inflation,
rising rural insecurity, and a disappointing pace of reconstruction all call into question the benefits of
the regime change ushered in by the coalition war.
The stunning U.S. military victories in recent years have sown the
seeds of future tragedy. Gulf War I and the establishment of U.S.
military bases in Arabia became the festering wound that led
Osama bin Laden to create the al-Qaida network and focus its
wrath against the United States. President Bill Clinton’s August
1998 cruise missile attacks on al-Qaida bases in the southeastern
mountains of Afghanistan galvanized Mullah Omar’s resolve to
stand by and defend the residency rights of his Arab “guests” in
Afghanistan. (The Arabs had become increasingly despised in
Afghanistan, and credible reports claim that the Taliban had been
on the verge of expelling Osama bin Laden prior to the missile
attacks.) The military defeat of the Taliban in 2001 is now
mutating into a Taliban guerilla movement against the new
Afghan government and its foreign supporters. War has yet to
bring peace to Afghanistan.
If the cautious, principled engagement strategies of pre9/11/01 Afghanistan were inadequate to fundamentally
change Taliban beliefs and behavior, could it have been
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more successful had it been supported with more generous
funding, followed by more agencies, and developed as a
more comprehensive strategy? Humanitarian and
development assistance to Afghanistan is now running at
about ten times the level of pre-9/11/01 funding—and at
one tenth the cost of the “American War.” Had this level of
assistance been annually available and creatively used in
the decade before that tragic date, far more opportunities
would have been created to help the long-suffering Afghan
people and to positively influence the Taliban leadership.
The modestly sized, community-based education program
cited above could have been expanded nationwide,
engaging community and religious leaders in very practical
discussions leading to the advancement of female
education. Similarly modest projects that built on
community structures to address basic needs for food,
water, and income could have been greatly expanded and
those community leaders much more empowered. Had
those programs been five or ten times larger, the influence
of the Taliban over Afghan lives would have been
proportionately reduced. Perhaps a critical mass of new
ideas and behaviors could have been planted.
One program which CARE discussed in 1998–99 but unfortunately never managed to develop and get
funded was a forum for dialogue between Taliban scholars of Islamic law and scholars of international
human rights. It would have been designed to explore in depth the basis of controversial Taliban
positions, and to explore the commonalties and conflicts between shari’a and international human
rights charters and law. In that many of the most extreme Taliban policies sprang more from Pushtun
culture than Islamic teaching, such a forum would have tried to help Taliban leaders to acknowledge
and deal with the non-Islamic basis of many of their beliefs. It could have been a bridge between the
reclusive Taliban and a poorly informed outside world.
Especially during the present administration, the United States seems determined to force its will by
preemptive use of precision-guided weapons of significant destruction and quite explicitly not by
treaties, courts, and procedures of international law. The weapons and the destruction are impressive,
but the long-term consequences highly questionable.
We in the humanitarian community may not have preferred the “American War” as a response to
Afghanistan’s problems. But it has happened and we are left with its aftermath and questions of what
to do now.
I have joined other voices in calling for an international security force to help Afghanistan develop and
deploy a multi-ethnic, nonfactional Afghan security force throughout the country. I do not think that
peace and security can ultimately come to Afghanistan until the warlords and private militias are
replaced with a professional, disciplined, multiethnic, nonfactional, paid security force, and in
Afghanistan this will probably include an army. I do see a legitimate role in Afghanistan for a
disciplined force with guns for some time. But I also believe that ultimately sustainable peace will
depend on offering a better life without armed coercion for generations of people who have known
little else. And that can only come through a patient and sustained effort of engagement—and a
determination to seek and “see truth” in the imagery of Hafez.
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Paul Barker, a member of Multnomah Meeting in Portland, Oreg., is country director for CARE
International in Afghanistan. He has worked for CARE for 19 years and has attended Friends meetings
and worship groups in Ramallah, Khartoum, Cairo, and Addis Ababa.
Photos credits from top to bottom:
© 2001 CARE/Alina Labrada
© 2002 CARE/Jason Sangster
© 2003 Thomas Morley/CARE
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Paul Barker
[email protected]
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9
CARE India : 1995 - 2000
I had the opportunity to work in CARE –India from 1995 to 2000 in the Reproductive Child Health
Division. In late 1994, when I was still consulting for State Govt of Bihar, and searching for options to
get back to a regular job, I came across the Care office at Greater Kailash -1. I went up to the receptionist
and left my resume at the desk as there was no way of contacting anyone at HR those days. Little did I
know that my earlier colleague from National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (N.I.H.F.W), Dr Y.P
Gupta had already put out a search warrant for me. Within a month, my friend Dr Saroj Menon, at
N.I.H.F.W contacted me and told me about YP’s search. The very next morning I was being interviewed
by Judy Schroeder, who was Asst Country Director (Programs). I had a great interview and then went
on to meet Ginny Ubik, Country Director. My love affair with CARE began on that day and till date, I just
love you CARE!
I spent almost five years in CARE- India. It was the transition time for CARE in India, moving from Food
security to working in programs. The various divisions were being established at that point, there was
Phillip Viegas and the M&E division; Gita Pillai, INHP, besides all the pilots initiated on bed nets,
anaemia; Rina Dey and I spend hours developing the communication materials; Girls Education unit
was a one man army with Sneh Rewal; Microfinance had Madhuri Narayanan and some more lovely
people; Admin – M Srinivasan (MS) and everything revolved around Vasanti Ramhaih, Vibha Malhotra,
MS and Sunita Gupta; above all was the leadership of Ginny, then country Director.
The first Reproductive Health program in 1995 was implemented in 65 slums of Allahabad. We worked
with Women Health groups, developed training modules, and developed a rapport with traditional birth
attendants. The CARE Atlanta RH team led by Maurice Middleburg and Susan Rae Ross were just
incredible. The program team led by Ms Gita Biswas and her 3 lady field officers- who did an amazing
and incredible job. One can never forget the contributions and the questioning of K. Gopalan, the State
Director. He had years of field experience and knowledge about the government systems which proved
to be very useful as CARE was setting out into new programmatic areas. Manohar Shenoy took over
from Gopalan. Another name that should not be missed is that of R. N. Mohanty, the current COO of
CARE-India, who was then posted at Lucknow.
This was unlike the previous CARE strategy of food security, there were more intangible outcomes, and
measurable outcomes took time to actually happen. We were focussing on behaviour change – raising
awareness of women and men in poor communities about their reproductive health, ensuring that they
come to institutions for delivery and new born care- an extremely time consuming and thankless job!
Finally, the project team decided to work with Mothers – in-law who were the key decision makers in
the community. Today, it all sounds so simple when Govt programs talk about ASHAs and show graphs
of increasing trends in institutional deliveries. It was in Allahabad that we actually counted the number
of maternal deaths and our hearts bled for these families. We went on to do the first ever CARE –India’s
Sisterhood method of maternal death Audit. Today, the GoI, is recording all maternal deaths and
actually doing a Maternal Audit. This was presented to larger CARE groups at Internationals settings
and also shared with donor partners. A year later, this report was made by UNFPA into a video film –
titled –‘ Purnviram’ - Full stop.
In 1997, I also had the opportunity to take part in the HIV/AIDS workshop at Changmai, Bangkok. The
outcome was a position paper for CARE India, and our entry into working in the field of HIV/AIDS.
During my stay at CARE we launched the first Truckers program, the first Adolescent health program in
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Jabalpur and the first rural based Reproductive health program in eleven blocks of Sitapur and
Shajahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
CARE –India was gaining recognition in the field of Reproductive Health. Dr Dharmendra Pawar led the
Sitapur and Shahjahanpur project. The dedication and hard work of this team led donors to give more
support to CARE programming in India. We also contacted the medical colleges in UP and MP, which
were our field areas then. State government officials were very enthusiastic about the CARE work and
the vigour and energy of the teams. Peter MacAllister contributed to further building the RH sector and
DfID supported the Allahabad project for another 4 years. The second phase also included working
with Adolescent girls. Laurie Parker took over from Peter in early 2000.
During these five years, CARE –India had established itself as an organisation that was capable of
implementing Reproductive health programs and Integrated Nutrition and Child Health programs.
Inroads had also been made into the HIV/AIDS sector.
During my tenure, I was able to travel both within the project areas and to International settings. I left
CARE in Nov 2000, little knowing that I would be undergoing a Total Hysterectomy within a month.
Thereafter, I was consulting for the next four years with UNICEF, Ipas, UNFPA. In 2007, I joined
Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust and from 2008-2012 I was the Chief Executive
Officer. I am currently working as Technical Consultant HLL Lifecare Ltd.
I owe my growth as a Public Health Specialist to the immense opportunities that CARE provided me and
to my seniors in CARE, other dear colleagues who believed and trusted in my judgement in program
related matters.
[email protected]
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10
Christine Steinkrauss,
(wife of Emil Steinkrauss)
CARE USA : 1968 -1989
CARE first came into my husband Emil's life when he joined the Peace Corps in 1961. His group,
Colombia I, was one of the first to be assigned overseas. At that time, the Peace Corps was just starting
and the government needed an organization which was knowledgeable in working with projects in
Third World countries. They hired CARE to do the administration in Colombia.
We had gotten married in 1965 soon after Emil's Peace Corps tour and almost immediately he accepted
a job with Western Electric and we moved to Nigeria. After 3 years there, Emil working on a telephone
system there and me working for Peace Corps, we decided to continue the life of expatriates. Since Emil
was already familiar with some of the faces at CARE, he applied, and was accepted for, a job as
Administrator in Monrovia, Liberia in 1968. So back to Africa we went. And so started our journey with
CARE which lasted 20 years.
It's a good thing I wasn't a novice about living in West Africa because the day after we arrived in
Monrovia, Emil was whisked off for a trip into the bush and I was left at the hotel for over a week. In
Liberia, Emil worked mainly on the Sasstown road project which opened up several small villages and
allowed them to market their goods. I accompanied him many times, driving 11 hours into the heart of
the country where we either stayed with the Peace Corps Volunteer who was working on the project or
in a trailer with no water and electricity. Come to think of it there was no water and electricity at the
volunteer's house either. His wife would collect rain water in barrels or have the villagers collect water
from the river for her. You can get very frugal with using water and I was quite good at taking a bath
with just one bucket of water. And the sometimes tricky kerosene lamps were a challenge. Those trips
into the bush were always an adventure since we had to take several spare tires, fan belts and extra gas
just in case, as well as food for the Peace Corps couple. The road was only paved in the capital so almost
immediately outside of Monrovia it became a very bumpy ride on laterite. At the end of the journey you
were always covered in red dust. I had a temporary job with the United Nations and was offered a
permanent position. I was seriously considering it because we had been told we might stay on but after
2 1/2 years in Monrovia, Emil was posted to Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon. Again he was an
Administrator and we thoroughly enjoyed the country.
The main project there was a feeding program. We had
many friends in Sri Lanka and the country was, and still
is, beautiful.
After the posting to Sri Lanka, we were sent back to the
continent of Africa, this time to Nigeria. Of course, we
had already spent time there so knew the ropes. At first
we were stationed in Lagos, but housing was difficult to
find as well as being very expensive and it was decided
to send us up north to Jos, where there was a water
project among other programs. Jos is situated on a
plateau so the weather was cool for most of the year. We
had our first child there, a daughter. Unfortunately, the
CARE program in Nigeria was closed while we were
there - 1975 - and Emil helped shut everything down. I
went back to the states to visit family and Emil followed
after a month.
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We were unsure at the time where we would be sent and true to CARE's way of posting, Emil was sent
back to the other side of the world and wound up in Calcutta, India. Our daughter, Caroline, was only 9
months old at the time. Emil went first to start his job and also to find a place for us to live. The office in
NYC got all the visas and transportation worked out for me and our daughter and I dutifully sent a
telegram to Calcutta, giving Emil my arrival time. Caroline and I started out on the very long journey to
India. We finally made it to Calcutta but no one met us at the airport. So after waiting for a very long
time, I decided to go to a hotel for the night and then because there were no cell phones then, call the
office the next day. I called and called and no one answered the phone. The fellow at the front desk was
very concerned and helpful. And he was also trying to be diplomatic about my predicament. I am
absolutely sure he thought Emil had abandoned me. After no answers to all the phone calls, I took a taxi
to the office and everyone was very surprised to see me, including Emil. What telegram??? Calcutta was
a very interesting city with many things to do and I taught English to Mother Teresa's novitiates there a very satisfying job. I also did other volunteer work and worked on the Post Report for the city. I've
attached a picture of Emil walking to work during one of the many floods we had in Calcutta. The year
was 1978. The sign is not clear but that's the CARE office.
After the posting to Calcutta, we were sent to La Paz, Bolivia, this time Emil was a country director. We
spent our 2 1/2 years there and our second daughter was born in La Paz. I had a few temporary jobs
while we were living there, working as a commissary manager and also for UNICEF. I also volunteered
with the Girls Scouts.
After La Paz we were sent back to Africa - Khartoum, Sudan - in 1983. There we stayed for 3 years. I
don't think anyone wanted to go to the Sahara and replace us. That last 6 months was very long. There
was a very big refugee program there and a lot of problems with feeding a large number of people. We
were unable to get housing right away and so for about 3 months we lived above the office. It was very,
very hot in Khartoum and I learned why all the windows on the second floor of the office had masking
tape on them. To keep the sand from blowing in. During that time, there were problems with the power
which we were without for almost a month. Then there were problems with the water. The whole
system supplying Khartoum was silted up and it took some time to get it cleared. The water was brown
for weeks afterwards. They had to drain the swimming pool at the Khartoum club and the silt left at the
bottom was disgusting. It was oozing and popping in various places and you could hear it. As I was
looking down, a guy next to me said in an amazed voice - There are critters down there!
After the Sudan, we were sent back to Bolivia and stayed for another 2 years. Again I did volunteer work
with several organizations. After 20 years with CARE, Emil decided to retire and we left Bolivia in 1989
to go back to the states.
There was always a challenge to overcome in each country, sometimes several. It could be lack of
power or water, fuel or perhaps the toilet paper boat didn't come in, even a coup d'etat or two or three.
But I remember it as being a challenging way of life - never boring - and whatever the problem, you
tried to stay calm and move on. Things tended to be frustrating at times but problems got resolved
eventually and then it was on to something else. Each country was a learning experience and it taught
valuable lessons for your next posting. As well as providing us with the opportunity to help those in
need, CARE also offered us the chance to meet some very interesting people, both in the local and
expatriate community. We were almost always posted to the capital city of a country and the foreign
community was usually large. In the mix were diplomats, NGO employees, as well as private business
people and the social life was extensive and varied. But in addition to life in the expat community¸ you
were allowed an insight into the lives of the people in these fascinating countries. Countries previously
known only by their position on world maps or learned about superficially in school. We enjoyed our
interaction with the local people and we were able to join neighborhood clubs such as the Colombo
Swimming Club, the Bengal Club and the Hash House Harriers in Colombo, Calcutta and La Paz. Emil
joined the Rugby Club in Jos, Nigeria and Calcutta, India. We also belonged to a sailing club and a rowing
club in several countries. I helped with the Girls Scouts in two countries and volunteered for many
fundraising activities to help local charities. All of these activities involved locals.
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I remember moving at least twice in each country we lived in, probably because leases expired and the
rents were increased. We were lucky in our housing, though, and lived well. The only problem was our
personal effects and the time they took to catch up to us when we moved from continent to continent.
Our girls were particularly lucky to have lived overseas and they learned from the experience. While
they often complained about having to pack up and leave, they plunged right into their new
surroundings and made friends quickly. And that's what we all did, we made friends because of CARE
and, hopefully, for CARE and we certainly made lots of memories.
Christine Steinkrauss
[email protected]
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11
Mohit Sharma
CARE India, UP
April 2002 – June 2005
I joined CARE-UP on 16th April 2002 as Demonstration & Partnership Officer in RACHNA Program
(INHP-II Phase). Mr. Manohar Shenoy and Mr. R. N. Mohanty were the State Representative and
Program Support Manager respectively in CARE State Office. This position was at district level and I
joined CARE district team in district Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh. Hardoi is a very challenging district in terms
of low education and economic background of the people, poverty, remote and untouched areas seeking
for overall development, poor reach of health and nutrition services, unreached benefits to the poor
people proposed in other government schemes and criminal activities.
My learning experience in Hardoi was very much systematically happened as I got the best blessings of
Mr. P. P. Srivastava, a veteran of CARE, who was posted there as Government Partnership Officer. Mr.
Srivastava was very kind towards me and guided me in my work. Under his guidance, I quickly learned
various aspects of my work, such as NGO management, monitoring, Oil & Food auditing, reporting, Govt.
liaison and of course also learnt to drive CARE Jeep.
I have the memory of several episodes happened during the 39 months tenure with CARE-UP, in two
districts, Hardoi and Agra, Uttar Pradesh. The first and very challenging task was to monitor the
suspicious looking NGO partners in Hardoi. I regularly visit the working areas of NGOs and report to the
Regional Manager at state office about the good and bad performance of NGO work. During the 14
months working in Hardoi a recovery of around Rs. 90,000/- was done by CARE from non-performing
NGOs. As per the instructions of state office, I observed the field activities of NGO staff in developing
Anganwadi Centers as demonstration sites and found most of the staff were absent in field according to
their submitted tour plan. After continuous monitoring and feedback to NGO Head for 2 months, no
change in working style of staff had been seen. This resulted a financial implication against Gorakhpur,
Uttar Pradesh based NGO and CARE state office asked them to reimburse the money they charged by
fraud. The amount reimbursed by NGO to CARE was as per the proofs against them and the calculation
submitted by our district team.
The another episode I remember was that being the CARE role as an innovator and catalyst, a very good
innovation developed in district Hardoi for illiterate and poor village women. We started the mapping
of proposed and availed health check-ups for a pregnant woman at her level by making a Gudia “Doll” at
her door steps or in the kitchen. The different shapes starting from half circle represent pregnancy till
the complete posture of Gudia was easily understandable to the poor lady as well as the village health
functionaries such as Anganwadi Workers and ANMs the health workers. This symbol of Gudia consist
the 3 essential Ante Natal Checkups, TT Immunization, IFA Supplementation, Status of pregnancy and
after that child birth, sex of child and her/his immunization status. The complete picture of the Doll
wearing ear rings, neck lace denotes the status of health services that is availed by a beneficiary. This
innovation tried in communities of NGO supported villages first than replicated in nearby adjoining
communities of non NGO villages. This symbol makes a different identity of CARE in district Agra when
the same strategy planned and implemented in remote areas of the district. A lot of homework and base
work was involved to make this initiative a success for poor and illiterate people.
The another one of the most incidence I have in mind was the CARE Bareilly Operation. A team
constituted by State Program Representative, CARE UP Mr. Prabhakar Sinha when the information of
misuse of CARE CSB Oil was received at State Head Quarters. This confidential operation was very
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horrible when our team raids the factory in leadership of Mr. Sinha and took out the CARE oil from the
factory and shifted to UP govt. FCI godowns under the police custody. I was the member and eye
witness of this operation for which Mr. Steve Hollingworth, then Country Director CARE India, came to
our office to meet the people those were involved. He appreciated the efforts and awarded “a Job well
done” certificate to each member in a state level function in Lucknow CARE Office.
I also got the opportunities to work on human right issues like Gender, Violence against women, PRI
involvement, and Safe motherhood planned time to time in coordination and support of other agencies
by CARE at district level.
I am very much thankful to many caring CARE people for the wonderful support and guidance given to
me by Mr. Shenoy and Mr. Mohanty, Mr. PPS, Dr. Ratnadevi, and several others.
After leaving CARE in the month of June 2005 I had joined District Program Manager, with Medical &
Health Department, Government of Rajasthan at district Bharatpur under NRHM program. In year 2010
resigned from DPM NRHM position and associated for 10 months with State Health Systems Resource
Center, Rajasthan which is a Technical Support Unit to NRHM as Senior State Consultant- Community
Participation.
At present I am associated with UNFPA Rajasthan since Jan 2011 as Regional Family Planning Program
Manager and based in Jaipur.
In brief, I would say that the working with CARE was the golden period of my life. I can surely pledge
that the knowledge, courage and skills learned in CARE working really matters in my personal as well
as professional life. I am always thankful to CARE for providing me this meaningful and wonderful
social and holy profession.
Mohit Sharma
[email protected]
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12
Anita Menegay
(Spouse of George Menegay)
CARE USA : 1963 - 1992
Dear Cheenu
I promised you my story a long time ago, but time flies....... I must say though, that I have been inspired
by some of the other wives' stories, so for whatever it's worth, here is mine.
During the almost 30 years that George worked for CARE, we lived in nine countries. Our first post was
the port of Khorramshahr, Iran, on the Persian Gulf, one of the hottest places on earth. Stepping out of
the airplane in that first post, we were engulfed by humid heat. It was August, at the very height of the
summer and the temperature was nearly 120 degrees with humidity of 98%, the hottest I'd ever
experienced. George's job was to manage CARE's port office in Khorramshahr, receive the goods,
arrange for storage in warehouses and transportation all over the country. He often had to travel and in
those early days before our children were born, I went with him. Together with the field men, we jolted
in the jeep across desert tracks to various cities and villages for 4 to 6 hours a day. The trips took us
though most of southwestern Iran. The trips were interesting but I had never seen much poverty in my
life and I was appalled many times. I remember once when contaminated flour had to be destroyed in
the southern port of Bushir. As the bags were cut open and the flour dumped into the oily harbor, the
starving villagers who gathered around suddenly jumped into the water, gathered up scoops of the wet
flour with their hands and stuffed it into their mouths.
After 2 1/2 years in Khorramshahr, we were transferred to Cairo, Egypt, where our first son was born.
After a nightmarish delivery, the baby got sick and would have died if not for a conscientious
pediatrician who, rather than put the infant back in the hospital where he'd got sick in the first place,
made us care for him at home. At that time, two other CARE-wives were also having babies, and they,
too, had bad experiences in the hospital. Luckily, we all recovered. But things didn't stay calm for very
long. In the beginning of 1967, things were heating up between Israel and the surrounding Arab
countries. I and the baby were evacuated a couple of days before the 6-day-war started, but George,
together with 3 other CARE-men stayed to close the offices. When they could finally leave, the airport
was closed. They took a train to Alexandria, and bought the last tickets being sold on a Russian ship
bound for Famagusta, Cyprus. But before they were allowed to board, they were taken by soldiers to a
little room off the customs, shoved into the middle of the floor while soldiers lined the walls and
pointed at them with machine guns, and strip searched. They stood for a nervous half hour while
soldiers searched through their clothes and belongings, before they were allowed to get dressed and
leave.
The offices in Egypt were closed and we were sent to a new post, which turned out be -- Israel! CARE's
and George's job in Israel was to set up offices and distributing food in the occupied areas, Gaza and the
West Bank. For that reason we lived at first in Jerusalem, but were later transferred to Tel Aviv. My
own life was not quite as interesting. Our second son was born, and with no household help my days
consisted of caring for two babies in bottles and diapers. It was rather boring, the only "excitement"
being clashes between Israelis and Palestinians. Israel as a country was interesting though, and we
spent our weekends sightseeing, travelling to the many holy sites.
After five years in Israel, we were sent across the world to Chile, South America. We escaped being in
Israel during the Yom Kippur War; but instead, we had come to another troubled spot. Chile at that
time was governed by a socialist leader, president Allende. Many people were unhappy about this, and
there was general unrest in the country with a galloping inflation, a lot of strikes, clashes downtown
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and long food lines. A year after our arrival, president Allende was overthrown (apparently murdered)
and general Pinochet took over. The months after the overthrow of the government were uneasy. The
nightly curfew lasted a year and there were rumors of roundups, tortures and murders in the Stadium.
George and several of our friends were also rounded up and questioned by the police at various times.
As for me, I never ventured very far from home during this time. Things eventually calmed down and
returned to "normal". But I liked living in Chile. It was a beautiful country, aside from the political
situation and the many earth tremors, which I could never reconcile myself with.
We spent three years in Chile before being sent to Guatemala. I was expecting again. We found a good,
solid house, and settled in, George at work and I preparing for the new baby. Then one night at the
beginning of February 1976, the catastrophe, in the form of an earthquake, shook the country. In the
morning, we found that in the city large buildings and hotels had collapsed, bridges had crashed into
valleys, railroad tracks lay twisted like snakes. Gasoline pumps and water mains were broken,
telephone poles uprooted, electricity lines down. No one at first knew the damage in the rest of the
country since the roads were blocked by landslides, and many villages lay in the inaccessible
mountains, but after rescue crews opened the roads and drove into the villages, they found
indescribable destruction. Towns and villages were erased, with nothing but mounds of dirt and rubble
where they had once stood, as if a giant hand had swept over them. The earthquake, which had
measured 7.6 on the Richter scale, officially took 30,000 lives, left 80,000 injured and several million
homeless, although some rescue workers insisted the death toll must have been much higher.
Needless to say, CARE as well as many other relief organizations had their work cut out for them. This
wasn't just opening new schools or health clinics; this was a major undertaking that would take years of
reconstruction. George and his colleagues went to work, and after that I only saw my husband
occasionally when he came home, covered with dust, and grabbed some food or exhausted fell asleep on
the sofa. We had numerous aftershocks, in which people were killed and more buildings damaged,
among them the building that the CARE-office was in. They had to close the office and work out of tents
set up in the street. Into this chaos and confusion I gave birth to our third son.
After these assignments I was sure we were jinxed. Something was bound to happen wherever we
went. But, incredibly, our four next ones turned out to be such plums I'm almost embarrassed to write
about them. We spent five years in the gorgeous mountains of Quito, Ecuador, where nothing more
serious happened than some personal misfortunes such as several operations, hepatitis and other
illnesses. Costa Rica was a paradise, Honduras, though very poor, was also easy living, and Mexico City
was, to me, my dream come true. George closed the office in Mexico and retired, and with that our
thirty years overseas were over.
Living overseas, travelling and experiencing new cultures and countries was exciting and exhilarating,
but also challenging at times. Aside from wars and natural disasters, moving every couple of years
became tiresome. As the non-working spouse, it was up to me to find housing, unpack and get settled,
only to start packing again a year later since in every country we lived, we moved more than once
owing to unsatisfactory housing, landlords who wanted their houses back or other reasons. Moreover,
the expatriate family is not immune to life's ordinary problems, such as illnesses and hospitalizations,
problems with children or marital discord. Though our lives are interesting, expatriate couples too
fight with each other and get divorced. That can get very tricky in a foreign country where one is
unfamiliar with customs and laws. Then there are illnesses. Hospital care can be very poor, as I myself
experienced in Egypt. Later on I had to leave the country for operations on three separate occasions
and two wives that I knew had to be emergency evacuated. One died when her cancer was discovered
too late. Both my husband and oldest son came down with hepatitis. There might be problems with the
children's schooling too, as during the Chilean military coup and the Guatemala earthquake, when the
school of one of my children was demolished. Worse was exposing them to local infections. One of my
children came in contact with a rabid dog, and needed sixteen rabies shots. In Iran, two children of
friends died from exposure to sandstorms.
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Problems, yes, but all in all, I wouldn't want to trade my life with anyone else. Now, looking back on it
from the vantage point of old age and retirement, I wish we could do it all over again.
Anita Menegay
George Menegay
[email protected]
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13
Vibha Malhotra
CARE India
1995 -2002, HR New Delhi
A call from Cheenu on 15th Nov’12 encouraged me to play a flash back of my memories in CARE. My
journey to the development sector began by joining CARE-International in September 1995 after having
worked for corporate sector for a decade. And the journey that I began with CARE in the development
sector has not ended --- since 1995 I have been associated with the development sector and have
tremendously enjoyed.
I can recall the good old CARE days – the time when we ( Vasanti V Ramaiah , Renu Suri and myself)
joined after having worked in the corporate sector and had the mandate to establish HR systems and
processes which can cater to the changing phase in CARE history—“shift from food to programs”. I
stayed with CARE for 7.5 yrs. and believe me this period has been professionally most enriching and
rewarding. I have fond memories of the working environment at Greater Kailash office – a real mix of
work and enjoyment. I remember the challenges we faced in establishing the credibility of HR and to
shift the thinking from personnel management to HR management. During this time CARE also
expanded and I got an opportunity to know about the various sectors and the associated challenges --Health, Education, SEAD etc. When INHP was to be implemented, the involvement of HR department,
in determining job profile, numbers required and strategies for giving opportunity to existing
employees helped CARE to implement the program effectively. There was lot of interaction that I and
Vasanti had with Gita Pillai in the strategizing phase and with Usha Kiran during the implementation
phase. This gave me an opportunity to travel to different state and select candidates for various
positions and interact with staff.
We, as a HR team which also included our hero M Srinivasan (MS) along with C S Ravi and Sushila
Chand. MS with his unique style always gave us the history and at times tried to convince to work in his
way but with Vasanti’s style (which we all admire) was not always successful. Ravi used to be so scared
of Vasanti that he could not speak at all while Sushila was ready to learn and experiment. Those were
the days when I used to look forward to go to work everyday. My daughter still remembers the good
time all kids use to have in CARE parties and now happily goes for the annual get together at Delhi. I
remember the care and support shown by colleagues during my pregnancy in 1997 because of which I
went to work till the last day. Some of them also use to joke when I would reach office in the morning
and were prepared to take me directly to hospital for delivery.
My association with other CARE colleagues to name a few— Sunita Gupta ,Vipin, Geeta Menon, Sushila,
Anita Srivastava, Tripta Malhotra , C S Reddy and thanks to Facebook many more is continuing . Special
thanks to Cheenu for his effort – we look forward to the annual get together.
My association with CARE has built a strong foundation for me to work in the development sector.
Credit goes to Vasanti for grooming me by providing various opportunities and ability to question the
program people to align HR strategies. Although Vasanti and I had different personality types but we
gelled along very well and in fact complimented each other. I now very effectively use the learning I had
in CARE while working with diverse organizations.
I look forward to hopefully work with some of the old CARE colleagues.
Vibha Malhotra
[email protected]
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14
Tom Alcedo
Care USA : 1980 - 2002
Language Training in CARE Nepal : 1982 - 1985
One of the things I’ve attempted, in several locations, during my overseas career has been to try and
learn the language. In one of my earlier overseas learning experiences, when I was posted to CARE
Nepal, my boss, Ed Brand, who BTW was a great professional and experienced development guru to
work with, gave me the opportunity of a 3 month language training, while mostly a part-time course,
three weeks of which was an intensive submersion, living with the family of my Nepali instructor,
Krishna, in a community in the Pokhara Valley, located about 200km West of Kathmandu. The upper
middle class Brahmin family was actually an extended one, with the father of my instructor and his two
brothers, each having their own family homes in a small hamlet, of about 40 families, next to a small
mountain stream that came down from the foothills of the Annapurna chain – the setting was
magnificent – seeing the snow-capped peaks of the mighty Annapurna Range of the Himalayas.
On the first day, at Krishna’s family home, I was given the customary welcome tea and shown my room,
where I unpacked. I soon learned that there were no toilet facilities - neither in the house, as I was
accustomed to, nor an external outhouse. When I asked Krishna, where they go to the toilet, he pointed
to some large boulders next to the stream. Upon going there, I quickly realized this was a popular spot
and one had to step carefully. Like the other residents of this hamlet, I visited this place daily. I became
fairly adept in figuring out the protocol, so as neither to offend or surprise anyone. The idea of
defecating in this beautiful setting, however, was unsettling - albeit there were no alternatives. I
realized from everyone that this was the tradition and that the rains would usually clean the immediate
vicinity periodically.
After a while, I came to think that, as a CARE development worker, I had both the opportunity and
obligation to attempt to introduce improved hygiene and perhaps give something back for the time the
family was investing in me. The more I thought about it, the more I became obsessed that putting in
place a basic sanitation system and getting people to change their hygiene behaviors was the right thing
to do. The problem I had, however, was that up until this point, my language training didn’t include
much vocabulary about sanitation, fixtures, behaviors etc. One morning, as I was squatting down next
to the stream, looking towards the majestic mountains, which were crystal clear that day, I saw
something out of the corner of my eye, what looked like a caterpillar crawling on my trouser cuff; as it
didn’t appear to be harming me, I decided to complete my business and then get in a better position to
eject it. Moments later, when I was ready to flick it off, I realized to my horror it had now attached itself
to my ankle and sucking my blood! I got it off quickly and realized it wasn’t a small worm or caterpillar
at all - but an ugly, now engorged leach! This was the last straw! I immediately set upon learning the
additional Nepali vocabulary I would require to tackle the required outhouse discussion, in as polite
manner as possible. After a few more days I started the discussions about how most diseases are
hygiene related. I also talked at great length, though not sure how clearly, on the hygienic merits of
installing a basic outhouse – including its structural dimensions and function. At first these discussions
were politely listened to with a shake of the head in agreement, by Krishna’s father and/or other family
members, always ended with the response - that wasn’t their custom. There was also the response
sometimes that outhouses were dangerous- they were dark places that any number of things could
crawl into or wait for the unsuspecting person. After about a week of intense socialization of the
outhouse idea, I finally succeeded in getting Krishna’s father to agree to build a charpi or outhouse. I
asked him when should we start, and he indicated that he had already made the arrangements to have
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someone complete it. He suggested that I go on the already planned walk to town and with luck it would
be complete by the end of the day when we returned. I was personally very pleased and felt inwardly
that this was what being a development worker all was about! This was a victory that could be
replicated or scaled up. I felt that with this first step, I was well on my way to getting the entire hamlet
to adopt such sanitation measures.
After a long day and walk to town and the market, we arrived back to the hamlet just as the sun was
setting. Throughout the day I gave considerable thought to the outhouse. I felt elated that I had actually
convinced one of the village leaders to adopt this more modern sanitary approach and felt it would be a
model for the entire community. I felt proud that I had actually managed to change a behavior and to do
it in Nepali! As we approached the village, Krishna’s father was on the trail near the road where the bus
dropped us off. He greeted us with his usual warm welcome and smile and said they had completed the
outhouse, relatively quickly a few hours ago. As we approached the house, Krishna’s father indicated
that the outhouse was in front of the house about a third of the way towards the stream, just off the
trail. I immediately headed that way and just past the large Banyan tree saw it. At first glance, I didn’t
see it, then when I did, I stopped in my tracks – it only appeared to stand about a meter and a half or
little over four feet tall and the outside was not corrugated iron sheeting or wood plywood, as I had
been suggesting it should be. It actually reminded me very much of one of those hunting blinds that
duck hunters would hunch down in before blasting the birds. It blended in perfectly as a big rectangular
looking bush – fully leafed with branches interwoven, including the door. “Why is it so small?” I
inquired
“We wanted to ensure it was completed by the time you returned. I quickly got over that issue and
thought what was actually significant had been convincing these folks to build it to begin with – again
the feeling of achievement gave me a warm rush. I figured the design was secondary and quietly to
myself figured I would improve upon it before leaving in another week’s time. I noted a faint glow
coming from within the outhouse, “Is there a lantern in the outhouse” I asked. “No, but we have a candle
there” responded Krishna’s father. Aren’t you going to use it? He went on to enquire. By this time a few
other villagers coming home from their work, had also stopped by to listen and inspect the new
addition to their community. “Yes by all means!” I responded
I quickly surveyed the “outhouse” from the outside, I realized, in my mind, that the only way to enter it
was to hunch down and walk, duck-like into it, taking care, to turn around, once inside. So having
worked that out mentally, I carefully opened the door, hunched down outside -trying hard not to look
too awkward, as I duck-walked my way in, pulling the door behind me. Because there was no room to
standup , getting my pants down proved to be a bit difficult, since , I had forgotten that detail when
going through the previous mental exercise - though I managed it without any ruckus or bumping into
the side walls. I managed to take my pee and from the time I let loose, to the stream hitting the ground, I
roughly determined the pit below was not more than a meter or 3 feet deep. I thought, although not
deep enough , I was gratified that should the rather shaky platform, covering the pit collapse, with me
on top of it, the fall would not be fatal.
“How is it?” Krishna’s father inquired from outside. “It’s great!” I said enthusiastically, “It seems to work
perfectly, though we need to make a couple of design modifications” I said, thinking about the height,
depth of pit and overall construction technique. “We might even be able to start a business constructing
these.” I decided not to rush out, lest they think I was only using it for a number one – which would
surely not be sufficient justification for the men to waste their time constructing it! As I uncomfortably
squatted there, a bit of gas did escape and I thought merrily - that was a good sound effect for those just
outside to think that I was actually doing a number two as well. As I looked around, I thought that I saw
something move ever so slightly in the top right hand corner of the outhouse –a bit more than 2 feet, or
so from my head. I peered into the darkness, but could not see anything moving; then, there it was
again! At first, I thought it was only a branch adjusting itself or perhaps the wind. I took the candle from
the plate and to my complete astonishment there was an ugly, if not angry, looking snake peering at me!
I let out a perceptible gasp. Although my first instinct was to blast right out the door, I didn’t want to
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make any sudden moves and have this, as yet unknown, reptile attack me. I quickly yelled out that
there was a snake in here, there was a quick commotion outside and someone yelled back: “What does
it look like?” It’s – maybe a meter long and it brownish in color, perhaps a couple of shades of brown
with a flat looking head”. His father called it something in Nepali and there was a perceptible increase in
the level of discussion outside. Later, I learned, in English, it was a Russell Viper, highly toxic and
deadly. Krishna quickly said “That’s a viper, with a bad attitude and very poisonous, be very careful
around it!” Looking more carefully at it, however in a rather terrified state, it did appear to be
somewhat interwoven with the branches, as it was passing through and not in a position to lunge very
far, so likely difficult, unless it moved, to really strike me, unless I was right next to it; that was small
comfort, however, being almost eye-to-eye with it the outhouse. Knowing that situation could change
quickly, if the snake emerged further from the woven branches towards me, I said ”OK, on the count of
three I want someone to carefully, but quickly, open the door and I’m going to launch out of here!”
Krishna responded: “OK I will count and open the door, so as not to disturb the viper”. By this time my
heart was racing, “one, two, and three!” - the door opened quickly and in one fluid, yet somewhat
clumsy motion, since my pants were still around my ankles, I literally sprung out the door, like a tightly
coiled spring - expanding and propelling myself like a Exocet missile, trying to stay as low to the ground
as possible - completely clearing the door and landing a full three feet from the entrance, laying literally
butt naked, though my forward momentum, together with the adrenaline rush, I managed to move
even more away as I struggled to my feet with my privates in full view, trying as quickly as possible
cover them up. By this time, at least 40 people had gathered; as the yelling increased, so did the crowd.
“There is a snake in that outhouse!” I shouted – at no one in particular, as I looked to make sure the
minor scrapes I just endured, were in fact, not a snake bite. Krishna’s father replied: “Well, I said such
structures were dangerous”. He quickly asked for a flashlight and one appeared. Where is it exactly?” he
asked. After telling him, he carefully moved to the door and peered in, he looked in and as quickly,
moved back with a perceptible worried look. “Yes, it is Viper. We must rid it from here – kill it; it may
bite someone -but we need to get it out.”
Thinking quickly and feeling somewhat responsible for all this, I said to Krishna, “You and I will get this
viper out and then kill it”. I explained” we’ll need a long branch with a forked end on it and another
piece of wood, like a club, preferably heavy with a blunt end.” One of us will get the snake out and pin it
and the other will kill it. While Krishna was getting his father and others to get these items, I quickly
recalled when I was a kid, a rattlesnake came slithering out from underneath my grandfather’s car in
Alabama, right towards my brother. With one step towards the rattler and one deft precision swing,
with his cane, he hit and killed it. I was thinking with the two of us, and a bigger club, this was going to
be rather straightforward. A variety of forked-sticks and possible clubs arrived, of which, we chose two,
the first, a 5 foot well-seasoned branch, that was actually used in one of Krishna’s uncles store for
hanging things up for display on sale – on nails or hooks. The second was a rather stout 4 foot stocky
branch - that looked like it could easily take out a mad water buffalo. Krishna quickly handed me the
forked stick and said “you seem to know more about this than I, so your job is to get the snake out and
pin it.” Not wanting to appear afraid, in front of the increasing crowd, I took it, without trying to display
the shakiness I felt in going after this snake. As we moved forward, it appeared everyone else took
several steps back.
I inched up to just outside the outhouse; it had grown completely dark by this time, without even any
moon. I wished I had thought to ask for a pressure kerosene lamp as well, instead of depending on the
small flashlight I held, together with the stick. I yelled at a couple of others to shine their flashlights into
the structure as well. Inside the candle still burned, though seemingly more eerily then before. I quietly
approached the entrance of the outhouse; I crouched down and shined the light in, holding the stick
with one hand and the flashlight with the other. I saw the viper, near where it originally was, though it
appeared to be less intertwined in the leafy branches now. I yelled “ok get ready, I see it! - as I passed
the flashlight to someone near.
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I reached in with the stick and the viper immediately struck it, I instinctively jumped back, as did
everyone else with a gasp. I also noticed that the viper was trying to go towards the back of the small
enclosure; I certainly didn’t want to have to enter the outhouse again, so as it stretched out, I managed
to get under it and flick it about half way out of the tangled branches. It again turned on the stick and
appeared to notice me and strike out, again I moved back. I was now visibly nervous, and shaking and
my hands feeling very slippery on the stick. I looked in again and the snake was very exposed, but
quickly moving to the back. I made a last lunge for the snake and as I struck down it went down to the
floor and managed to hook it with the forked stick, out of the outhouse, everyone backed away, as it was
in continuous motion. I managed to get it a meter or so away from the outhouse and after a couple of
feeble attempts to pin it, finally did so, 6 inches below its head, providing Krishna a clear kill-strike
opportunity.
“OK Krishna!” I yelled, “I think that’s the best I can do, hit right on the head.” The snake was now
withering around and its tail actually hitting my leg, since the stick I had was not long enough to avoid
such close proximity. In my nervous condition I was determined not to let the snake get away and
noticed the stick actually bending slightly from the pressure that I was putting on it. Krishna seemed to
be taking forever, moved carefully into position and jumped back a couple of times, as the snake’s
withering body came close to him. Don’t worry about the snake; I have it pinned, just hurry and kill it!” I
shouted.
“OK here goes!” Although Krishna was not a large fellow, he raised the club above his head and swung
the club powerfully downward, like someone about to split a log with an axe. However, he missed the
snake and instead hit the stick that I was holding, about a third the way up snapping it like a twig and
almost hitting me as well! Agghhhh! He yelled as he immediately dropped the club, as he jumped back.
Having put so much pressure on the stick, I tumbled forward almost landing on top of the snake, before
I caught myself and quickly scrambled away with everyone else, who were now frantically scattering
into all directions. After we all got some distance away, I shouted at Krishna’s father” what do we do
now? In the ensuing chaos, I only heard screams of people running away. The snake was last seen
heading towards the stream, “We’ll search for it in the morning, and warn everyone to keep a careful
look out.”
The next morning the entire village had heard of the story and was on the lookout. While there was a
search for the viper, that snake was never seen again, probably thanking its lucky stars to escape this
crazy place. As for the outhouse, when I went outside at about 7:00 in the morning, there was no sign of
it and only the appearance of some slightly disturbed soil where it had been. I realized at that point,
that my saying anything else about the outhouse or improved hygiene practices for this community
would be counterproductive; so the subject on an outhouse never came up again during that last week. I
also realized with some regret, that I had probably set back the development process of introducing
improved sanitation or behavior change, by some years, in this community, if not the entire area.
I did learn much from that early CARE experience which positively served to guide me in subsequent
years of my development and humanitarian work – that in order for the community to move forward in
dealing with any development gap – they need to collectively realize what that gap is, understand the
options and agree upon the way forward together and then to address it directly themselves as a
community. After this experience, I also better appreciated that if you do something, as an outside
development influence, you need to add clear value and do it technologically correct – with the right
balance of awareness/capacity building, other software and the right hardware…
Tom Alcedo
[email protected]
CARE Nepal : 1982 - 1985
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15
Jim Grossmann
CARE Cambodia : 1974 – 1975
Care Cambodia’s refugee assistance program during the war leading up to the takeover by the Khmer
Rouge in April, 1975 was one of the most memorable experiences of my life.
I arrived in the fall of 1974 from CARE Manila on what was supposed to be a short TDY to Phnom Penh.
Harold Silcox and Bruce Strassburger were the Director and Deputy Director. Bruce was a dedicated,
tireless worker who really ran the show. Also on staff was an American woman (whose name I cannot
remember) who was out there on the front lines with everybody and should be recognized for her
work. Bruce’s wife Emily was with UNICEF, and Nan Borton was actively documenting, I believe, the
CRS programs.
Our USAID counterparts in the Embassy were Jeff Millington and Paul White, and both deserve special
recognition for their support. Both went on to distinguished careers at State and USAID respectively.
Also there, though not a member of the CARE team, was Carl Harris, on leave from the State Department
to head up World Vision’s refugee programs, several of which were near the area to which I was
assigned in the provinces. Carl and I served together again in North Korea over 35 years later in 1999
when I was hired by CARE to head up the US PVO Consortium’s food for work feeding program in The
Hermit Kingdom. Another story for another time.
Patrick Harrington was the CARE Representative in Battembang, and I was assigned to Kampong
Chhnang, the Provincial Capital of Kampong Chhnang, and Pursat, the adjacent province to the north
west. Both bordered the Tonle Sap, the major lake in the middle of the country. It was rich in fish,
turtles and fresh water shrimp, and a major waterway for the boat people, mostly of Vietnamese
descent (Photo). Since the Khmer Rouge controlled the surrounding countryside, roads and water
ways, the only access to the province was by what we called “crash and burn” airlines----old C47 vintage
planes, which had pilots of questionable sobriety, dubious licenses, and a notorious ability for flying in
the most hazardous conditions. Also disconcerting was that the planes had only minimal maintenance
because of the lack of security and facilities at the Pochengtong Airport in Phnom Penh.
The instructions from the Ambassador to those working up-country were “don’t get caught.” And it was
not reassuring to be told candidly from others connected to the Embassy not to expect anyone to come
get you and that we were basically on our own.
Despite these warnings, I set off with nothing more than a trunk of clothes, a Braun radio (German
equivalent to the ubiquitous Zenith Trans Oceanic Radio popular with the PVO/NGO community); and
evacuation equipment that included a back pack with marker panels, flares and a PRC 10 radio for
emergency communication.
With this equipment, but absolutely no evacuation plan reviewed or discussed with CARE staff, (not like
today where PVOs have professional security personnel and consultants, and emergency plans
coordinated with supporting Embassy/US Military backup ) there was an anxious sense of false security
that we wouldn’t be abandoned.
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The accompanying small CARE local staff and our Cambodian government counter part, the Community
Development Organization, included many dedicated hard working young men and women who shared
the hardships and hazards that we experienced.
Our program in the provinces assisted a constant flow of refugees who had fled their villages which
were attacked and destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. We provided immediate assistance,
constructed temporary shelters, later converted to “permanent” shelters; provided “bucket kits” of
essential items (cloth, rice, utensils, prahoc (fish paste) cooking oil, etc; promoted and supported self
help projects, and arranged monthly food distributions of rice, fish paste and other staples when
available.
It was satisfying to work with refugees who, even though they had lost everything, started straightaway with our assistance to develop large community and family sized garden plots, engaged in
numerous self-help projects such as basket weaving, making fish paste, rice noodles , chopping fire
wood, all for their own families, and for sale in the provincial market.
Cambodia’s Refugee Program in Kampong Chhnang (1974-1975)
CARE Refugee Camp-Kampong Chhnang
CARE Refugee Camp-Kampong Chhnang
Rice Noodle Making Project-CARE Refugee Camp in
Kampong Chhnang-1975
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Kids from a CARE Refugee Camp
Kampong Chhnang 1974
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The attached photos document some of the the camps we built with refugee self-help labor. We
upgraded the shelters with palm fronds (much cooler than the temporary plastic sheeting), dug and
upgraded wells and latrines, located pits outside of the camp for animal manure, etc. It was always a joy
to visit the camps and heart warming when the children and parents ran up to thank us for what we
were doing for them.
Our efforts and assistance were so appreciated by the refugees that, when a direct threat was made on
my life by the Khmer Rouge to a group of monks, they vouched for me and insisted that I was a “good
guy” who was helping the refugees. Fortunately for me I was always reverent to the monks, even though
some helped the Khmer Rouge, which wasn’t a choice for them.
Towards the end, the situation became desperate in Phnom Penh
which was swollen with over two million refugees. Most food supplies from the countryside were cut
off and the capital slowly starved despite daily US airlifts, and a few planes transporting rice, fish and
beef from the provinces.
It was one of the saddest days of my life when we precipitously left and evacuated to Bangkok, leaving
our friends and colleagues behind to an unknown fate. We offered to take our employees with us, but
most decided to stay behind and work with the new government in building a new Cambodia. We held
over in Bangkok, fully expecting to return to participate in a reconstruction program. What happened
after our evacuation was totally unforeseen-----the gruesome class extermination that was later
documented in the “Killing Fields”, which included the slaughter of our friends and colleagues left
behind.
There are many stories to tell, some down right humorous, but most tragic and sad. These memories
reflect only a few of the many stories and experiences of the dedicated men and women of CARE and
other PVOs who put their safety and comfort at risk everyday to help the needy throughout the
developing world. I was proud to be a part of CARE’S program in Cambodia.
Cambodia’s Refugee Program in Kampong Chhnang (1974-1975)
Surveying Refugees on Tonle Sap
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CARE Rice Distribution-Kampong Chhnang
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Surveying Refugees on the Tonle Sap
Boat People on the Tonle Sap
Refugees fleeing their village-Kampong Chhnang
Refugees fleeing their village-Kampong Chhnang
Making firewood for sale in the local market
Multi-Tasking while making fish sauce
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CARE Refugee Camp Community Garden -Kampong Chhnang-1975
Community Gardens -Kampong Chhnang 1975
Local Pharmacist-Kampong Chhnang
Destroyed by the Khmer Rouge -1975
CARE Refugee Camp and
World Vision Refugee Camp near Tonle Sap
World Vision Refugee Camp destroyed by Khmer Rouge
Jim Grossmann
[email protected]
CARE Cambodia : 1974 - 1975
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16
P.K. Nanda
CARE India : Sept.1965 - 1996
Dear Cheenubhai: ‘Oh the great Bhisma Pitamaha of CARE- India Family. Please accept my humble
salutation.
Incidentally, our recent telecons prompted me to brain storm the old memory and update after decades
of our last meeting at Delhi. Of course it is worth remembering this great organization ‘CARE’, that
provided us with employment and career advancement opportunities with love and respect , which our
family members are equally proud about.
History will not Repeat
In between much water has passed through the river Ganges, yet it seems as if yesterday the CAREMysore team headed by Mr. Charles Gurney (Adm), C.G. Janaradan and E.N Katkar came to
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) and opened its office in Sept’65. I was recruited by then, effective 13th Sept’65
and continued till I took VRS in 1996. Then I was 22+ yrs and continued till 52+ yrs and now I am 70+
yrs.
Cheenubhai I do not have such success stories to impress anyone, yet my simple experiences during the
work atmosphere in several states from Field Officer to Acting Administrator, further enabled me to
realize the bondage between the Organization and its employees for building the loyalty and the trust.
Short Tenure after VRS-1996(AUG)
Recalling the past memories of my home town, Bhubaneswar. During ‘1999-2000’. For about six months
worked for ‘Cyclone Relief’ as Team Leader/Coordinator in Odisha. Thereafter I was involved with a
team of eminent personalities in establishing A Hospital/Community health centre in Bhubaneswar. In
2004 I served as a Trustee and Coordinator of SSPPP a Charitable Trust in Bhubaneswar till 2007.
Untold Story, Strange but True
I hope you could recall the tribal district we traveled together during 1971/72 in Odisha namely
Koraput. It was better known for its high altitude mountain ghats, hilly streams, beautiful forest and
animals besides the more beautiful tribal with their simplicity and attractive landscape. The district
was also known for Naxal movements.
The area with a hydro elective project and HAL had attractive outsiders too. While working in Odisha
my visits were frequent to all tribal districts and interiors too though not easy but I had no reservations.
My father too during pre/post independence 1946/48 had worked in the same district Koraput as Dist.
Medical Officer.
Incidentally, once most surprisingly in a lighter vain, I was cautioned by a senior bureaucrat, quoting:
‘Nandaji people say you are very friendly with the naxalites since you travel extensively in their area
absolutely unhurt’. Of course then I had laughed it out considering it as a joke. The district was also
known for naxlite movements seemed cautioning and sounded a bit concerned. After a month they
repeated, ‘Nandaji you travel in the naxal prone area at odd hours, day and night unharmed, this raises
eyebrows of many officials’. This very sentence motivated me to share the truth behind. I narrated a
true incidence, wherein I was returning late night accompanied by a newly appointed Govt senior
officer (under training). On the way back we were stopped by a group of localities to have a cup of tea.
They with a friendly gesture asked me, Babu why are you travelling at this late hour? I replied I had to
attend a dinner at the block head quarters, for which they intervened and said ‘Sir, we shall accompany
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you to cross the danger of unforeseen circumstances as you help us to not only feed our family but also
in many numerous ways. After listening to all this the senior bureaucrat was surprised and happy as
he seemed to understand the fact that our organization has played a key role in helping the tribal
people.
Few of the Numerous Projects Handled :

The Relief and Rehabilitation during calamity (food, cyclone and draught) in Bihar 1966 and
Andhra Pradesh in 1977/78

ORT Project 1982

Health Nutrition integration with UNICEF and UK aid (DFID)
Present Participation and Association- with Old Timers :
You know when I took VRS in 1996, my three children were in standard VII (my twin sons) and XI (my
daughter). I had to struggle hard to bring them up.
Considering my present health and resource conditions I may not be able to join you however, I am very
thankful and grateful for the love and support I received from the CARE family and looking forward for
a positive meeting with you in the near future.
With Warm Regards,
P.K.Nanda
9438317454, 8270119459
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17
Deepak Upadhyay
CARE – Bokaro (Jharkhand – India)
11th Sept.2003 – 30th Sept.2006
Demonstration & Partnership Officer
This four letter word ‘CARE’ meant a plethora of multidinous opportunities and challenges, as it itself
fittingly symbolized the character and constitution of Development Sector for a young boy who had just
graduated from college. After completing BSc Chemistry (Hons.) from Ranchi University in 1998, I had
been perpending on various ideas, to choose my career trajectory. This is one of the most decisive and
essential decision that one has to take, at least one’s in life, with lifelong repercussions.
I first heard about career opportunities in development sector from few of my college seniors, who alike
me at that time, knew of only one organization in the development space called CARE. I was diligently
communicated that ‘Cooperative for American Relief Everywhere’ the earlier acronym of CARE, is a
large international organization actively doing eleemosynary with their food distribution program.
Amorphously guided by them, with their embryonic knowledge domain about the sector, I was
determined to join development sector without even a miniature of knowledge what it really meant. I
started applying in institutes that offered Rural Development or Rural Management courses, with a
dream that I would get a job in CARE, which by that time, at least for me, was synonymous for the
Development World. In the same year I appeared for selection process in country’s three premiere
institutions offering courses in the sphere of rural development viz. - Institute of Rural Management,
Anand (IRMA), Xavier Institute of Social Services, (XISS) Ranchi and Xavier Institute of Management,
Bhubaneswar (XIMB). In April, 1999, the interview panel of XIMB queried me to name five agencies
working in development space, and I could utter was, only CARE. Fortunately, I got selected in XISS and
XIMB simultaneously but choose to join the latter. The word CARE had eclectic effect on me. In fact
while pursuing my two years course in Rural Management (1999-2001) I passionately dreamt, of taking
a job in CARE. It was during my two year stint that my horizon about other agencies working in the
sector expanded, but as first love, my eagerness to work with CARE persisted and deepened further.
Probably my aspirations, to be associated with this organization was so intense, that destiny coveted to
arrange my one month long winter internship program in CARE – Bihar in Nov-Dec, 2000, which
probably was first time in the history of XIMB. I along with one of my batch mate did our internship
under the astute guidance of Mr. Surya Mani Rawal in CASHE program of CARE – Bihar and was deputed
to one of CARE’s partner NGO – KSRA in Ranchi district, my hometown. Although this was my third
precinct exposure during my two year course to working of a development agency, it gave me immense
sense of pride and satisfaction to learn from the work and culture of CARE. It was here that I met Mr.
Waqar Anjum, who latter remained my cogitative link with the organization for next three years.
The entire nation was shocked by the apocalyptic earthquake that rocked Gujarat on the morning of
26th January, 2001 the Indian Republic Day. Its tremors were to be felt 2000 of KMs away in the
campus of XIMB. The entire placement plans were in ruckus with most of the potential recruiters
rushing to help people with rescue, rehabilitation and resettlement work in Gujarat. Agencies were
either turning down our request to come for the campus placement or were postponing dates for
indefinite period of times. CARE which was coming for the first time for campus placement was not an
exception.
Fortunately, after lots of follow ups by members of our placement cell, two CARE officials from New
Delhi arrived for campus placement. My hopes were raised and soon shattered when after clearing the
first round of Group Discussion, I could not make in the second round of written test. Ultimately, two of
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my batch mates were selected. After few weeks my destiny steered me to Delhi based NGO –
Development Alternatives and I was posted in Jhansi (U.P) for next two and half years. Entrusted with
the job of marketing of building technologies in six northern states of India, I made it a central point to
maintain my contacts with my friends working in CARE, which by that time had increased to four from
two.
Answering to the queries of our newly joined C.E.O, in one of the internal staff meetings in Development
Alternatives, I told them few years down the line, I want to see myself working for women and children,
instead of selling building technologies to ostentatious people. My candid but piquant response set
tumultuous turmoil amongst those erudite group. A person perceived as an accomplished sales person,
who over achieved sales targets in the past and responsible for technology sales in six northern states
of India was aspiring assuming ambitions. This made management skeptic about the future of their new
Business Plan which was to be anchored by me for next five years.
This incident further propelled my underlying ambition to associate with CARE. With accelerated zeal
and passion I started enquiring with all my friends in CARE about potential openings in CARE and
started sending applications. In this pursuit I took one personal trip to Ranchi (Jharkhand) and met Mr.
Waqar Anjum (Government Partnership Officer) and Mr. Sujeet Ranjan (State Program Representative).
Upon their advice I submitted by resume under Reproductive and Child Health, Nutrition and HIV &
AIDS (RACHNA) program where recruitments were going on.
My assiduous efforts paid off and I got simultaneous interview calls from CARE – Jharkhand and CARE –
U.P. I underwent the selection process in CARE – Jharkhand.
I vividly recall when in first week of August, 2003, Mr. A.K.Mohan, from Ranchi office broke the news of
my selection over my phone, I felt myself on cloud nine. I was selected for the post of Demonstration
and Partnership Office. Ultimately on 11th September, 2003, I became part of my much cherished CARE
family and was posted in Bokaro district of Jharkhand.
Our district team was responsible for managing programs in three districts – Bokaro, Dhanbad and
Jamtara. It was a vivacious team of eight personnel comprising of both young and old people. Being a
person with non-health background, I got lot of technical mentoring from my senior colleagues in the
organization. Self driving of Jeeps was a mandate at that time, for field based officials. After three ardent
attempts to satisfy the CARE’s regular drivers, I finally got permission to drive the blue and white
colored MM-540 machines. Bokaro was one of the three teams where all the components of RACHNA
program – RCH, Nutrition and HIV & AIDS (both Rural and Urban Programs) were being implemented.
The HIV & AIDS program brought new challenges with itself. It required operations and driving after
dusk. While driving and field operations were not allowed in the evening, as an especial case the Team
members were granted this permission. Hence, in the day time we would visit the Anganwadi Centres
and villages while in the evening till almost mid night we would interact with migrants, truckers, sex
workers, porters and homeless children at streets and railway stations.
The enabling environment in CARE allowed me to be a part of contemporary innovations. I successfully
initiated the manufacturing of low cost disposable delivery kits and also implanted the concept of
Breast Feeding Counseling Centers. In partnership with our local NGOs we initiated a series of
Behaviour Change Communication programs. The mobile health awareness vans proved to be a great
success among all stakeholders. Especially the evening shows would gather lot of crowd. Drawn by its
success even our counterparts in World Health Organisation (WHO), used our services to target some of
the hostile communities under their polio eradication program.
On 26th December, 2004, the Sumatra-Andaman Tsunami had hit many of the South Asian Countries
devastating lives 230,000 lives in 14 countries. CARE responded to this catastrophic situation and
immediately rushed its personnel for undertaking rescue and rehabilitation work. This led to
delineation and reallocation of work among team members and I was entrusted the additional
responsibility of managing HIV & AIDS both Rural and Urban programs.
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Since, our work involved too much of travelling outside the district every quarter, the team would
organize family get together. This bonding was so strong that even now, the family members of team
members have continued the relationship and meet on occasions. In year, 2005, me and my wife were
blessed with my first son – Aaditya. During the pregnancy and lactation period of my wife, when she
had shifted to my hometown, my colleague and one of my best friend Mr. Brajesh Das and his wife
generously extended warm hospitality and regularly hosted dinners for almost a year. This bonding
grew so strong that after our adieu from CARE, we both had have been working together in UNDP and
other organisations since the last seven years.
I got opportunity to work with three very charismatic and cultivated regional managers – Joby George,
Anirudh Brahmachari and Sharon Thangadurai. In the terminal year of the project i.e. in 2006 under the
leadership of Sharon Thangadurai , we undertook intensive field camps in districts of Godda and Dumka
and significantly improved the immunization and other indicators of health. I would drive almost 200
Kms per day during those days. This approach yielded dividend and I remember ensuring full
immunization in one village of Godda district, where due to tussle between villagers and district
administration vaccination camps other than polio had not taken place since last 14 years.
Working for almost 36 months I left CARE to join UNDP in September, 2006. The meaning of joining
development sector was known to me in real terms. Smaller reunions are still held with families of
colleagues. The tentative first steps have translated into certain steps as I traverse to make small
changes in people’s lives.
Not only the wind beneath the wings but the wings itself for my aims, ambitions and aspirations have
been conferred to me by CARE. I acknowledge CARE for metamorphosing my life.
Deepak Upadhyay
[email protected]
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18
CARE USA: 1965 - 1968
Iran, Bangladesh, India & Poland
BANGLADESH
An Interesting Memory
Finding myself in Dhaka, East Pakistan (Bangladesh) in 1966, after having been transferred
from Tehran Iran, I experienced something which I remember as both funny and relevant to us
development folks.
I lived alone and had a wonderful cook and his two nephews to look after me. Jahir, my cook, did the
usual marketing and religiously guarded the refrigerator's contents. One day I happened to ask his
nephew Montu, who was generally responsible for washing and ironing, to bring me something from
the fridge, as his uncle Jahir was occupied. Montu respectfully and repeatedly refused to do so and no
amount of coaching would convince him that the "fridge spirits" would not punish him immediately
upon his touching the fridge handle.
Uncle Jahir pulled me aside and urged me to leave Montu believing in his "refrigerator spirits", as this
enabled his him to easily control Montu's habit of snacking between meals by raiding the fridge.
Jahir later quietly pointed out to me that the fridge was not properly grounded and
that Montu preferred to be barefooted rather than wear sandals! Montu continued on
working barefooted and Uncle Jahir insisted that the electrical short in our fridge not be repaired.
I learned about technological awareness in economically developing societies. Thank you Uncle Jahir!
BIHAR, INDIA
During the Bihar (India) Famine Relief Program back around 1966-67 good ole George Taylor, CARE’s
country Director for India, managed to assemble in Patna, Bihar an extremely talented and diverse team
of CARE employees from all over India, well as from other CARE countries. This writer was called from
Dacca, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and remained in Bihar for a good part of the program until
contracting Hepatitis.
Several of us international reps (Larry Holzman, Walter Salmen, Dave Henry of UNICEF, etc) got
together and rented a house where we periodically recovered from extended field trips. Those R&R
(rest and recuperation) breaks were really welcomed after weeks of working and travelling in the hot
and dusty conditions of rural Bihar.
The arrival of a native New Yorker straight out of urban Brooklyn, who had been contracted by CARE
Headquarters to take publicity photos, was viewed with some reservation by this group. After just a few
days of staying with us, during which time he constantly talked about his beautiful girlfriends back
home; the wonderful night life he enjoyed there; his unparallel exploits as a bachelor in New York; etc.
our initial reservations turned to resentment. To top it off he implied that we are rather stupid for being
where we were and for doing what we were doing. We had our fill!
Our instructions from George Taylor back in Delhi were to expose this photographer to the bare reality
of famine and why CARE was there. Of course that meant leaving the relative comfort of our residence
in Patna and heading for hot and dusty rural Bihar. I was lucky enough to have this young photographer
with me on the first leg of his new adventure. Oh boy, I couldn’t wait!
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No sooner had we loaded my Jeep on the crowded ferry for a trip up the Ganges into northern Bihar had
this fellow started taking photographs of nursing mothers, against my advice, and generally acting
totally insensitive to the feelings of our fellow passengers. Time to put my plan into action! My Indian
Willys Jeep had a canvas top with roll up windows that, with some experience, could be adjusted to
allow for an air flow which would prevent most dust from entering the Jeep. The opposite could also be
cunningly achieved!
A Short time later this nameless photographer was passed on to another field rep. in a rather hot and
dusty state. Retribution was had!
Al Hering
[email protected]
March 2013
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19
Victor Paul
CARE India
July 3, 1989 – April 12, 1996
What comes to my mind, when I think about my CARE journey, is the magnificent office building (facing
the upper lake) of CARE Madhya Pradesh at Shyamla
Hills, Bhopal and a team of cheerful colleagues. Though
my joining in CARE was accidental, it groomed me and
helped to build up my professional career. I was not
having any clue what was in store for my career ahead,
when I married Mercy, who was working with Punjab
National Bank in Bhopal in 1988. I was working with
Tata Tea Ltd at Munnar (Kerala) when I got married.
Mercy started searching for a suitable job for me at
Bhopal (her native place) from the very first day of our
marriage. The search concluded when she found an advt.
The vehicle that I used for Field visits- a school in
by CARE Madhya Pradesh for field officers (FO). She
Bastar district in the back drop - 1992
didn’t realise the fact at that point of time that a Field
Officer has to be in the field at least 15 to 20 days in a
month. Though my interview was held for CSG (child survival grant) project, I was assigned the role of
FO PNP later.
Mr.PE Haridasan was the administrator when I joined CARE-MP field office. I was exposed to CARE
systems of in-house and on the job training immediately after I joined. I must mention this here that I
have worked with several Bi-lateral and
international agencies after my career with CARE
but I have not come across such an effective
induction system anywhere else.
Sheri.
S.K.Kapoor, Deepak Aurangabadkar and Narendra
Francis explained me about the roles and
responsibilities of FO, especially the accounting,
safe keeping, FIFO method, and disposal of claims
and auditing of food commodities based on FMCM.
While explaining the do’s & don’ts for field trips,
Narendra Francis was very particular in
explaining the location of good eating places,
especially roadside Dhabas. I still remember SK Kapoor’s (who was my supervisor in the initial four
years) usual advice to FOs while clearing the TER, @“Hisab aur Pisab Saaf Hona Chahiye”. Mr. John
Varghese took over Mr.Kapoor’s position when Mr.kapoor was transferred to Rajasthan.
I have vivid memories of my field trips with Subhash Moghe, Narendra Francis, Deepak Aurangabadkar,
Kamal Abbhas Khan, Anupam Sarkar and Sanjay Kumar Sharma during my initial days with CARE that
helped me to understand my job well, especially about various preparations / arrangements to be made
before the field trip, tasks to be accomplished during the trip and various documentation & reporting
after the trip. Other colleagues whom I remember fondly are Manoj K Naresh, Ashok Kumar Trivedi,
Narendra Kumar Dundu, Rajiv Kunji, SH Abbas ,Thomas K Cherian, RK Nambiar, Peter Trinidad, Ms.
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Srivastav, Mario Rodriguez, Sandhya, Prashanth Verma, John Parmar, Dileep Khawade, Sidhatrh
Agrawal and Sujatha Patnaik. All of them have contributed to my experiences in a unique manner.
Other team members from Finance, Admin section and support staff, whom I remember are Ms.Joan
Devgan , Mathew Jose, Lucy Mathew, Valsa Khan, Tarun Thomas, Bindu, Sushma Dubey, Abdul Khaliq,
Rajan Thomas, Kumar , Habib Khan and Vijay.
Some of the memorable events during my tenure with CARE are the celebration of 50th anniversary of
CARE in India, M.P Chief Minister Mr.Patwa’s visit to CARE –MP office, Field & Food inventory regional
workshop in Udaipur (1990) & Bhopal (1994), Monitoring of Child Survival Grant (CSG), Training of
ICDS functionaries, launch of INHP etc. Working with Gita Pillai and team on LRSP (Long Range
strategic Plan) was a fantastic experience in my life. Though I was working as Field Officer (PNP),
additional responsibility of Training co-ordinator for the training ICDS functionaries (a joint initiative of
Govt of MP and CARE), was entrusted to me in the year 1995. The entire exercise of developing training
modules, session plans and training methodologies for TOT and next field level trainings were an
enriching experience and contributed the growth of my career. One of the best thing in training that I
learned during this period is “participatory training” methods and “TOT” techniques.
I cannot forget my first field trip to Bastar district (now in Chhattisgarh state) along with my colleague
Mr.Subhash Mogue in August, 1989. We started our journey in Mahindra Jeep (old model) from Bhopal
at 9am after breakfast and our destination for day one was Deori guest house (about 400 Kms) on
Nagpur Raipur Road. When we reached Budhini Ghat around 11.30AM we got a flat tyre. We proceeded
with our journey after changing the tyre and reached Itarsi around 1PM. The condition of the road was
so poor that we couldn’t drive beyond a speed of 30 to 40 KM per hour. We stopped for lunch in a
Dhaba at the outskirts of Itarsi where there was the facility for repairing puncture.
We started our journey from the Dhaba after lunch but soon after covering around 20Kms we observed
the engine temperature of the vehicle going up. It was due to a leakage from the Radiator bracket. We
have removed the radiator and taken it to Itarsi in a local taxi for repair. It was around 6PM when got
the radiator fixed in our vehicle. We continued our journey hoping that we could reach Betul (about
70Kms from the spot) before 8 PM but the radiator started leaking again after 10 Kms distance. As we
had to go back to Itarsi again for repairing the radiator and we were tired of day’s agony, we thought of
somehow reaching Kesla guest house which was 5 Kms away from the spot. I stood on the right side
mudguard of the Vehicle pouring water in the radiator and Moghe drove the vehicle slowly as its bonnet
in an open condition. Thus our day one ended at
Kesla guest house which was only 120 Kms away
from Bhopal. We got the radiator repaired next day
and proceeded to our destination at 11 AM.
Fortunately, the road condition was good after
Betul, on Maharastra side.
After halting in Raipur (where we reached around
11.30PM) we again continued our journey to Bastar
at 8AM on day 3. We didn’t stop anywhere for tea,
as we had to reach Kanker block during office hours
(MDM programme in-charge used to close his office
at 3PM) to make our day effective. But it started
raining when we crossed Dhamtari (approximately 80Kms from Raipur) and we had to reduce our
vehicle speed, though the road condition was very good. What happened next is an unforgettable and
unbelievable incident. As soon as Subhash applied break to give way for a speeding truck, our jeep
turned 360 degrees twice on the road and stopped facing opposite direction. Fortunately, the road
was very wide and no vehicle crossed at that time. It was a miraculous escape for both of us.
Another incidence that I would like to narrate here is that the Food& Field regional workshop at
Udaipur was scheduled on May 7th 1990 at the same time an important family function was planned to
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be held in Cochin. I have consulted with some of my senior colleagues for their suggestion so that I
could take a decision to attend the function where I was supposed to take a leading role, along with my
family members. Many of my colleagues suggested attending the regional workshop as it happens only
once in two years and very important for all field staff to attend. Since I have not yet completed one
year probation period at that time and I was very serious with my work, I have decided to attend the
workshop at Udaipur instead of attending the function. This was a decision that caused displeasure
among the family members as they felt that I gave priority to work than family.
I was fortunate to work with some of the efficient Administrators like PE Haridasan, RC Mahajan, PR
Chouhan, K. Karan , RV Wala and other colleagues whose reference given above. Two Asst.
Administrators who were there in CARE MP Office during my tenure are SL Srinivas and RH Trivedi. I
owe each one of my colleagues (both Field & office) and other support staff for their continuous support
and mentoring which shaped my professional career. It won’t be embellishing, if I say that the 6 years
and 9 months I spent in this esteemed organisation has laid the foundation for my career ahead.
Victor Paul
[email protected]
@Page 1, end of para two, , @“Hisab aur Pisab Saaf Hona Chahiye” - ,clarification
Literally meaning "accounting and urine" (Hissab and Pisaab) in general,
as a proverb in Hindi language, means One determines the "moral health" and the
other "physical health".
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20
Virginia Ubik
CARE
March 26, 1973 – December 31, 2000
Assignments: Ecuador, Peru, India (West Bengal), Guatemala, Bangladesh, Haiti, India (Delhi),
USA/Atlanta (Latin America/Caribbean Unit)
Toward the end of 1972, I decided it was time to take a shot at seeking a job that would allow me to live
in Latin America. It had been five years since I graduated from college, during which time I gained
valuable management experience from a three-year stint with the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development’s Chicago Regional office, followed by the opportunity of a lifetime: working on the
Sixth Illinois Constitutional Convention (1970). The Illinois Constitution was 100 years old and needed
to be brought into the modern world. I convinced the Executive Director to offer me a staff job and HUD
agreed to give me a leave-of-absence to participate in the historic event. I moved to the state capital,
Springfield, for what indeed turned out to be the most stimulating and inspiring one-year of my life. I
was assigned as part of the support staff for the Suffrage and Amending Committee, among whose
achievements was the successful proposal to lower the voting age to eighteen. After such an exciting
political experience, returning to my more mundane job at HUD was not in the cards. In hindsight, the
three years with HUD prepared me very well for my CARE career in terms of planning, budget oversight
and managing people.
I had just finished co-authoring a monograph on the deliberations of the Suffrage & Amending
Committee when a friend of mine, who knew of my interest in Latin America, gave me the name of
Ralph Devone, whom he had met at a conference. At the time, Ralph was head of CARE’s Program
Department. I sent a letter to Ralph indicating I was coming to New York for a week and would very
much like to meet him. No reply. I proceeded to line up other interviews for the trip, including Catholic
Relief Services and an oil(!) company. After spending three days interviewing at CRS, I was offered a job
in New York in their Latin America Unit. Since I preferred to go overseas, I thanked them and moved on
to the oil company, whose representative asked me why I thought they would consider sending me
overseas when “even their most senior executives did not get such posts!” By then, it was Thursday
morning and I had nothing to lose. I decided to take a chance and phone Ralph Devone, even though he
had not replied to my letter. When I got through to him, he immediately said: “Where have you been?
I’ve been expecting you.” He invited me to come to his office that afternoon. After interviewing me,
Ralph said he could offer me a job in the Latin America section of the Program Department. However,
he recognized I wanted to be overseas and invited me to return the next morning to meet some of the
executives.
The following day, I had individual interviews with Bert Smucker, Mert Cregger, Lou Samia and Fred
Devine (who asked me if I knew how to change a tire!). I was thrilled at the opportunity to learn about
CARE and impressed by the fact that each of these men fit me into their schedule on such short notice.
As I headed out to the airport for my return trip to Chicago, Bert Smucker told me I would be hearing
from him. Part of me was riding high, but I also wondered whether Bert was simply inferring: “Don’t
call us, we’ll call you.” A week later, I received a note from Bert indicating my interviews had gone well
and he enjoyed meeting me. Again, I thought this might be a “thanks, but no thanks” courtesy letter.
Shortly thereafter, I received another letter from Bert inviting me to join CARE’s overseas staff and
come for orientation the week of March 26, 1973. The letter also indicated my specific assignment had
not yet been determined, but I would spend my first six months in Honduras becoming familiar with
CARE’s work. I was so excited even though I had no idea where I would be going beyond Honduras. I
was finally getting a chance to live and work in Latin America!
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[Little did I know CARE had recently lost a lawsuit for discrimination against women (in terms of not
assigning women to overseas posts) and was under pressure to include more women in its
management ranks. There had been one woman CD in Mexico in the sixties. As I look back, I think I
arrived just in time to help destroy the myths about women not being ready for overseas assignments.]
When I arrived for orientation, Bert told me plans had changed and I would be going to Honduras for
only two weeks before heading off to my assignment, which would be either Bangladesh or Ecuador. I
was crushed. I knew I would not accept an assignment to Bangladesh. After all, I was on my mission to
live and work in Latin America and speak Spanish the rest of my life. After a slight pause, Bert
continued: “...but you’re going to Ecuador.” Whoopee, my dream was coming true! (Of course, I didn’t
know then that I would some day be the CD in Bangladesh and it would turn out to be a very satisfying
assignment in terms of the breadth of the overall program and the diversity of donors!)
By 1973, CARE no longer held group orientations, which meant I missed out on the class camaraderie
that so many others enjoyed and remembered through the years. I was on my own in the New York
office for a week. I met folks in Personnel, Accounting and Program, and even ordered a refrigerator
and industrial strength mixmaster from whoever the guy was (Al Stern?) that CARE would call in to
facilitate such personal purchases. For starters, I was given the Ecuador “numbered letter” file to read.
I learned the difference between the placement of the “L” in front of or behind the number and that
Ecuador seemed to have excruciating difficulty getting a spare part from New York for one of its
vehicles----about ten letters on that topic!
Departure for Ecuador, via Honduras, was in mid-April. I was so excited about starting the job I barely
said goodbye to my family---my mother continuing to wonder aloud why I “couldn’t find the same kind
of work” in the Mexican neighborhood near ours!
By the time I got to Honduras and was ushered in to meet the Country Director, I was even more excited
and eager to learn about CARE’s work on the ground. After receiving a friendly “hello,” I found myself
totally deflated when Doug Atwood looked me in the eye and greeted me by saying: “Well, I hope you’re
not going to quit after two weeks and take off to get married like your predecessor in Ecuador.” (I later
learned that my predecessor in Ecuador was a very talented professional who simply wanted to focus
on population issues and get a related master’s degree; she also happened to be getting married. Doug
and I had a chance to laugh about that first encounter when we enjoyed lunch together during K.T.
Srinnivasan’s 2009 visit to Atlanta.) We got beyond that “moment” quickly and I had a great two weeks
in Honduras learning CD wisdom from Doug, school construction at the field level from the ACD, Buck
Northrup, and how to do a proper port physical count from Charlie Kiser. Having grown up in a tavern,
I felt particularly at home when Charlie would suggest we stop for a drink in the hotel bar to discuss
what I had learned when we returned from the port each day.
Ecuador: April, 1973 - December, 1975
After a whirlwind two weeks in Honduras, I finally reached the country of my assignment. Charles E.
Niemann was the Country Director and kindly met me at the airport upon arrival. This was a custom I
observed in Charles, Doug Atwood and many others, and one which I continued to practice during my
entire career. I recall how welcome I felt seeing the Country Director at the airport and appreciated the
personal touch it represented.
Like Doug Atwood in Honduras, Charles was wary of the new female arrival, but we soon hit it off and
he learned he could count on me.
My assignment involved the review of food distribution at Mother/Child Health centers in the central
highlands, as well as hand water pump installations in the jungle area. Fred Devine should not have
asked whether I could change a tire---that was easy. He should have asked whether I could drive a stick
shift! Under the guidance of John McLeod (ACD), I learned to drive a stick shift on the hills of Quito one
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afternoon while he was visiting from Guayaquil. What an introduction to development! Eventually, I
was driving throughout the country and easily getting around landslide-covered roads in remote areas.
Ecuador also provided my first experience with a coup d’etat. When not away in the countryside, I tried
to learn/practice tennis at 6AM a couple of times a week in Quito---nothing like sports at 9,600 ft. to get
one ready for the day! One morning, I heard the sounds of low flying airplanes overhead, but proceeded
to the tennis courts anyway. The instructor was shocked to see me and said: “Don’t you know the
government has been overthrown?!” On my way home, I was the only one on the road...
About halfway through my assignment, Charles Niemann was transferred to Jordan. My new CD was
Jim Puccetti, coming from earthquake devastated Nicaragua. Jim took me under his wing and taught me
the ins and outs of CARE budgeting. Unbeknownst to me, he also recommended I be included in the
Nutrition Training Conference to be held for CDs in Colombia. Whatever Jim said to convince them,
“New York” agreed and I was the only non-CD invited to the conference. In addition to the valuable
training, the opportunity resulted in my meeting many of the cast of characters I would know
throughout my CARE career, many of whom I continue to enjoy seeing at the annual Old-timers’
luncheon in New York.
As most international staff soon realize, the country of one’s first assignment holds a special place in
our hearts. One never forgets where it all began. To this day, I am in touch with several of the national
staff who were part of CARE Ecuador in 1973: Raúl Cadena, Julia Inés Burbano, Florencia Espinosa and
Paulina Armijos. We’ve even managed to get together a couple of times during the past 40 years to
catch up and reminisce.
Peru: January 13, 1976 - January 13, 1979
I considered my transfer to Peru as the next step in a life of moving from country to country in South
America while working on worthwhile endeavors. I was very happy to join CD, Buck Northrup, who
had taken me on my first field trip in Honduras a few years earlier. In Peru, I would be focused totally
on village potable water projects, funded principally by the Canadian government. I learned so much,
especially how to insure the limelight was shared by more than one CI Member. I loved the variety that
came with working for CARE. One day I’d be half way up a mountain in the Andes on my way to a water
source, just me and the local Indians. A couple days later, I might be meeting with a senior government
official on project plans. Never a dull moment. I often got a kick out of riding the train with all the
tourists from Cusco to Macchu Picchu, with me getting off a couple stops earlier to meet with the
villagers putting in gravity flow water systems in the surrounding area.
My second coup d’etat occurred in Peru at a very inopportune time. I was scheduled to fly out of Lima
for a meeting, but a “toque de queda” (curfew) was in place for several days after the coup. I managed
to obtain a military pass that allowed me to drive on the empty streets, making it through all the
checkpoints on the way to the airport in the middle of the night...an eery trip, but it worked. I think I
still have that official pass somewhere in my belongings...
When Buck was called to New York to take up the assignment for which he was famous for so many
years, and at which he has never been equaled, Dale Harrison arrived as the new CD. Tom Hanley, the
other Field Rep and I went to the airport to meet Dale, whom we did not know. As people got off the
plane, I recall that Tom and I made bets with each other as to which one was Dale. Our imaginations
went wild. Both of us were wrong, but we enjoyed a good laugh. Dale, too, was a wonderful mentor
without even knowing it. His sense of justice is something I will never forget. He was absolutely fair in
assessing situations and making decisions, as well as challenging some of us newcomers about our own
perspectives.
One day, while Dale was on a field trip and I was contemplating living in Peru forever, I received a letter
from Don Sanders informing me of my transfer to West Bengal. I thought to myself: Where in hell is
West Bengal?! The second line of the letter read: “This includes the Port of Calcutta.” My first reaction
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was: Oh my God, India! I was in shock. All this time, I thought I was working my way down to Chile but,
all of a sudden, CARE wanted to send me to the other side of the world. Dale was not due back for a
couple of days, so I stewed about my future, all the time thinking there was no way I would leave Latin
America. I even went to the airport to meet Dale upon his return, rather than await his arrival at the
office. He was surprised to see me there and, after learning my news, congratulated me on the great
opportunity that India represented. I had forgotten that Dale had served in Bombay and Hyderabad, as
well as Bangladesh---and that he loved those assignments. There was to be no sympathy from him! On
the contrary, he kept telling me how lucky I was to be going to Calcutta. With great disappointment, I
departed South America.
West Bengal, India: February, 1979 - July, 1981
A couple of days before my departure for India, I grudgingly realized I should probably begin to learn
about my next country. Finally, on the plane, I settled in to read Freedom at Midnight and there began
my fascination with that wondrous nation.
After arriving in New Delhi in the middle of the night, it was off to meet the CARE India team in Greater
Kailash a few hours later. Since it was winter, all the men were wearing suits. I had never seen a CARE
office (outside of the US) where the men wore suits to work. It seemed like such a “sophisticated”
environment. Allan Turnbull was the CD and he told me he had actually requested me for the West
Bengal assignment. I had no idea he had even heard of me while I was in Latin America.
When it came time to depart for Calcutta and my role as State Administrator - West Bengal, Ron
Burkard happened to be on the same flight on his way back to Bangladesh. He could tell I was anxious
about my new assignment, so he advised me just to be “tough.” I made it through my first day (a Friday)
at the office on Short Street only to return on Monday to find that all the furniture in the Administrator’s
room had either been removed or rearranged to allow for a mix-match of rather colorful bench-like
seating along the walls. It was my first test in this new culture! I asked Romesh Mahajan (the Deputy
State Administrator) what happened and he earnestly replied, “It was thought such seating would be
better for meetings.” I took a deep breath, put on my best face exuding confidence and asked that
everything be returned to the way it was the previous Friday. I don’t remember the reason I gave but,
within half an hour, everything was back in its place.
Another memory from my early months in Calcutta was that of working by candlelight in a very hot and
muggy office environment. There was significant “load-shedding” in Calcutta in those years and one
never knew when one’s neighborhood would have the power cut off. It seemed to happen just after
everyone got to the office each morning and lasted most of the day. During my first week in the office,
while working by candlelight with sweat dripping from my forehead onto the yellow legal pad on which
I was writing, I recall asking myself what in the world I was doing in this place?! During that time, Terry
Jeggle was the ACD-Administration based in New Delhi and was carefully monitoring costs throughout
the mission. I attempted, to no avail, to get authorization to purchase a generator for the office. Several
weeks later, Pat Carey, the ACD-Program, was visiting Calcutta and observed the conditions under
which the staff were working. During one of our conversations, he casually mentioned Terry would be
on leave for the next 10 days and that he would be covering for him in his absence. It took me a minute
to realize what Pat was trying to convey. After he departed for Delhi the next day, I resubmitted the
request for a generator for the Calcutta office and it was approved immediately----by the “Acting” ACDAdministration. Weeks later, on a visit to Calcutta, Terry noticed the generator and queried me about it.
As I recall, we had a good laugh---at least that’s how I remember it...
One of the fun memorable moments in West Bengal was the time I was mistaken for Indira Gandhi. I’m
sure those of you who know me cannot fathom any resemblance. Apparently, the village I was visiting
was so isolated that, upon seeing a Jeep carrying a woman, the children could only imagine that Indira
Gandhi had come to visit. They ran after the vehicle shouting: “Indira Gandhi! Indira Gandhi!” I was so
sorry to disappoint them.
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After about six months in West Bengal, I happened to be in Delhi for meetings at CIHQ (CARE India HQ).
During a conversation with Terry & Pat, they announced that I was “pretty good for someone coming
from the resort circuit.” Prior to this, I had no idea the rest of the CARE world thought of Latin America
assignments as an easy go.
During that earlier visit from Pat Carey, I made my first trip to the northern part of the state. It was also
Pat’s first trip to West Bengal and Ram Bhargava (CIHQ Food Auditor) was along to see how things
were going. One night, the three of us found lodging in the rundown former home of the Maharajah of
Cooch Behar, which was serving as the government circuit (guest) house for the area. Of course, there
was no electricity at the time we arrived and we were the only ones staying there. After locating our
rooms, the three of us decided to sit out on the balcony overlooking the grounds with only the stars for
light. We asked for something to drink and a bowl of ice was brought along with the beverages. In the
dark, Ram and I eagerly added the ice to our drinks, while Pat did not touch it. The next morning, when
we returned to the balcony, we noticed the bowl that had previously held the ice now contained a
substantial amount of dirt along with the water that remained from the melted ice. It turned out that
Ram and I were spared any illness. However, a few days after returning to Delhi, Pat was hospitalized,
even though he was the only one who didn’t risk the tainted ice...He never let us forget that experience!
During my time in Calcutta, I became friends with a tabla (Indian drum) player who, along with other
musicians, was trying to get noticed on the music scene. While I had not yet come to appreciate Indian
classical music, I thought I would widen my cultural horizons by accepting their offer to hold a “concert”
in my small apartment. The only hitch was that they insisted I invite the U.S. Consul General, who
indeed was known to appreciate such music. They were convinced they could get some local press if
the Consul General attended. I gave it a shot and found the Consul General was eager to come to the
mini concert. The temperature that evening was in the high 90s with a raging humidity. Just as the
three musicians were tuning up in my living room, the sarod (traditional Indian stringed instrument)
player paused for a moment to try to identify a noise that was bothering him. He asked what the soft
humming sound was. Of course, it was the air conditioner. He requested it be shut off for the duration
of the concert. Anyone who knows Indian classical music knows that it can go on for hours until it
reaches its high point. While this concert lasted just a few hours, the guests were left to sweat it out,
albeit enjoyably. I make reference to this incident because the young sarod player was Amjad Ali Khan,
who later became the most recognized master of the sarod in all of India. When I returned for my
second assignment to India in 1992, Romesh Mahajan fondly recalled that night in Calcutta and jokingly
suggested I should claim credit for having given Amjad Ali Khan his start.
Calcutta was also the beginning of an almost 15-year journey with “Stas, the wonder cat.” Diplomatic
friends of mine (hoping to unload five kittens) convinced me to take (just for a few hours...) one of the
kittens born to their pedigreed cat. They tried to sell me on the idea by claiming people in the States
would pay $150 for such a kitten, while I could have it for free! They knew that after a few hours I
would fall in love with the kitten. His “diplomatic” status was surely diminished when I gave him a good
Polish nickname. I mention Stas here only because many of you taking the time to read these memories
knew him either in India, Guatemala, Bangladesh, Haiti or back in India, where he was laid to rest in the
country of his birth. Thanks to P.E. Haridasan’s assistance, the front lawn at the former Greater Kailash
office is now hallowed ground.
My Calcutta experience also included the “honor” of being “gheraoed.” A “gherao” is a Bengali practice
that takes place (usually in government settings) when a group with a grievance traps an official in his
office, with no chance of his leaving until he gives in to their demands---no matter how many hours or
days it takes. One morning, the staff noticed a rowdy crowd in the street in front of our office. It turned
out to be a large group of stevedores from the Port of Calcutta, who were demanding to meet with the
“boss” to discuss their desire to be made “permanent employees.” Staff were concerned about the tense
situation and worried things might get out of hand. To deal with the matter, I agreed to meet with two
of their leaders. At that point, Romesh Mahajan pointed out that all of them were carrying the sharp
curled knives they used for their work in the Port. Maybe it was my relative “youth,” but I thought I
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should at least listen to their grievances. Within a few minutes, I found myself with two armed
stevedores dressed in loin cloths and bandanas staring at me wide-eyed across my desk. After listening
to them, I explained that while the cargo was CARE’s, it was the shipping company that handled all the
port work, including the hiring of laborers to do the unloading. I’d like to think it was due to my
effective diplomacy that they departed quietly and the crowd in the street dispersed, but I have a feeling
they were simply in shock the whole time observing a foreign woman in what they thought would be a
man’s role. Unbeknownst to me, Romesh sent word out through the CARE India grapevine that I had
“handled the situation like a man.” From then on, I seemed to benefit from newfound respect from my
fellow State Administrators whenever we met. Months later, at a function sponsored by the Waterman
Steamship Company, their representative came up to me and asked how I had liked being “gheraoed” by
the stevedores. He then confessed to having been the one who had sent them to the CARE office by
misleading them with talk of CARE being responsible for them. He seemed to think it was really funny...
In the end, Calcutta managed to win my heart and to this day I feel a very special emotional bond with
the city. After almost three years in West Bengal, I received a call from George Radcliffe (Program
Department Director) informing me of my selection to be CD in Guatemala...so it was back to Latin
America.
Guatemala: August, 1981 - July, 1984
My first CD position! I was both thrilled and scared. The situation was complicated by the fact there
would be no turnover with the outgoing CD, Mike Viola, who had already moved on to his next post. I
wondered where to start. To my pleasant surprise, Mike had left a large envelope on my desk with
meticulously detailed instructions regarding the reference materials I would find in each desk drawer
(annotated budgets, project papers, appraisals, etc.), including a tiny cassette with a personal
assessment of staff strengths and, in particular, an alert regarding his secretarial assistant’s hesitation
to work with a female CD. (That assistant, Eugenia Wizel, later became a trusted and truly supportive
colleague. After about six months of working together, she confessed to me her original doubts in terms
even stronger than those shared by Mike. In the end, what a team we made and what a wonderful
friendship!) My confidence was especially bolstered after listening to Mike’s voice on the turnover
cassette declaring: “With the Overseas Operations Manual in hand, a monkey could handle the job!” In
hindsight, it was the most thorough turnover I ever had.
Another surprise was the vehicle assigned to the Country Director. I had never driven a Citroen before
and was startled when the car raised straight up about ten inches when the ignition was turned on.
Many of you will not be surprised to learn the vehicle had been purchased during the time of Felix
Ashinhurst, who preceded Mike Viola as the CD. I thought of Felix every time the car lifted me into the
air.
Guatemala turned out to be the setting for my third “coup” experience; I was now batting three for three
in Latin America. (In fact, while back home on leave at the family bar in Chicago, customers teased me
about surely being part of the CIA, since there was a coup everywhere I went.) Young military officers
decided to overthrow the government and, afterwards, turned to their former officers’ training school
instructor, General Efrain Rios Montt, to assume the presidency. Shortly thereafter, I was reading the
local newspaper and noted that Rios Montt had held a meeting with “all the non-governmental
organizations” to discuss priorities. To say the least, I was disappointed CARE had not been invited. I
proceeded to write a letter to the President pointing out the omission and requesting information on
the results of the meeting. My expectation was to receive a summary document of the points
considered and recommendations made. About three days later, around 5PM, Eugenia Wizel walked
into my office bearing a telegram addressed to me, which read something to the effect of: “Expecting
your presence for an audience at the palace at 10AM tomorrow morning. Rios Montt.” Needless to say,
I was stunned and soon gathering my thoughts about what the President might want and with whom I
might meet at the palace. It turned out to be a one-on-one session with the President, who basically
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inquired as to whether CARE could purchase a German-made food-processing machine he was
personally interested in for one of his government initiatives. So went my moment at the palace...
The new government did not result in a just settlement of the conflict nor in improved security. The
frailty of the situation came close to home for CARE one evening just after John Mosher (our
agroforestry manager) and his wife departed my house after a dinner. John lived in the downtown area,
not far from the palace. They were almost home when, after a stoplight turned green, John proceeded
to drive through the crossing toward the end of the next block. A bomb exploded behind him near
where he had been stopped at the previous light. A reminder of how we often take for granted our
safety overseas. I also recall trips on the back roads of the highlands where we would be stopped every
few miles by local “civil patrols” (established by the army to control movement in the areas of conflict).
During these stops by armed villagers, I observed some of them trying to read my driver’s license
upside down while unaware their loosely swinging rifles were casually pointed in our direction. Lucky
indeed.
Just as I was thinking I would remain in Guatemala for several more years, I met with Buck Northrup at
a regional meeting and learned my years of alternating back and forth between Latin America and
South Asia would continue.
Bangladesh: August, 1984 - July, 1987
What a change! Guatemala had 29 staff plus 3 internationals and a $3 million program. Bangladesh had
800 staff plus 16 internationals with a $125 million program. It was certainly a new challenge for me--and very stimulating. The Government of Bangladesh was unusually supportive and open to new ideas
and strategies. And, because the plight of Bangladesh was at the forefront of donor governments
throughout the world, it offered an opportunity to obtain major funding for a variety of development
initiatives.
In Bangladesh, CARE was perceived as an “American” organization. While there was nothing
intrinsically wrong with that, as a true believer in the nascent “CARE International,” I took it upon
myself to “help” anyone who came into contact with us appreciate we were truly “international.” This
took some doing considering I happened to be an American myself. In addition to changing the sign in
front of the office to read “CARE International in Bangladesh” (an action noted by some in the CARE
world because it was unusual at the time), we decided to try to obtain support from every Member of
CI. As part of that pursuit, we were thrilled to receive the first grant (500,000 British pounds) obtained
by CARE UK from the British government (through the efforts of Robin Needham, the first Director of
CARE UK, and David Sorrill, our Deep Tubewell Project Manager). It was the beginning of a wonderfully
supportive relationship with the British Overseas Development Agency (now DFID) and CARE
Bangladesh.
With the successful funding of LOTUS (Locally-Owned Tubewell Users System), it became a fun
challenge within CARE Bangladesh to come up with catchy meaningful names for new proposals to
further capture the attention of donors and government counterparts. We progressed from clever
English acronyms (LOTUS) to those that resonated with the local communities in Bengali, e.g. TICA
(Training Immunizers in the Community Approach---the word “tika” in Bengali can be interpreted to
mean “vaccination.”)
The TICA proposal development was led by Marge Tsitouris, who originally was assigned to Bangladesh
to run our massive Food for Work program, but instead agreed to a last minute change to take on our
Women’s Development Program while simultaneously developing new initiatives. Marge and I are both
Chicagoans and die-hard CUBS baseball fans (That’s another story!). I’m from the far southeast side of
Chicago, almost bordering on Indiana. Marge is from the south suburb of Calumet City, also bordering
on Indiana. It turns out we grew up about three miles from each other and our families bought their
Polish sausage from the same grocer, yet we only met when our paths crossed in CARE. One day, Marge
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walked into my office and asked me how much it was worth to me to get my paycheck back. I was
puzzled by the question. Marge proceeded to inform me that my paycheck had been erroneously
deposited into her bank account! Of the 200 International staff working overseas for CARE at the time,
we were probably the only two in the world who used the same bank. The next time I was on home
leave, I visited the bank and queried them about the mistake. Their reply: “We’ve known Margie
Gorecki (Tsitouris) for years and presumed that any CARE check was for her(!)” That bank has since
gone out of business...
The new funding from CARE UK, combined with additional grants from CARE’s Danmark, Norge and
France, as well as ongoing support from CAREs USA and Canada, helped us reach the point where we
only lacked commitments from CAREs Italia and Deutschland in our effort to achieve full CI support.
(CARE Australia and CARE Japan were not yet operational.) CARE Italia was a small entity, so our
approach was to request they simply fund a portion of an ongoing project. As I recall, the amount they
ended up obtaining from the Italian government was around US$40,000. Little did we know what we
would “pay” for that $40K in terms of staff effort and lengthy negotiations. The Italian government
required “original” receipts for everything---no photocopies would do! Lora Wuennenberg, our
Controller, tried her best to reason with CARE Italia by offering other options to meet the government’s
requirements. We were trying very hard not to have to send a big cardboard box of original receipts to
Italy every month. Our approach was eventually accepted. The other challenge with CARE Italia was
their insistence that the two vehicles to be purchased with their funds be Italian Fiats. Since all of our
other project vehicles were Toyota Land Cruisers, we argued the need for uniformity in maintenance,
spare parts, etc., not to mention the fact that Toyotas were better vehicles that lasted longer on the
rough roads. USAID had a similar requirement, but we got around it by carefully making sure all vehicle
purchases were made with funds from non-US government donors. Such was the blessing of having
multi-donor funding for individual projects. In the end, CARE Italia came through and agreed to the
purchase of Toyotas instead of Fiats.
CARE Deutschland was our last hold out. We presented a project that was endorsed by the German
embassy, but needed to be submitted to the German government directly by CARE Deutschland. Herr
Noldner was the Director of CARE Deutschland at the time. For some reason, even though German
government officials had been alerted and were awaiting the proposal in Bonn, Herr Noldner decided
he wasn’t interested and informed us it would not be submitted to the government for consideration.
At the time we received this news, David Sorrill was about to depart for the UK on leave. David was
briefed by the Project Coordinator on the details of the proposal as we made arrangements for him to
be re-routed through Germany to make a personal appeal to win over Herr Noldner. Any of you who
knew David, know what a diplomat he was, so I’m sure you are not surprised at his success in getting
the challenging Herr Noldner to submit the project. It was funded by the German government soon
thereafter.
A sentimental sidelight to the above story: It took us a while to connect with the German Embassy’s
Development Officer when we initially tried to explore possible German funding for the above project.
After several attempts, we were finally granted an appointment with the Development Officer. I arrived
at the embassy only to be told I’d be meeting with a different functionary. My initial reaction was one of
disappointment, thinking the officer in question had passed me off to someone else because he had little
interest in CARE. To my surprise, I was ushered into the Ambassador’s office, where the Development
Officer was also present. The Ambassador proceeded to tell me he had asked to see me because, when
he was six years old, his family received a “CARE package” that represented the only food they had at
the end of WWII. He never forgot. He then asked what I needed and assured me CARE Bangladesh
would receive the full support of the German Embassy as we pursued government funding through
CARE Deutschland. He also told me to let him know if CARE needed anything else in the future. What a
moment!
It was during my assignment to Bangladesh that I became a member of the Board of the CARE Overseas
Association. COA Board members were automatically part of what was then known as CARE
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International’s 5 X 5 Committee. This was a committee comprised of 5 CI National Directors and 5
Country Directors, who were invited to attend CI Board meetings twice a year. In addition to the 10 of
us using that occasion to meet to discuss matters of mutual concern, we also observed the CI Board
meetings and had the opportunity to interact with Board members informally. It was a good
opportunity to attempt to influence the Board in a low key way, as well as obtain first hand information
to share with the overseas staff. Eventually, the CI Board agreed to have the President of the COA
seated at the table as a non-voting member during Board meetings. This was a fascinating period in CI’s
history as the “confederation” continued to try to define itself and figure out how to work together in
harmony. Because of the heightened focus/tension at the Member level, less attention was given to
how the Board’s decisions played out at the Country Office operational level. It’s good to see that in
2013, the focus is now on much more interdependence throughout the CARE system.
While I was enjoying the team spirit and relatively easy program funding in Bangladesh, Beryl Levinger,
CARE USA’s Executive Vice President for Program, came to visit. During an afternoon function on the
roof of the office, where we took advantage of Beryl’s presence to have her present anniversary service
pins to several staff members, Beryl took me aside. She proceeded to tell me I was to be transferred to
Haiti. My initial reaction was: “....but I don’t speak French!” Little did I know that Creole was the true
language of Haiti. The next reaction was: “I understand they eat cats there! How would Stas, the
wonder cat, survive?!” CARE threw in two months of French language training in France en route to
Port-au-Prince, while I made sure Stas remained an “indoor” cat.
Haiti: August, 1987 - July, 1992
My first day at the Haiti office turned out to be quite startling. The initial turnover session with the
outgoing CD, Ellis Franklin, included the presence of the head of Administration. When I began to ask
Ellis about the country office, the Admin person interrupted by asking: “Have you ever been a CD
before?” She was clearly not happy about the change in CDs. As time went on, I realized the staff had
limited understanding of how CARE Haiti fit into not only the Latin America region, but CARE
worldwide---including the routine transfer of CDs. Thus began a series of orientation sessions for all
staff, new and old, to help them understand their role as part of a greater whole.
The CARE office was located in downtown Port-au-Prince in a space that had been extended through
the years by taking over each of the connected buildings alongside it. Holes had been cut through the
walls to allow for CARE’s growth. One day, as I continued my introductory chats, I was at the desk of
Rick Scott, our agroforestry manager. Suddenly, he said: “You’ll have to move now,” and proceeded to
open a trap door beneath his desk. Parked in front of the office entrance was a tanker truck in the
process of having its huge hose dragged through the front door, past the reception desk and down to
Rick’s desk to fill a water reservoir located directly beneath it. This process took place a couple of times
a week to ensure the office had water.
The path to my office was up the stairs and down a creaky makeshift hallway. As I followed that route
each day, I noticed two staff members were always “visiting” in a narrow space the size of a couple of
phone booths. I soon learned that, because of space limitations, the two of them were actually working
and sharing a common desk in that tiny area, where it was almost impossible to turn around. Needless
to say, working conditions were not adequate. While I spent four years working in that downtown
office, we used part of the time to explore the possibility of finding a more suitable facility. Lee Gelb
(Moncaster) was the ACD-Program Support and led the search for better digs. We did indeed find a
much more adequate place, but it would need to be purchased rather than rented. A proposal was
made to CARE USA HQ where it was decided the Regional Director would need to visit the site before
the go-ahead could be given. The RD, Curt Schaeffer, dutifully came down, studied the site and thought
it would be a good idea. However, after returning to HQ, he was told his approval alone was not
enough; a Board Member would need to visit the site to authorize such a big decision. There was
hesitance about this major purchase. Enter Ed Shapiro, long-time CARE USA Board Member and New
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York City real estate expert. Ed came down for a visit and almost instantly recognized the worth of the
new property and the need for us to establish a better office. Once he gave the okay, we were able to
begin the rather long purchase process with an owner who was a bit erratic. In the end, it took nine
excruciating hours in the notary’s office on the day of the closing to get the owner to sign off on what he
had agreed to months earlier.
At the time the transaction was completed, we were lucky to have onboard an enthusiastic intern,
Alston Parker (Watt). While Alston indeed received exposure to our ongoing development work during
her first few months, we called her aside and told her we had a very “special project” for her. The new
property contained an incomplete main office building and substantial grounds that needed attention
before we could make the shift from the old place. We needed someone there almost full time to keep
an eye on the ongoing construction, as well as see that the alligators, ostriches and iguana were
humanely removed from the property. Alston was very creative in fulfilling her responsibilities.
Moving day finally arrived. It was an amazing first day. My concerns about a possible commuting issue
for staff evaporated as staff member after staff member expressed their gratitude for a new office with
adequate space, toilets that flushed and a regular supply of water and electricity. The significant
increase in staff morale was the biggest surprise of all.
Years later, about ten days after the 2010 earthquake, I returned to CARE Haiti for a two-week
assignment. At night, I found myself looking up at the stars through the tent where I slept on the office’s
front lawn. I thought of it as coming full circle in terms of the new office which, by the way, survived the
earthquake in tact.
There were several coups while I was in Haiti, but one of the most memorable events was related to the
assassination of a senior army officer. Late one night, I received a call from a shaken agroforestry staff
member, who had been en route home from a field trip. He had just entered the Port-au-Prince urban
area when he suddenly decided to abandon his CARE vehicle upon seeing soldiers who were upset
about the killing and appeared to be out of control. He thought he would be shot, so he had run off into
the night. Once we understood the general location of the vehicle and made arrangements to meet a
CARE driver who lived near the area, Lee Gelb and I headed downtown to retrieve it. When we arrived
in the densely populated area, it was eerily silent and totally dark---not another person or vehicle on
the road. We could sense people were watching us from the safety of their darkened homes. We
connected with the driver and found the car with the door wide open and the keys still in the ignition.
As we got ready to move it out of the area, we heard a strange noise only to discover a goat in the back
seat! Apparently, the CARE field officer had purchased a goat on his way home....He must have truly
been frightened to run off leaving the goat behind! Luckily, the CARE property was retrieved, no one
was injured and we made it home safely that night...goat and all.
India: August, 1992 - June, 1996
As special as Haiti will always be, it was a thrill to return to “Mother India.” During my entire CARE
career, I have never observed such staff loyalty to the organization. Perhaps that was due to many of
them having worked with CARE twenty or thirty years, starting as Field Officers, or administrative staff,
and working their way through a variety of state offices and roles in the organization. They could
always be counted on to come through, especially in emergency situations.
During this second stint in India, we were in the midst of CARE’s first LRSP (Long Range Strategic Plan)
experiment when the Maharashtra Earthquake struck. Not only did we have a crew from CARE USA in
town to lead the workshop, but also several representatives of other CARE country offices who had
been invited to observe this new approach. When the earthquake hit the western part of the country,
the CARE India national staff rose to the occasion. While the LRSP workshop continued almost
uninterrupted, other staff were mobilized to support the Maharashtra State Office, coordinate with all
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the CI Members who wanted to respond, and put in place a logistics operation pulling from talented
staff from around the country. The depth of CARE India saved the day.
An especially fond memory during this time was that of CARE USA’s introduction of its Fellowship
Program. Six CARE Fellows were to be selected to spend a year in a country office, not as interns, but
immersed in introductory management roles with the idea they would get the exposure that would
prepare them to take on similar levels of responsibility at the end of the fellowship period. The
competition was open to university students and national staff. While many CARE India national staff
had significant experience and could speak three or four languages, almost none of them fulfilled the
language requirement of being able to speak either Spanish, French or Portuguese and, therefore, could
not compete. It turned out that Andrea Rodericks, who had joined CARE India as an assistant in the
Food Unit and learned a variety of Program roles, spoke Portuguese. With a bit of encouragement,
Andrea submitted her application. When the six Fellows were announced, five of them were from
prominent universities in the United States. Andrea was the sixth Fellow and the only one in the world
to come from the ranks of National staff. All of CARE India was proud. Andy went on to serve her
Fellowship in Mozambique, followed by other overseas stints, plus time at CARE USA HQ, and continues
in a leadership role in India today.
CARE’s 50th Anniversary Sabbatical: July, 1996 - August, 1997
During my fourth year as the CD in India, CARE was celebrating its 50th anniversary. As part of that
commemoration, CARE-USA announced it would offer a one-year 50th Anniversary Sabbatical. The
timing was perfect. It was at a point in my career when I thought it was time for a role change that
would focus on the best use of my skills within the organization. I applied, proposing a year of learning
about issues related to maximizing staff potential and development. I was honored to receive the
sabbatical. In addition to attending several related conferences and workshops during that period, I
spent almost half the year at the headquarters of the Starbucks Coffee Corporation in Seattle,
Washington. Even though I’m not a coffee drinker(!), Starbucks took me on and based me in its Human
Resources department with relatively free rein to observe and learn the perspective of a private
corporation, particularly in terms of staff development and effectiveness. It was a truly stimulating
experience. I’ll never forget attending an all-company meeting where it was announced Starbucks
would be opening its first “international” store. They then proceeded to introduce their Hawaii team!
Apparently, they forgot Hawaii was part of the United States. Eventually, they did open their “first”
international stores in Japan a year after the opening in Hawaii.
During my time at Starbucks, I was impressed with how staff at all levels regularly described what they
were doing in terms of its relationship to Starbucks’ mission and values. There wasn’t a meeting that
was held, whether on coffee bean roasting, supply chain management or opening a new store, that
didn’t begin with the staff member in charge of the session introducing the featured issue by explaining
how it was related to Starbucks’ mission and values.
CARE USA HQ: August, 1997 - December, 2000
The sabbatical had been awarded with the understanding I would return to CARE USA upon its
completion and join the Human Resources department. During the year I was away on sabbatical, there
were significant changes in the HR department. To my surprise, no one was expecting me upon my
return! I proceeded to take the opportunity to explore creating a staff development role. At the same
time, the sabbatical experience had left me with a lasting impression of the importance of core values
and the need for staff to understand and “live” them. I ended up promoting the idea within CARE and
made every effort to convince Curt Schaeffer (Chief of Staff) of the need for CARE to identify and define
its core values. Curt took up the challenge and led the worldwide participatory process that eventually
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resulted in the selection and definition of CARE’s core values of “Respect, Integrity, Commitment and
Excellence.”
Near the end of my first year back at CARE, I was encouraged to apply to be Director of the Latin
America Regional Management Unit. While it represented a return to Program, it offered a platform
from which I could reinforce CARE’s mission and, particularly, our core values throughout an entire
region.
After almost three years with the Latin America unit, and a total of 28 years with CARE, I surprised
everyone with my decision to retire at the end of 2000.
I will always cherish the memories from my CARE career---a career that offered me so many
adventures, allowed me to work with some wonderful characters and gave me the chance to be part of
something truly worthwhile.
Ginny Ubik
[email protected]
April 15, 2013
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21
Harry H Houck
Former USAID, India
Director, Food for Peace
USAID, India 1979 - 1986
Foreword note
This article, write up, below was received by me from Harry H Houck almost 15 years ago – during late
1990’s for a different purpose connected with Care India. When I located this good piece of the write up
couple of months ago I decided to take this for the present collection of Care memories and tried to
contact Harry to get his formal nod but could not contact him presently. He has, as you will observe
from his write up, expressed his happiness in providing the information for Care India’s history.
Keeping that in mind, knowing Harry, that he will only be too happy that I am taking this story for the
present Care memories collection, I decided to add this in Book 3 of the memory collections. In the
earlier collections, Book 1 & 2, you will all recall that few more former USAID India colleagues have
participated. Below is Harry’s story as received earlier – with a slight modification only in the beginning
paragraph to suit the current memories part purposes. All other critical parts retained as received
originally.
I will do my best to give you the benefit of my thoughts as I remember the years 1979 to 1986 the
period I served at USAID in New Delhi, as Director of the Office of Food For Peace. These were
tumultuous years as top officials at USAID Delhi vied for power and used Food For Peace as a vehicle to
gain that power.
AID had promulgated a new Title II regulation in either 1978 or 79 which set forth a requirement for
ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEWS. When I got to India USAID had set up an entire section to do these Admin
Reviews. It was my feeling the reviews, as we did them, caused more problems than they resolved. For
example, the only way they could have been effective would have been to return to the same locations
time and again to see if appropriate changes had taken place. We didn't do that with the exception of
regional offices. Had they been effective they would have improved audits or even made them
unnecessary. I participated in reviews from time to time. I did this specifically when the Child Survival
program was initiated and was shocked at how the Government of India was trifling with the program.
For example, scales for weighing infants did not work yet the weight charts were religiously filled out
and sent up through the system. When I saw this I instructed our reviewers to keep away from the
program since the mission put so much importance in it. Our Mission Director loved them.
Out in Gujarat Mr. Mohan complained of contaminated vegoil sending us samples for lab testing. The
tests showed sulfur contamination. My staff let me down by accepting samples from Mr. Mohan in glass
bottles rather than in the unopened cans. I had just come back from a year in Thailand and got involved
in the process very late. The result was Washington allowed CARE to destroy hundreds of cases. I sent
Mr. Seghal out to inspect the lots to be destroyed. However, before destruction took place we took steps
to sell the oil for soap manufacture. To this day, I believe the oil was good and should have been used.
The contamination came when Mr. Mohan put it into dirty bottles.
If it was difficult for USAID to keep CARE supplied with commodities, I'm confident CARE's problems
were even greater. There was one year--1983 possibly, when AID/W decided to limit the CARE
program. They said we were allowed something like $75 million. BUT then they added if the price of
commodities came down--which they did, CARE would be allowed only so many thousand tons. That
gave us what we called the "Double Kicker". Somehow we got around it because CARE did some
reductions, and manipulations which made it all possible.
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USAID pushed CARE to discontinue the Kerala program in spite of the data which showed it was
extremely successful and should continue. If you look at the old figures you'll see girls were older when
they had their first born than elsewhere in India. Girls stayed in school longer and there was less
absenteeism It seemed all the positive aspects of feeding program were being realized in Kerala. In the
Food For Peace Office it was our hope these benefits could be replicated in other states of India like
Haryana. Unfortunately that didn't happen.
Our auditors were continually making findings about the school lunch program. How the attendees
never matched up with the enrollment. We knew it never would since the school received a
Government subsidy based on enrollment which argued in favor of inflating that figure. Only the
Government Of India could change a very poor situation.
I visited Bombay and met with Guy Kirkman who took me to a plant where CARE contracted to make a
well balanced nutritious food. CSM had vegoil added to it then local sugar was cooked into the mixture.
This was screened to get lumps out then it was put into bags being weighed in the process. We then
went up towards Thana and visited several child feeding locations and found the children really
enjoyed this food. Statistics kept at project sites showed children to be increasing in weight, and had a
visible reduction in childhood illnesses and their severity. However, this was a program CARE was
forced to stop.
Much of what I've written tends to be negative. I do this because it was a bad time to be working for AID
in India. Within USAID there were two groups-c-one who was against Food For Peace and the other, for
the program. Many of the key people at USAID felt the Title II program was simply a way of paying off
the mid-west US farmers; it was a commodity dumping program and therefore of little value. Also, I
sincerely believe they were envious of the program. For example, the total FFP program when I got to
India in 1979 was in excess of $150 million dollars while the AID program was little more than $10
million. I think the dollar amounts in the programs really ate at the senior staff. Yet, in looking at the
other programs vis-a-vis those of Food For Peace, my feeling was that food programs responded to a
specific need at a specific point in time whereas those of USAID were simply illusory promises of
something that might or might not happen at some time in the distant future. (Note: USAID funded an
irrigation project supposedly for the benefit of small farmers. In reality, it supplied limitless water to
large farmers with the small farmer getting any run-off at the end of the ditches.) This was typical of
USAID projects.
Maybe I'm paranoid but I believe many of the senior staff knew the FFP program was a diamond in the
rough but would not admit that and may have actually tampered with the program to keep it from being
successful. They did this by setting up evaluations which could have shown positive results coming
from the program but would conduct these evaluations in areas where the results would be skewed. If
you will look back at the school feeding evaluation in one of the northern states, it became so confused I
don't think they ever really got anything from it. First, the Program office hired an expert (he was the
man who lived near KM and whose baby fell from the second floor balcony and died of injuries), he had
to learn the program first then all the data had to be put on computer tapes which took months and got
mixed up several times and was finally analyzed. By the time they got finished about the best you had
was a Chinese puzzle. I'm sure you have a copy in your files-c--read it and get a good chuckle.
I was always pleased to have CARE to work with. Seldom did I ask a question which couldn't be
answered by the staff. Both late Ivan D'Cruz and late Ram Bhargav, these two gentleman carried a
wealth of information in their heads and could access it at a moment's notice.
CARE has been very fortunate in acquiring the Expatriate staff you had in India. Doug Atwood was
outstanding in the way he worked through problems with us. Bill Huth, Pat Carey, Guy Kirkman, Guy's
successor whose name I can't recall, the woman in Madras, Ginny Ubink in Calcutta, Stafford Clarry
from Ahmedabad. I met him in Northern Iraq several years ago where he was working with the UN. I
can't remember all the staff obviously. But I do remember my admiration and respect for the
professionalism of the entire CARE India Staff as well as the staff we worked with from time to time in
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New York, specifically, Phil Johnson and Charlie Sykes who went to the State Department to work on
Refugee Affairs. You had an outstanding group of people I was very privileged to work with them.
The Title II regulation had sections in it that any sane person would never have allowed. It was obvious
the writers of this monstrosity had never served in the field nor tried to implement some of the more
notorious provisions. The worst of course was the accounting provisions. It was impossible to account
for every gram of food as required in the regulation. I had long arguments with the auditors about this
but they kept referring to the regulation and said to follow it to the letter. On the other hand, when
vegoil came to India short weight, they told the supplier he wouldn't be allowed to supply oil in the
future if he did it again. Really strange.
One of the most important roles CARE played in India was teaching project holders out in remote areas
about nutrition for mothers and infant children, modern accounting procedures, setting goals and
reaching them, bringing them into modern times. CARE superbly provided the intellectual and physical
tools projects needed for educating its recipient audience. And once the recipients learned something,
that is, nutrition, accounting, reporting, it would stay with them for years, and hopefully, would be
passed on to other members of the family as well as the community.
I must close now with the wish that CARE can continue its exceptional programs well into the future.
You have done much to improve the lot of the disadvantaged, (health-nutrition education) CARE staff
should take great pride in these and other accomplishments over the past 50 years, you certainly
deserve the accolades
With best regards, I remain
Sincerely,
Harry H. Houck
13815 Brush Pl. NE
Albuquerque,
NM 87123-4728
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22
CARE USA: 1965 - 1968
An early Enlightenment … Assignment Iran
My first Care assignment took me to Teheran, Iran in late 1965. I have been scheduled by ole Bert
Smucker of Care New York to go to Bagdad; however the kidnapping of Care rep Wally Cox by Muztafa
Berzani and his Kurdish rebels changed all that. Assigned to the Northwestern secyor of Iran to include
the provinces of Gillan, Azerbaijan and Kurdistan, my primary responsibility was to monitor food
distribution under PL 480 regulations.
Many incredible experiential learning experiences took place. These include the witnessing a secretive
Durvish ceremony in Kurdistan in which swords passed through human bodies, and light bulbs were
chewed and swallowed; the rescuing of a loyal Care employee who had the unfortunate experience of
killing a young child in a road accident; ($100 “fine” to the local police official and a sack of flour to the
boy’s family made everyone forgive and forget …. Kept our innocent employee from serving years in
prision under the then existing Nepoleonic code of guilty until proven innocent): and numerous
personal encounters with the wonderful people of Iran.
I will forever be indebted to the Iranian employees with whom I worked for their guidance and patience
in “seasoning” this representative to a non-Western/non – Judio-Christian culture. Prior to serving in
Iran my overseas experience was limited to graduate studies in Austria and Military service stationed in
Germany. So Iran was my first encounter!
Care Iran has established a school feeding program whereby local bakers throughout the country were
to supply to primary schools with freshly baked bread made of American white flour. Of coursethis
flour was not suitable to bake Iranian style bread and often local bakers simply substituted Iranian
whole wheat flour. The American whilte flour would then go toward pastries. That never bothered me
because the kids were still getting fed! In Teheran itself a larger master baker had been contracted.
While at my desk one day in Teheran I received one anonymous phone call informing me that the
extremely large amount of infested American flour due for CARE supervise destruction that day (my
assignment) was, in fact, flour at all but rather a similar looking substance (perhaps lime) and valued
about one tenth that of white flour. Oh boy, this was getting interesting! Arriving at the destruction site I
found several flat bed trucks, each loaded with several hundred sacks of clearly marked “Gift of th
American People” flour … or what was supposed to be infested flour for which the bakers are to be
compensated.
What followed was indeed movie material. Claimbing on top of the sacks and cutting several open I
announced that fraud was suspected and an immediate government lab testing was necessary before
any destruction was to take place. We waited and shortly thereafter the lab results came back. Fraud
was confirmed, the Teheran baking crooks were exposed and shamefully embarrassed, and this writer
wisely watched his back in Teheran after that.
Yes, a truly experiential learning experience. Nothing could ever really surprise me again.
Al Hering
CARE Iran 1965-66
[email protected]
May 2013
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23
Carol Sue Bock Gonzalez
Peace Corps Colombia: 1966 - 1969
As a Peace Corps volunteer without a project in the large port city of Barranquilla, Colombia, I ran into
Peter Reitz, the CARE representative. The Educational TV project to which I had been assigned was
discontinued due to unreliable signals over the Andes from Bogota. With permission from the Peace
Corps, I began working with Peter to establish a preschool feeding center that would utilize the CARE
grain and other food donations. After scouring the city for a location, we were offered a very rundown,
defunct maternal health center in what was known as one of the worst and most dangerous
neighborhoods in Barranquilla. The day we went to see it, there was a bony horse dying on the street in
front of the building. The center was owned by the Beneficiencia (lottery/welfare department) branch
of the government.
The first days were spent going to local factories begging for cement, lumber, and paint, as well as cash
donations to equip and refurbish the kitchen. Several other Peace Corps volunteers helped nail together
some rustic tables and benches and we were soon in business providing liters of reconstituted milk to
mothers and lunch to preschool children. A nominal charge covered the salaries of the cooks, the
propane gas, and fresh vegetables. Planning a daily menu was a challenge as the cornmeal, oatmeal, and
bulgur wheat were usually full of worms and weevils that had to be sifted out. CARE provided the
divided plastic plates and plastic mugs. Each meal consisted of a salad, fried bread, a mug of soup, and a
mug of milk. Other CARE food included Campbell’s pork and beans, SEGO diet drink, and instant Lipton
Tea, all of which were foreign to the local cuisine. I might add that the only can opener available was
one that turned by hand like a key to open hundreds of cans. This first “Comedor Infantil” was
inaugurated with great fanfare by some of the local officials.
With Peter’s encouragement, we soon opened a second “Comedor” in another similar facility owned by
the government. When this facility was inaugurated, the Governor attended and there was quite a bit of
press coverage.
By now, the Governor of the state of Atlantico and his staff had taken notice and allocated funds for the
construction of a new building to be used as a model center. It was located on an industrial boulevard
near the Magdalena River and served the adjacent barrios. The Secretary of Asistencia Social was the
liaison for the project and I worked out of his office, always under the direction of CARE. Peter soon left
for another assignment in Bogota and was followed by other reps who stayed only briefly. Eventually
John Bouldin and his wife arrived and provided a stable transition that was still in place when I left in
1969.
My two-year term with the Peace Corps was scheduled to end in mid-1968. However, by that time the
Comedor Infantil project had snowballed and the government was building one in nearly every pueblo
throughout the state. A program architect travelled with me for evening meetings to each future site,
explaining the program in order to obtain support of the parents. We explained that CARE provided the
food, Peace Corps provided supervision, the Beneficencia provided materials, and the families provided
the labor to construct the buildings. Usually people didn’t begin to gather until we arrived as they had
been disappointed many times in the past with broken promises. The trip to outlying villages was by
Land Rover over deeply rutted roads. Some of the remote urban barrios had no running water. All the
water for commodores had to be purchased from a mobile tank truck. Access for the trucks became
unreliable during the rainy season.
By 1968 the government included the program in their operating budget. Cooks and supervisors were
put on their payroll, and I was offered the unpaid position of “Supervisora Ad-Honorem” and
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considered an unofficial employee. With that degree of enthusiasm and support, I didn’t have the heart
to leave so I applied for a one-year extension to the Peace Corps and it was granted.
At the time I left in mid-1969, 16,500 children a day were reportedly being fed in the school and
preschool feeding centers. There were also mothers’ clubs, health and nutrition classes, and sewing,
craft, and literacy classes as peripheral activities. The Peace Corps had increased support by adding
more volunteers and a nutritionist, and made the Comedores a focal point for urban community
development teams.
Throughout the project, the frequent possibility of a political “fruitbasket turnover” threatened to
dismantle the program. Fortunately our luck held and we retained the political support needed to
continue operating.
One of my funniest recollections was the day that Peter (who was very tall) gave instructions to the
local contractor regarding the height of the kitchen counter in the comedor by putting his hand at his
waist. That was the tallest counter in the area. The local petite cooks had to stand on wood platforms to
prepare the food.
My scariest experience was driving back from a rural pueblo in a government Land Rover when a
basketball-size boulder was heaved through the front windshield by a mentally disturbed woman. As I
tried to remove the flakes of glass and regain my composure, she heaved another huge rock at the rear
window. When I reported this to the police later, they knew about her. Since there were no mental
health facilities, mentally ill people were simply dropped off on the highway outside the city to get them
out of the way. No wonder she was angry.
In the years that followed after my departure, I often wondered if the project survived and if we had, in
fact, benefitted anyone. Clearly it was only a bandaid on the overwhelming problems that accompany
poverty. In 2003, while working in the Department of Human Services in Lee County, Florida, I struck
up a conversation with a lady on the janitorial staff who said she was from Barranquilla, Colombia. As it
turned out, she had eaten in our first Comedor Infantil and had taken her children there as well.
The final and best part of my experience was that I married the project architect, Hernan Gonzalez, and
we are about to celebrate our 44th wedding anniversary. I guess you could say that CARE changed the
course of my life.
Susie Gonzalez
[email protected]
May 2013
P.S. Coincidentally, I just published my memoir in book form and it is listed on Amazon. The title is
“Letters Home” by Carol Sue Bock Gonzalez. It is a collection of the letters I wrote to my family each week
during my three-years in the Peace Corps that recount the bureaucratic, personnel, cultural, and health
problems that I encountered....quite an adventure for a young, inexperienced girl in her early 20’s.
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24
CARE USA: 1965 - 1968
POLAND
Light Bulbs Are In!
Being assigned to CARE Poland provided a really unique opportunity to view first hand the reality of
social and economic development in a “centrally planned economy”, something I had wondered about
ever since taking some Marxian Economics courses back in college.
CARE was working closely with the Ministry of Health and, in addition to some small community
development projects, provided the oversight responsibility for a massive PL 480 milk distribution
program targeting the nationwide youth summer camp programs, as well as the government run
nursing and old age homes. Marxist ideology permeated these programs and many honest
conversations with government officials left this writer often wondering why this demonstration of
“social responsibility” was so lacking in western capitalist countries. Of course, even within this system
certain inequalities existed. It was apparent that certain groups received better facilities and assistance
than others; however an attempt was being made to “socialize” youth and break down class barriers,
something I identified with and admired.
The so called “Cold War” was in full force at that time and the small contingent of international CARE
reps truly had a front row seat to witness both the positive and negative aspects of this Marxist oriented
centrally planned economy. The intrigue; the Soviet controlled Ministry of the Interior; the Warsaw Pact
invasion of Czechoslovakia’; the absolute control of media; the relentless propaganda; the empty
shelves in stores; etc.; all provided a stage for this CARE rep’s first hand lesson in the what was called
back in Economics 101, “Supply & Demand Disequilibrium” … or a royal screw up in matching supply
with demand!
Upon my arrival in Warsaw I had been assigned the CARE designated apartment well fitted out with
microphones and tapped phone lines. Curtains were missing, but that problem was solved with the
addition of solid red curtains …. Not only is red the national Polish color but it was also favoured by the
Marxist leadership for its communist flag. No other colour could be found! The apartment was also
lacking light bulbs. A search of Warsaw revealed that few were to be had anywhere. Apparently there
was a flaw in the overall economic production plan! Oh well, one made do. The Polish people were
friendly and sincere, the vodka was excellent, and times were interesting.
One day I was at my desk in the government building where CARE had its office when word came that
the government run department store had just received a large shipment of light bulbs. I hastily made
my way there to find ahead of me in line many of those same government workers with whom I had
shared those philosophical comparisons of capitalism and communism. Had I taken a poll then and
there I believe that the centrally planned economy advocates would have eagerly switched sides, at
least for the moment anyway. This writer found the light bulbs and the lights came on, in more ways
than one!
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After leaving CARE Poland I returned to grad school in New York City. While studying economic
development I took courses with several Marxist leaning professors who were keen advocates of
centralized planning, al la the Soviet model I had just experienced in Poland. I was, of course, well
equipped to do academic battle with them and I attribute the honors degree received to my personal
experience with Polish light bulbs!
Al Hering
[email protected]
May 2013
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25
Walter Middleton
CARE India
July 14, 1969 – Dec.31, 1987
W o r l d V i s i on
2 6 8 , K e n t A v e n u e ,R a n d
burg, 2194
Johannesburg, South
Africa
27-11-285-1700
Memories I will cling to
Memories of my association with CARE from July 14,
1969 to December 31, 1987, having worked with CARERajasthan, CARE-Gujarat, CARE-Somalia and finally with
CARE-Mozambique in different capacities.
1, May 2013
PREAMBLE: After much arm twisting by my good friend K.T. Srinivasan- fondly
known as Cheenu, I finally promised him to do a write up of my time with CARE. I
did warn him that I would write the good stuff and the not so good stuff and
would he be comfortable with that, and his answer was an instant- YES! and
said as long as you don’t offend anyone living or dead. There are many people
that I would like to pay tribute to through my story, but that will come towards
the end. For starters, I would like to pay tribute to two fine gentlemen for
getting me into CARE and being a mentor to me. The two gentlemen are – late
Father S. Carvalho- my ex. Parish Priest in the small town of Phulera, Rajasthan,
where I was born and brought up, and the late James Rodrigues, who worked for
CARE- Rajasthan when I joined. Through the efforts of both these gentlemen
I joined CARE. James- aka- Jimmy was my mentor and adviser.
I would like to acknowledge up front that whatever I am in life today, I owe it to CARE. I was
provided a solid foundation. Today I am the Partnership Leader (equivalent to Senior
Vice President), Food and Livelihood Security for World Vision, one of the largest NGO’s in
the Humanitarian World with a staff of over 44,000 people and an annual budget of US$ 2.5
billion.
I provide oversight to 5 key sectors; Agriculture & Food Security, Natural
Environment and Climate Issues, Economic Development, Disaster Risk Reduction and
Community Resilience and Food Programming and Management. What I learnt at CARE I
was able to put to good use at World Vision. My gratitude and thanks to CARE. It was very
tough in the beginning, with many ups and downs, but I survived.
Someday I hope to do some pro-bono work for CARE in gratitude for all that I learned during
my tenure with CARE.
LAUNCH OF MY CAREER WITH CARE RAJASTHAN:
MY STORY: I landed my very first job with CARE in the same month/year when history was
created. It was the year/month when Neil Armstrong, the first man landed on the moon. I
started working for CARE on July 14, 1969. I joined as an Office Assistant cum Typist on a daily
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wage of Rs. 15 (equivalent to approximately US$ 0.60). The very day I joined I was given a
whole stack of Hindi letters to translate for the benefit our American boss who diligently read
every letter that came. The first day at CARE was a very tough and that evening I wrote home
telling my parents that I might be coming home soon as the work was very tough. I still have
that postcard. Since I was on daily wages, I worked extremely hard hoping to be made
permanent. Mostly, I worked 12 hours a day. I didn’t hesitate to do other odd jobs, such as
helping our Messenger (Mohan Singh) to pack bundles of inventory forms/beneficiary registers to
send out to districts, Panchayat Samities, to put circulars/ letters into envelopes and put
stamps on them, etc. I had no hesitation in putting my hands to any work. Within a couple of
months I was given the additional task of doing inventory work- working on CUPs (Commodity
Utilisation Programmes) and Schedules, assisting with the preparation of monthly food reports
and typing general letters. I was starting to enjoy the work. When I was into my fifth month
with CARE, I was put to the test. I was asked by my immediate supervisor to go and supervise the
sale of empty oil drums. At that time CARE was receiving the 55 gallon oil drums and the oil was
being reconstituted into small cans (3.5 kgs). The 55 gallon empty drums were being sold to
generate money which then went into the “Empty Container Fund”. I was asked to turn a “blind
eye” to the purchaser of the empty drums who was helping himself to a few empty drums by not
paying for it and that he (the purchaser) would reward me with a nice new suit for Christmas.
I was taken aback by this request and didn’t know what to do. I thought to myself, if I don’t comply
this is the end of my career. If I did comply, I would be going against my conscience. After
a few minutes I told my immediate boss I could not do it and that he should get someone else to
supervise the sale. Fortunately he laughed and said –“Don’t worry. I will send someone else”. I
was relieved. Since I was still on daily wages, I thought I would be told that evening that my
service was no more needed. Fortunately it did not happen. However, I must admit that this
same boss became a great mentor of mine and helped me immensely in learning the job- learning
about CSR, RSR, Claims Procedures, Warehousing Practices, etc. etc.
I was a well intentioned amateur. My heart was in the right place, but my performance was not. I
was a novice. I learnt a lot of the work the hard way. Once I was asked by the American boss to
bring him a “box file”. I had no idea what a box file was so I was looking around for a box that
contained files. Eventually I went and asked the executive assistant to the big boss as to what a
box file was. His reply was –“You figure it out yourself”. He was not a very helpful guy. I went
and asked my immediate boss and he helped me out. On another occasion, I was given a
“Stencil” by the big boss to cyclostyle. Those days there were no computer so any letter/circular
had to be cyclostyled for mass circulation. Without taking any advice/guidance, thinking I was a
smart Alec I went straight to the cyclostyling machine and put the Stencil the wrong way. As
luck would have it, the big boss came in at that very time to see how the cyclostyling was going’.
When he saw what I had done, he let out a loud scream. His scream was so loud that the
assistant administrator came running to see what had gone wrong. I was told that if I do not
understanding something then I should ask for help. I was literally trembling. Never again did I
make the same mistake.
I was already nine months with CARE and still on daily wages- Rs. 15. I fervently requested to be
made permanent, but my request was turned down. Probably the incident of the cyclostyling was
still vivid in his mind. It could have been another incident. I was given a hand written letter to type
and it contained some mistakes. Probably he was putting me to the test. I was not sure whether to
correct the mistakes or type it as is. Again, I asked his executive assistant what to do and he told
me to do what I thought fit. Not wanting to witness another screaming, I typed the letter as is, i.e.
with the mistakes. That probably sealed my fate. However, within a couple of months we had a
new boss in Mr. Opie Redford. When he learnt that I was on daily wages for nine months, he
immediately made me permanent and started me on a salary of Rs. 300 per month. I was
thrilled. I considered myself the happiest man on earth.
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I continued to learn as much as I could about the job and even started making field visits with the
Field Officers. Eventually I was made a Field Officer in 1974. I was taught how to drive by my
good friend, Mr. I.S. Sharma. He was very patient with me. CARE did some excellent Food for Work
Programmes. I recall one very successful program that CARE did in Banswara and
Dungarpur districts of Rajasthan. It was the digging of wells. Small and medium sized farmers for
the project for every metre that was dug, the farmer was given a bag of grain and some cash was
deposited into his bank account. The project was done in collaboration with the bank. When
the farmer hit water, he was given the last instalment of grain and the final amount of cash was
deposited into his account. He was then entitled to withdraw the money and use it to either
cement the well or buy bullocks to draw the water from the well or anything that benefited
his field. What once used to be dry land became green and lush. The farmers started giving access
to the water to other neighbouring farmers- for a fee of course. It was a very successful
project. I was always in awe of the way CARE managed and monitored its School Feeding
Programmes. There were high standards of accountability and every grain was accounted
for. I distinctly remember filing claims against the poor headmasters for the loss of grain and oil,
making them pay for losses even as low as 50 grams. We were made to visit at least 3 schools
per day. Once I went to visit a school that was in the interior of Dungarpur district- it was
completely a dirt road. I travelled part of the way by Jeep and part of the way on a bicycle to get
to the school. It was a “one man” school. When I got to the school, the headmaster cum
teacher looked shocked but then quickly composed himself and profusely shook my mind and
made me feel “at home.” He was bending backwards and forwards to please me. When I asked to
see his books, he showed it to me promptly and everything looked perfect. It was well maintainedeveryday feeding 100 children- no absentees. When I asked to check the stocks, it tallied to the
last gram. When I asked the children whether they were being fed regularly, they all
responded in one voice- “Yes we are”. At this stage I congratulated the teacher and jokingly
recommended to the Panchayat Samiti Education Officer who accompanied me on the visit that the
headmaster deserved a raise in salary. I then asked the headmaster to show me where the food was
cooked. His face immediately went pale and I thought he was going to faint. On my insistence, he
took me to the kitchen- the place where the food was “supposed” to be cooked. I couldn’t
believe what I saw. There was no sign at all of the food ever being cooked there. There were
some pots but they were rusty. At that stage the headmaster confessed that no food was being
cooked. It turned out that he was “cooking” the books and was selling the food- giving some of
the grain to his animals. Not surprisingly, his was the only decent looking house in the village with
a couple of bicycles and a tractor.
I also vividly recall one of the Administrator, who within a few days of him taking over the reins of
CARE - Rajasthan called me into his office told me that he maintained a small book in which he
would be noting down any mistakes that I would be making in my work or causing any
problems and that it would go into my annual performance appraisal.
I probably worked
reasonably well with very few mistakes as I got fairly good performance appraisals during his
tenure.
OVER TO GUJARAT:
In 1980 I was transferred to CARE –Gujarat. I was not a happy camper as I had a new born
daughter, but more importantly was told that the Administrator in Gujarat was very tough and
strict- the late Mr. Mohanty. May his soul rest in peace! I was not given a choice so went. I am
glad I went as it turned out to be a stepping stone for better things to come. After working for a
few months at CARE Gujarat I came to really appreciate and admire Mr. Mohanty. Yes, he was
strict and tough but he meant business. If you did a sloppy job, he would not hesitate to call you in
and reprimand you, and he did reprimand me once when he thought the quality of my work was
not good enough for him, but if you worked hard and sincerely, he called you in and
appreciated you and rewarded you. I learnt a lot under his leadership. I can never forget him
giving me a merit increase. I was told, and I’m not sure if it’s true, that I was the first Field
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Officer to get a merit increase from him. I was told that he did not trust Field Officers. CARE
Gujarat also did some excellent programs.
Constructing Balwadi’s under the Food for Work
programme was one of the successful projects.
OFF TO SOMALIA:
In May 1981 Mr. Mohanty called me into his office and asked me whether I was willing to go to
Somalia. I had no idea where on earth was Somalia. I was told that it was in Africa. It was also
made clear to me that it was not a family posting and that I would have to eat refugee food. I was
ready for the challenge so accepted the assignment. It was tough leaving my wife and young
daughter behind, but in my heart I knew it would help me in my future career and it did. The
assignment in Somalia was not easy. It was one of the toughest times of my life. Because
corruption was so rampant and many of the Somali’s not cut out for hard work- they preferred
eating chaat and drinking Coke, I ended up hiring and firing a number of staff, weeding out the
incorrigible. So much so, my life was threatened practically every day. At one time the trucks
bringing food from Mogadishu to Belet Wein were delayed by a day and the Governor of Belet
Wein threatened to shoot me because the distribution of food was delayed by a day, claiming
that his people were starving. The trucks broke down between Mogadishu and Belet Wein. I
took up the matter with Rudy Ramp, who was then the Director of CARE-Somalia. Rudy immediately
took up the matter with Yusuf Dhunkaal, the boss of NRC who knew the Governor well. I received
a very nice note from Rudy which is attached. It cheered me up as I was feeling quite disheartened
for a number of days. Being threatened by a Governor in Somalia can be nerve wrecking. Once
I had an army officer, fully drunk come to our camp at 1AM with a pistol hanging from his belt
demanding a truck. When I told him there was no trucks close by and that all the drivers were away
he started getting aggressive. Afraid that he might pull up his revolver and shoot me I drove him (in
my vehicle) 10 kilometres to the truck park in pitch darkness with not a soul on the road and
showed him all the trucks that were parked there, but there were no keys and no drivers. He said
to me – “Well, I will come in the morning and collect a truck”. I told him that if he came in the
morning I will give him not one but two trucks. I never saw him again. In the initial stages
distributing food was a nightmare as the beneficiary figures were highly inflated. There would
be donkey carts standing by near the distributing site ready to carry the surplus food to the
markets. However, CARE did an excellent job by carrying out a census and the beneficiary figures
were significantly reduced, practically by a third. In my opinion, CARE did an outstanding job in
Somalia. I leant a lot during my one year assignment. When I went back to India after six
months for my R and R, my daughter started to call me “Uncle”. That really hit me hard. I
decided that I would go back for another six months and then return if m y family was not allowed
to join me. Given that it was not a family posting, I returned to the Gujarat programme in June
1982. One thing about the assignment to Somalia that bothered me for a long time was the fact that
all the Indian staff that were sent to Somalia were sent as “TCN.”(Third Country Nationals). It was
very unfortunate. We received our regular salary in India and received a small stipend (in US$)
while we were in Somalia. After I left the system was done away with to the relief of all the
Indians in Somalia. I cannot refrain from mentioning one particular incident that took place in
Mogadishu at a party that Tom Alcedo organised at his residence. He organised some really good
parties at his home. At this party a tall and hefty Somali guy, with bulging muscles, was
trying to gate crash and join the party. Tom was explaining to him that it was a private
party and that he was not welcome. While they were talking I barged in and tried to get tough
with him thinking that I could handle him given that I was a boxer during my school days. Well, I
was badly mistaken. Before I knew it, he landed a massive blow on my nose. I saw stars and was
dazzled. My nose could did not stop bleeding for 15 to 20 minutes. Christy Gavitt tried everything
to stop the bleeding without much success. My face was swollen for the next couple of weeks and
my eyes were barely visible for a week as a result of the swollen face. I was sad to leave Somalia
as I had made some very good friend s from around the world. I also enjoyed the work. When I left
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I received a number of appreciation letters from senior officials from the Government. I am sharing
a couple of the letters.
(Note from Rudy Ramp & letters from Governor, Gedo Regional &RR Commissioner)
Somalia- Letters
BACK TO GUJARAT:
Within a few months after returning from Somalia I was promoted to Administrative Officer. It
was a challenging job but I enjoyed every moment of it. After a year or so I was entrusted with the
task of moving the office from Ahmadabad to Gandhinagar. Not only that, I was mandated to find a
house for the Administrator. It was a very painful process as all the staff was put to a lot of
inconvenience commuting daily from Ahmadabad to Gandhinagar and back. In my opinion the
Administrator was more concerned about having a good house, having the office maintained well
and other insignificant matters than focussing on the programme. Fortunately there was a change
of the boss; a wonderful man full of energy and committed to the programme. He was Mr. T.R.
Sadasivan. I learnt a lot under his leadership. Let me now reveal a long kept secret. It was
sometime in early 1986 that I was approached by a reputed organisation to join them. The salary
being offered was Rs 200 more than what I was getting with CARE. Since I was the sole bread
winner for my family and at the same time supporting my elderly parents and one brother,
the Rs 200 was an attraction. I prepared my resignation letter and took it to the office on a
Monday. Since I had such a good boss I didn’t have the heart to present it to him so I brought
it back. For the next four days I took the resignation letter every day to the office hoping to
hand it in but would return with it in the evening. Just couldn’t make up my mind. Friday came
and I decided that I could no longer delay handing in. Around mid day I decided it was time so got
up and started walking to the boss’ office. I walked back to my side. Still didn’t have the heart to
hand it in. After four or five times getting up from my seat I finally made it to the door of the boss’
office but then walked back. I decided I would do it after lunch. Around 3 PM I got up and started
walking out of my door when the phone on my table rang. I heard the voice of Mr. Sadasivan who
said “Walter – come in”. I knew I was in trouble. I figured out that he had found out that I was going
to resign so was going to give me a “dressing down” for betraying him. When I got into his office
he said “Shut the door”. I knew I was in trouble. When I sat down, he said- go get me a
cigarette. This convinced me that I was in serious trouble as he had given up smoking and asking
for a cigarette spelled big trouble. Anyway, after I got him the cigarette, he stared at me for at
least 2 to 3 minutes and that was making me very uncomfortable and extremely nervous.
I was wishing the ground would open up and swallow me. At last be blurted out – “Are you ready
to go to Mozambique.” Oh! Was I relieved? So, he did not know about my resignation letter.
For a moment I was dumbfounded. I thought “Mozambique, where on earth is that”. I was told
that Mozambique was in the Southern part of Africa. I was told that Headquarter (New Delhi)
wanted an answer immediately as we were expected to leave within a couple of weeks. I told
Mr. Sadasivan that for major decisions I always consulted my wife and that I need to discuss the
matter with her. I was given 30 minutes to go home, talk to my wife and then come back with an
answer. After discussing with my wife we agreed that if it was a family positing I should go for
it. When I got back and asked Mr. Sadasivan, I was told that it was a family positing. My
response to him was “I am ready to go”. Within a couple of weeks I was on my way to Portugal to
learn Portuguese before going on to Mozambique.
IN PORTUGAL:
I was joined in Portugal with two other CARE colleagues – K.P. Belliappa and M.W. Khan. I am not
good at picking up languages so trying to learn Portuguese was a nightmare. I dreaded the classes
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as I was constantly making a fool of myself. For saying “Yes” in Portuguese I would shake my head
sideways denoting a “No” which foxed the teachers. Despite being there for a month, the language
did not roll off my tongue. I breathed a sigh of relief when I left Portugal. I wa s able to pick up
the language after being in the field for several months.
IN MOZAMBIQUE – ONE OF MY FAVOURITE COUNTRIES:
When I landed in Mozambique in July 1986, the country was at war between the government
forces – FRELIMO and the rebels – RENAMO. Security was a big issue. One had to travel to the
provincial capitals or the districts by air or via military convoys. There were land mines all over.
CARE had a massive set up as was assisting the relief arm of the government – DPCCN
(Department for the Prevention and Combat of Natural Calamities). CARE was responsible for the
Logistics, Warehousing, Monitoring and Reporting of all the food that was coming into the country
for the population affected by war and drought. Because of the war, managing the logistics
was not easy. Mozambicans are generally very good people, warm hearted and kind. As such, it was
hard for me to comprehend how the country was at war. During my stay in Mozambique, I will
never forget the two lessons that I learnt. The first one being, the spirit of “sharing”. People were
extremely poor and hungry, but if you gave some a loaf of bread, he or she would never take it
and eat it alone, but would share it with everyone around. The second lesson I learnt was the
spirit of being “happy and contented.” When I was posted in Vilankulu, a very small district of
Inhambane province, I used to supervise the off loading of food stuff from the ship Cinco de Junho
(meaning 5th of June). The labourers, despite coming to work early to work on an empty
stomach, would off load the ship singing and dancing as if they had no worries in the world.
They were always happy and contented. Vilankulu was my first posting. I was sent there to do
“damage control” as the ex-CARE employee had caused some serious problems and the
government officials were not happy. It was a tough assignment. I had to stay in a rundown hotel –
Donna Ana. Electricity was through a generator which most of the time did not work. There were
times when I had to survive on a glass of water. On my second day at the hotel when I went down
for lunch I was shocked to see the waiters picking up the leftovers from the plates of the guests that
had eaten and putting back into the pots and serving the next guest. Food was hard to come by
so I guess they were showing good stewardship of the limited resources- with the motto being
“waste not, want not”. While I was hungry I was not ready to eat the leftovers from other
people’s plate so I just went up to my room and had some of the snacks that I had brought along.
The next day put a tin hat on my eating at the restaurant. From the balcony of my room I saw the
chief washing the rice in a pot and while doing it he cleaned his nose with his right hand (he
probably had a bad cold) and within a blink of an eye he puts the same hand back into the pot to
keep washing the rice. I started to do my own cooking. I had beans and rice in the afternoon and a
little change in the night – rice and beans. However, I was fortunate to have an couple, in their late
sixties/early seventies from South Africa staying at the same hotel who worked for Joint Aid
Management (JAM) and they had hearts of gold so would very often provided me with tinned food
and soup packets which I relished.
I had just three trucks to manage and when the trucks left with the food for various destinations
they returned, sometimes after 2 to three weeks. This was due to security reasons as they
travelled in convoys. As such I didn’t have much work so helped other NGO’s in Vilankulu with
their work. My office was in one corner of a public reception area that was used as warehouse as
well. I had a 2’ x 2’ desk and a bench to sit on. When one of the WFP guys (Arnt Brevik) visited me, he
offered to buy me a chair which I politely declined.
One evening a funny incident happened. An MSF person staying at the side of my room, his oil
fridge caught fire. He had no fire extinguisher so let it burn, but after some time it started
exploding. The noise was very frightening. A lot of people thought the rebels had arrived and
were using mortar shells and hand grenades so started running for shelter. I was worried about my
elderly friends from JAM so went and knocked on their door. For quite some time they would
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not open the door. They probably thought the rebels were at the door, but when they heard my
voice they gently opened the door and asked in a trembling voice “have the rebels gone?” I
couldn’t help but laugh. When I told them what was the noise all about they were so relieved. They
said they hid under their bed. Since Vilankulu was not a family posting, my family could not join me.
MOVE TO TETE PROVINCE:
After spending six months in Vilankulu I was transferred to Tete province. Tete was an
extremely hot place. Temperatures could go over 40 degrees centigrade.
Coming from
Rajasthan, I had no reason to complain. In fact I was happy as I had a decent apartment, had
running water and had plenty of work. But more importantly, my family was able to join me, but
it happened after some painful moments as folks in Maputo (the capital) were not helpful in
sending the tickets to my family in a timely manner. The program in Tete was big and the
workload heavy. There were some good systems in place. However, it was quite a challenge
keeping track of the commodities. Though we were responsible for drawing up the distribution
plans, the government officials (DPCCN) would arbitrarily change the plans. They would also
help themselves to the gift in kind consignments that came to Tete from time to time- like Nike
shoes or clothing. The DPPCCN director would send his wife to the warehouse to have the first
pick. When I brought it to the attention of Maputo, I was told to ignore it. I found it strange and
unacceptable. Security was a problem, because of the ongoing war, one could not travel freely.
Every evening, my son, who was just three years old, would tell us “let’s go driving foolishly.” We
would drive around the small town and be back home in about 15 minutes. Getting food supplies
was a challenge. I managed to get a ration card, but supplies were limited. There was an
“Intrafranca” where one could buy food stuff in US$ but it was exorbitantly expensive. Fortunately
we made friends with a family that worked for World Vision. They had two small children who were
the same age as our children. Their office in Harare would regularly send them food supplies
from Harare, Zimbabwe. They started bringing in supplies for us as well, which was a big relief.
What really made me sad and disappointed was after having worked for CARE for over 18 years,
my request for food supplies to be sent from Maputo mostly fell on deaf ears. On two occasions my
electricity was also cut off because certain folks in Maputo did not send me my reimbursements
on a timely basis. However, the straw that finally broke the camel’s back was CARE not
sending up my personal effects that were lying in Maputo for 9 months. My repeated requests
again fell on deaf ears. All my children’s books and toys were in the boxes. They had no toys to
play with and no books to study so we could not home school them. In sheer frustration one
day I mentioned to my World Vision friend that I was disappointed with CARE and that
probably it was time to find a new job. He immediately picked up on that and informed his boss in
Harare. The next thing I know is I get a hand written note from the WV boss in Harare asking
whether I was ready to join WV. I sent a note back saying I needed to think about it. As luck
would have it, I was to go on R&R to the UK with my fami ly. Again, CARE did not send me the
tickets so I got WV to buy them and then I reimbursed them. When I got to Harare with my familyen route to the UK, WV put us up at a Hotel (The Brontie) at their expense. I was touched by their
gesture. They had one request- that I should meet the World Vision folks in the UK. I agreed. To cut
a long story short, I met the WV folks in the UK and was given royal treatment. It was there that I
made the biggest decision of my life- to leave CARE and join World Vision. I came back to
Tete and immediately sent in my resignation letter. It was a painful experience as I always joked
that I would be the last person to leave CARE should CARE shut down I would be the one to put the
locks on the door. CARE Maputo tried to convince me to stay on telling me that they were
planning to take me to Maputo on a better position. However, once I make up my mind to do
something, I don’t retract. My last day at CARE was December 31, 1987. At that stage, I had
completed 18 years, 5 months and 17 days. I joined WV on 1 January, 1988 based in Maputo as
the Commodities Manager. We were welcomed to a nice big apartment. We were pleasantly
surprised to find even a lot of food in the fridge. The next day I was asked by the WV Director
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whether the bed was comfortable. It made me think! It was a new chapter in my life. This January
01, 2013, I completed 25 years with WV. Can’t believe it that time has gone by so fast.
I repeat what I said in the beginning. Whatever I am in life today, I owe it to CARE. A solid foundation
was laid upon which I have built my career. A lot of lessons have been learnt along the way, some
good advice received, a lot of knocks taken which have all helped to mould my career. What I
learnt at CARE I put it to good use at WV which helped me to make WV one of the largest NGO in
the food aid industry. When I joined WV, they were nowhere on the map when it came to doing
food programming. In fact I was shocked to learn that they had no proper systems in place.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
I would be amiss if I did not mention the following people who have been a mentor, adviser,
encourager, supporter, or a good friend:
S.L. Srinivas, late Opie Redford, Charles Zumbro, , Rudy von Bernuth , Martin Schwarz, late L.
Mohanty, Rudy Ramp, Terry Jeggle, Tom Alcedo, T.R. Sadasivan, late A.T. Hariramani, I.S.
Sharma, late M.A. Raj, Tim Lavelle, Christy Gavitt. N.R. Vaidyanathan, M. Markos. I just hope I
haven’t left anyone out.
Last, but not least, I would like acknowledge the immense support I have received from my
beloved wife June. As the saying goes, “for every successful man stands a woman behind him”. She
has been my pillar of strength and has always been there to support me in all that I did. She has
been very understanding and has put up with all my travels, first as a Field Officer, my assignment
to Somalia and then the first six months to Mozambique. When I got to Mozambique, I
sent her a letter letting her know the tough living conditions and the problems of getting food
supplies. Her response back to me was “Any place on earth will do as long as I am with you. My
response back was – “come on Darling, bring the kids and join me”. Finally, I salute our two
loving kids- Nicolette and Clinton for putting up with my extensive travels. They missed me, but
kept silent. One day when my son was about 15 years old I asked him why he had not played
with the cricket set I brought him. His answer was “Dad you are never around to see me play.” .May
God bless them.
THANK YOU, DHANYAWAD,
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MERCI BEACOUP,
OBRIGADO.
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SOME PICTURES – TO BRING BACK MEMORIES
With the UNHCR Rep. in Lugh
Plane used for transporting food to
Lugh
A food distribution site in Lugh
Raj with W. Middleton in Belet Wein
The smiling Balbir Chaudhry with Walter M – taken in Somalia
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His Excellency K.P. Belliappa with Walter M- taken in Portugal
The Royal M.W.Khan with Walter M- taken in Maputo
Walter Middleton
[email protected]
May 2013
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26
CARE India
July, 2003 – May, 2005
I worked in Reproductive and Child Health, Nutrition and HIV/AIDS (RACHNA) program. I was based at
CIHQ for two years. This program being implemented at a large scale deep up to the village level (I may
even say small hamlet covering 1000 population) necessitated almost everyone involved in the
program to travel to understand and monitor how the services to mother and children are provided, its
type and quality of services, and to provide necessary inputs for improvement. The moment one says,
‘Care’, one immediately associates it with Anganwadi Centre (AWC). Almost one lakh (100,000) such
centers were provided support under this program on different dimensions of program aiming at
improving mother and child health and brought convergence between Heath department and Women &
Child Department (WCD).
I consider my travel to one small hamlet (so sorry that I
forgot the name of village, but I remember it is of less
than 1000 population!) in Surguja district,
Chhattisgarh, very memorable. We were a team of 9
members (few from CIHQ and others from state office)
made a visit to AWC. I think a team of 9 members
visiting that hamlet was the first time, we travelled in
two cars right up the hamlet. Met AWW, asked
questions, and looked at records and food bags that
came from WCD under ICDS, at AWC. A group of
villagers (women, men and children) gathered and
eager to know what was happening. We completed our task in about 3 hours. Obviously, quality of
drinking water in such a hamlet was poor; on the other hand, we emptied all our bottled water that we
carried from Ambikapur. Nothing to eat and nothing to
drink except tea, and after rigorous review at AWC, we
felt hungry. Looking at our lifeless face, Anganwadi
Worker (AWW) and few others who were part of the
flock told us that they would offer lunch to all of us. By
then, it was 1:30 pm and immediately we nodded our
head portraying our lack of energy to say even ‘yes’.
Soon after, the AWW and others got very busy in
collecting vegetables, leaves to make a special chutney
etc. We saw them quickly moving to field/vegetable
garden of their own cultivation in a radius of ¼ km. The
wheat was made powder with the help of indigenous
machine, removed only leaves from the stems. Local
wood was used as there was no LPG to cook. Each of
them shared the work load. We were watching the
entire effort. As we watched, we felt hungrier. Yes, finally
the food was ready. Still, they were moving from one
house to another, we could not understand what was
happening.
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We saw each of them brining one big steel plate from each of neighboring houses to serve us. This was
really surprising as one would generally think that each household has adequate plates to eat. While I
am not sure whether they had number of plates in their house, what I am sure is they wanted to serve
us in new and bigger plates. I think such new plates are used by them probably once a year on a special
occasion. I had no words to express their sincere heart to feed us. We remained spectators watching the
entire process – from getting vegetables, leaves, wheat grinding, cooking by a flock and finally bringing
new steel plates.
They placed long cloth and made it a nice platform for us to sit on ground. We were served lunch by
2:30 pm. It was really delicious.
It was mouthwatering wonderful lunch!
This was indeed a great travel that I made from Delhi to a small hamlet in Surguja district, always truly
memorable! ; My heartfelt gratitude to the villagers and Care.
[email protected]
May 2013
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27
Depinder Kapur
CARE India
Sept 1999 – May 2003
I am grateful to the opportunity and persuasion from Cheenu to share my story that I have taken liberty
to locate in the larger development work context.
Having worked with Indian NGOs for 10 years, I got an opportunity to work with CARE India as Director
Agriculture and natural Resources in 1999. I joined at a time when CARE India was making a transition
from its food aid based programming to a diversified non food aid programme portfolio and perhaps in
the last decade of the international aid programming in India that witnessed the end of liberal western
aid funding to India in the aftermath of Pokhran 1998 blasts and the emergence of a fake “India Shining”
in the eyes of the ruling elite of India. CARE India, like most other international aid agencies, was just
beginning to cope with an unending crisis of development aid that set in soon after and continues till
date. The ANR sector and the Social and Economic Development Unit in CARE India were set up as the
first serious effort to cope with this crisis. The four years I spent in CARE India, was in this context.
However there was resistance to change, both internal and external. A well set 50 years of glorious food
aid programming was not happy to see competition and not willing to believe that its days were over.
The resistance was not just internal. USAID wanted us to focus only on Food Aid and perhaps
Health/AIDs work, while the leadership in CARE India (Tom Alcedo and Peter Mc Allister) recognised
the need of the time to diversify so as to remain relevant in India. I recall colleagues Usha and Dr. YP
Gupta with his 5 star rating track record of securing big bucks for Health/Aids programme funding.
Madhuri was the “surf excel hai na” DEMOL single lead.
Food and Nutrition and Health and Aids programming survived in 2003, when I left after a “programme
focus effectiveness” external review, followed soon after by Education sector also closing. With the
government of India applying brakes to the food aid programme under the GM foods restrictions to
India soon after – was testimony to the contradictions the programme faced.
One has seen this “core competence” logic in other International NGOs as well; the consultant’s logic to
stick to the safe option in development business is a reflection of the donor constraints as well as an
over simplified managerial logic that fails to see that civil society relevance in social development
cannot be judged on core competence basis. While in the corporate sector, there are hundreds of case
studies of businesses collapsing if they do not reinvent themselves in time, the consultants in
development work keep using the strategic management tools and analysis of corporate sector,
focussing on efficiency and effectiveness frameworks and core competence, and is just does not work.
What this has lead to overtime in social development work is a deskilling of competence and capacity
among core staff of NGOs and international development agencies like CARE India. External consultant’s
word is taken as a bible.
Times of change are also the time of maximum learning. I learnt a lot from the senior colleagues in
CARE India. The entrepreneurial, sometimes cut throat fundraising competition between departments
was perhaps the most defining feature that I recall of my days in CARE India. Perhaps the recent flood of
emails on Cheenu’s network regarding stress related risks ex CARE colleagues – is a reminder of how
the development sector changed from the stable and steady food aid programming in CARE India till say
the early 1990s to be replaced by an increase in fund raising and programme diversification but which
came at a huge cost of unstable restricted funding regime. The sector directors in CARE India HQ
worked more like internal consultants to secure funding and the state directors as managers in charge
of implementation. This structure according to me worked well, with clear roles and responsibilities.
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The Orissa super cyclone struck the very day I joined CARE India in end of Sept 1999. It was the
penultimate major emergency response initiative of CARE India (the last one was the Gujarat
Earthquake response in 2001). A significant part of my time and work went into rehabilitation work in
both Orissa and Gujarat. The USAID monetisation of food aid for development, the 416b funding, took
us 2 years to secure and that too got tied up with the Gujarat livelihoods response programme.
In Orissa cyclone response, I remember Prusty talking on the phone with Basant Mohanty, with the
winds howling in the background on 1st October. It was the first opportunity for me to see a major
disaster response and be part of a £2.5 million livelihoods rehabilitation programme intervention that
followed. The CARE office in Bhubaneshwar was like a war control room with a very young and
motivated team that worked 24 hrs a day with Basant leading. When we went to see the worst affected
Blocks and Districts, people were still in a daze and it was difficult to hear their stories of losing loved
ones and seeing a clean slate where an entire village had once existed or other more fortunate villages
seemed bombed and devastated. CARE India did the right thing to avoid working in Ersama where all
aid agencies were flooding into and concentrate on other districts and blocks. One incident even in this
disaster, however, provided some comic relief. The Orissa cycle witnessed a large outpouring of people
support and charity. The small coastal roads were choc-o-block with relief material filled trucks for
many days. We came to hear first hand from a government official how a truck load of food material
from a gurudwara in north India had landed in Ersama block, 4 weeks after the cyclone. The district
administration told the priests of the relief team that they should not start a free food kitchen as they
had just started a food for work intervention, that at best they could distribute free food after the
people came back from work. The gurudwara priest refused saying that the free kitchen can under no
circumstances be made into a paid service for the affected people.
In the Orissa livelihoods rehabilitation response of CARE, we had a challenge in designing a 3 district
wide agriculture and livelihoods intervention at a scale, not done before. While going to a donor
coordination meeting with Peter McAllister Asst. Country Director Development Programmes, he asked
me what we should be doing in the meeting. I told him we will share our field assessment and
observations. He said no, we will go there to listen to what the donors are going to fund, then we will
include all that we have planned to do under their framework of things. This was a valuable lesson and
we did accordingly. CARE India provided a very good on the job learning and this is always better than
the many training programmes one can attend. CARE India had the unique experience and position of
having worked within the government machinery at a scale no other international aid agency(except
our other food aid agency), had the experience of working. Advocacy and working with the government
became a fancy of DFID and other donors much later. CARE India I believe lost the opportunity to
capitalise on its experience and knowledge of government systems, to transition into more relevant
development programming smoothly. It is now trying to do the same at the cost of much wasted
opportunity and effort.
In Gujarat, the earthquake impact was very different from Orissa. In Orissa thatched roof houses were
swept away under the tidal waves leading to an official estimate of close to 10,000 deaths(unofficially
the number was much higher and sadly included many immigrants from other states of India and from
Bangladesh who were never counted as citizens in the official death estimates). In Gujarat earthquake,
most of the lives and limbs were lost due to stone walls collapsing and killing families and school
children who had come out to celebrate the Republic Day. The sad part in Gujarat was the collapse of
the Civil Hospital and death of patients inside. While reaching the remote villages of coastal Orissa was
a challenge, especially when the water withdrew, reaching remote villages in Kutch was easy as you
could drive a 4 wheeler anywhere. Within a week of the Gujarat earthquake, the army had undertaken
most of the emergency medical response including amputations and air lifting. The way a local NGO
called Abhiyan, became a centre of development relief work coordination was fantastic. This was what
CARE used to do earlier. It showed that the national NGOs in India, at least a few of them had matured
to play this role very effectively. The same NGO Abhiyan then went to Kosi floods rehabilitation in
2009-10 by becoming a modal agency for an ambitious housing rehabilitation programme of govt of
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Bihar using local masons and resources very effectively in 3 different model of houses that people built
and used.
At the farewell of Peter I remember Col. CK Pathak the Emergency Manager gave a hilarious account of
how Peter taught him to write a Log Frame - by telling him to think practically. He gave the example of
how Peter told him that if you want to get married then the Goal of the marriage is a higher level aim of
finding a soul mate or a partner in life. And the Objectives are lower order aims of say having children
or doing things together that you enjoy or share common interests. Peter was very good at logical
reasoning and LFAs development and also in strategic management of projects. Since he had recently
married, this was something he could explain easily to Mr. Pathak.
I recall the high energy levels in CARE India in my time despite its large size of nearly 400 staff, the
rushing to USAID for meetings and funding support, the SMT meetings where a battle of turf was always
fought with Programme Teams on one side and the PSU on the other.
Since CARE India was all about contracted funding, generating projects was a measure of success. While
programme staff generated projects and funding, the Finance and Admin staff tried to cut down
spending so as to generate more income from Fixed Deposit earnings. Performance indicators for both
categories of staff were therefore at times contradictory. Interest earned on short term bank deposits
by the PSU team was an indicator of their performance; delay in funds transfer to partners impacted the
programme work!
All in all it was good learning and an opportunity to pick up skills at CARE. Working on large systems,
AOPs, Budgeting, Quarterly SMT meetings, 360 degree appraisals, SCALA!! . In one of the Orissa SMT
meetings, it was a relief to jump into the sea in the evening of one of the hectic meetings and I had my
first experience of deep sea swimming.
Overall in the larger development aid agencies work, systems were becoming more and more tight.
More reporting requirements, M&E and MIS requirements, more formats and new software. Resulting
in less and less time to make visits, undertake research, and spend time mentoring younger colleagues.
A truncated learning opportunity in terms of theory and concepts much needed to develop sectoral core
competence in your programming field. This was a bane not only of CARE India but all subsequent
development agencies that I joined – WaterAid, Oxfam and UNOPS. Consultants and contractors
replacing programming staff for not only technical and knowledge related work, but even for routine
monitoring work. Local NGOs are squeezed of funding and operate as contractors on low fees. Bidding
for works by local NGOs is now a norm. The professional NGO sector in India only emerged in the early
1980s and got its legitimacy with numerous civil society stalwarts who worked directly in remote rural
areas. Besides Anil Agarwal, Kamla Bhasin, Ela Bhatt, Alyosus Fernandes, Ginni, Kamla Bhasin, MS
Mehta, Ravi Chopra - there were so many others working in remote parts of tribal areas that provided
the legitimacy for NGO work. Donor agencies like Ford Foundation, DANIDA, SDC, SIDA and CIDA and a
large number of independent aid agencies including ActionAid, Oxfam, Save the Children - would run
after them and provide generous grants for establishment and programme work. Small NGOs were
requested to take funds so that they could become more efficient and effective, with minimal reporting.
The situation now is just the opposite with NGOs becoming contractors of government and donor
funding, and made to run after funding agencies for small grants. Now it is considered efficient and
effective if local NGOs bid for projects, agree to compliance norms that meet the requirements of
donors.
To cater to this professional development market, are development consulting companies. Core
competence of middle and senior level staff in international agencies is getting reduced to managerial
competence of drafting good contracts, ToRs and securing compliance. Knowledge and skills are getting
marginalised resulting in falling quality. In the WASH sector that I now work with, there are perhaps
more consultants than regular staff working with development agencies, more fancy frameworks and
programme approaches invented every year than ever before and large amounts of money spent on
media and campaigns than supporting field interventions and work by NGOs. While huge financial
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capital investment dominated the early days of rigs and bore wells investment in drinking water sector
in the 1970s, this has now been replaced by an equally high capital intensive investment in Behaviour
Change Communication (BCC) based work including advertising campaigns and mega events and
workshops. Unfortunately there are very few filed staff being paid on the ground to do good old
“extension work” that is needed so badly. Just as large investments in pipes and machines is wasted if
there is no provision for operations and maintenance work, large investments in designing Behaviour
Change Communications products, campaigns and methodologies – fail when there is no follow up from
the group in face to face communication.
I recall with gratitude, having worked with colleagues Harish Chotani, Basant Mohanty, CS Reddy,
Sunisha Chawla, Meenakshi Nath, Geetha Menon, Jitendra Sinha and Kishore Singh– for their drive,
energy and company. Colleagues in the SNR team Ajay Desai, Suprabha, Alok Kumar, Jayesh Rathore
and Rekha Shenoy. Shikha, Sunita Gupta and MS who was always there to help in HR.
CARE India offered great learning opportunity for anyone. Unlike other UK NGOs, CARE provided the
best on the job learning and capacity building opportunity for anyone who joined young. You learned
quickly.
I will never be able to forget Avtar Kaul who was with CARE USA, their ANR Director when I was in
CARE India. He was a very warm hearted and knowledgeable person having worked in Bangladesh and
other Asian countries with CARE. He could motivate a young team of staff in CARE and was a big source
of encouragement and support. He helped Alok Kumar in our team to study in the USA, even paying for
some of his cost. In 2001 when I visited the Atlanta office of CARE, Avtar insisted on my staying at his
home and not the downtown seedy hotels in Atlanta. Sadly he died of cancer in 2004.
The other expat CARE colleague I remember was Claudia Chang who recently left CARE Nepal as
Country Representative. She and her partner Carsten Voelz, became good friends and continue till date.
Depinder Kapur
[email protected]
May 2013
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28
Rajeev Kumar Jha
Care India
Feb 2008- September 2009
Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”
― Dr. Seuss
It was winter of 2008; share of sunshine was declining day by day and night becoming longer. I was
working as District Project Officer, Patna for GoI- UNDP Disaster (Risk) Management Programme for
last four years and realized that programme would eventually come to an end one day and I must start
exploring opportunities before the time flies. A year ago Bihar flood 2007 had caused severe damages
and one morning I have received message from my supervisor to go to Samastipur, Bihar with US AID
Disaster Management team for flood assessment. At Patna hotel Chanakya two persons were waiting
for me and that’s how I got to know Mr Balaji Singh Chauhan, who later became instrumental in
drafting me in Care India. Next year 2008 flood struck again and masses of Bihar again suffered.
International Humanitarian agencies swung into action. One of the largest organizations in
development sector Care India also started their relief operation in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar. A
small camp office near Bhagwanpur block was established to coordinate the relief and rehabilitation
work. During one of the meeting with Care India Emergency Director I was requested that whether I
would be interested to work as focal person for post relief operation of Care India. Because of short
duration of programme and nature of contract being offered initially I have refused to take the offer. But
later on after much deliberation, I wrote back to Care India that I am willing to take the offer. A formal
interview took place and my association with Care India was on.
First DayTime is eternal. It is said that it has neither a beginning nor an end. Yet we are able to measure it as
years, months, days, hours, minutes and seconds. I was living in Patna and to reach Care office in
Muzaffarpur, I had to travel more than 80 km. Mr P K Narula, office in charge, told me that I should
reach by 9.30 AM because he planned field visit to review the shelter programme at Gayhat block
Muzaffarpur .In spite of my best effort due to heavy traffic and chaotic route I was late by tem minutes
.In between octogenarian Mr Narula decided not to wait for me. When I reached, the office boy Pankaj
welcomed me, and said Narula sahib chalay gai (Narula has gone). Outcome of the day surfing
emails, three four cup of coffee and lunch. Narulaji was kind hearted man and really took care of me.
From then I have worked with Narula ji extensively and visited field, review the work, monitored the
NGO partner, developed monthly reports. And off course I was never late. In the meantime Narulaji
decided to return New Delhi and I have become office in charge of Care India post relief operation in
Muzzafarpur an ECHO supported programme.
Back to Patna
A man is a political animal and politics is the mother of all problems. Bihar was always in news for the
wrong reason and political factors were one of the important raison d'être. This time change was in air
and changing political scenario in Bihar had attracted number of national and international
organizations to expand their intervention, slowly and steadily there were announcements of arrival in
Bihar. Many of them are still working on long term basis trying to change the development indicators of
Bihar from the bottom of poverty. Against the backdrop Care India has announced to spread their
flagship livelihood and disaster management programme named SNEHAL to four Indian stats including
Bihar. Again there were interview called and I had to apply for.
New Boss- New Game
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Peter Drucker famously stated that "management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right
things." Great leaders possess dazzling social intelligence, a zest for change, and above all, vision that
allows them to set their sights on the "things" that truly merit attention.
Mrs. Veena Padia was my supervisor was from Care Ahmadabad. She was coordinating the activities of
SNEHAL (Sustained Nutrition Education Health and Livelihood) in all four states. Bihar being the new
addition was much more focus of attention compare to other SNEHAL states. People were flying from
Ahmadabad to Patna frequently for technical support. Because of short duration of programme and
delayed start, partner selection and project roll out was immediate and uphill task. I was new for the
Care system so my team member’s .Veena Mam was courteous and target oriented and whenever
someone deviated from the line he was taken for the task. So office atmosphere changed from relaxed
zone to competitive zone. We worked in madness with missionary zeal. The fact remains that an idea of
working for the poor and vulnerable was so strong that within a year and half we were able to execute
the project on time except the flood shelter construction which delayed due to complex land acquisition
process and approval from government side. We have generated god visibility of our work and
organization which was criticized earlier during Care departure from Bihar. A moment of pinnacle came
when Secretary Rural Development Government of Bihar, Mr Anup Mukerjee, visited project spot on his
own with other government officials. More than ten NGO partners worked together for a project worth
of Rs 3 crore. Simultaneously health and disaster management related project supported by Lucile
Packard Foundation, shelter project supported by Vodafone was also executed and implemented at
Gayghat and Bandra block of Bihar.
First Fight
In complex situation effective communication skills and emotional control is necessary factor to have
with. Care Patna was hosting a meeting of SNEHAL in which all the important officials form Care New
Delhi that includes COO, HR director, Regional Managers from other SNEHAL states were participating.
That day rains poured on street of Patna like cats and dogs, and entire block from Pataliputra colony to
Care office was filled with water. One of my colleagues commented today God has conspired against the
meeting but human will finally prevail and meeting started. Around 3 PM when I came out for
ablutions, saw two gentlemen were arguing with office guard for entry and when enquired they said
thy top officials from media organization and I am no body to stop them making an entry. When
further enquired they started abusing me and said you guys must tell us about the source of funding
and other details otherwise they would malign image of Care India. I went berserk and in emotion
had huge argument, without realizing my voice was loud enough to disturb the meeting and most of
Care officals came out and saw that incident. I was at back foot because people have heard my voice but
not the basis of arguments. There were whispers against me and that I have not negotiated the matter
well. I saw writing on wall, may be this is last day in Care Patna office but better sense prevailed. Some
one got to know the root cause of arguments and matter was dropped. Lesson learnt organizational
matter must be dealt collectively.
Disaster Struck
When disaster struck in due to change of river flow of Koshi, no would have realized that it is so
massive that going to engulf thousand of population in couple of days. More over the population
adjacent to river was not ready to vacate their houses and belongings to shelter camps. Home leaving
has always an emotional factor in human migration. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar went on to Radio to
warn and aware the masses to vacate their places as immediately as possible but damage was
massive and as usual response were slow and tardy. Care India also responded, Director Disaster
Management Unit requested me to go for damage assessment that will help them to plan the Care India
responses. After few days humanitarian response begins. Former Care employees were called to work
in Supaul and an interim office was opened by Care India during that period. Being a disaster
management professional I also wanted to contribute as maximum as possible but asked to be in Patna
for coordination work. I sulked and fumed.
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Last One and Half MonthsSNEHAL was coming to an end in August 2009 and there was no sign of new programme within few
months to Care Bihar. Although the DFID supported health programme was signed and initial meetings
were going, programme was still in design stage and was yet to be operationlaise. It is unusual from the
Care India standard that people will be out of job which is known in development sector for retaining
and nurturing their employee. But such was the crisis and no solution. At personnel level I was worried
and not sure whether I would be able to work in any organization because once you worked in Care,
it is difficult to get the same freshness of air as you get in Care. Finally the HR department wrote
thanking email. My team members including me were given an option to relocate themselves at
Care INHP programme which was at last stage of project cycle. All the team members took the offer. I
moved on.
Emotional Connection
It is often said that wearing an attitude on sleeve is matter of expression of confidence about him but
wearing a Care T shirt was matter of showing the commitment for the organisation I have worked.
Whenever and wherever get the chance I collected Care shirts. Even once requested colleague and
friend Mr Shakeb Nabi from Andaman to send few Care T-shirts he got it printed from his programme.
I loved to attire them all the day. Whenever I am alone, I still wear those t-shirt as matter of faith and
commitment and tears roll down. Once my wife asked why I am not disposing old care T shirts, I gave
a coy smile and said nothing. She would never understand because she has not worked in Care.
Rajeev Kumar Jha
[email protected]
June 2013
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29
Frank Brechin
CARE USA
Oct. 1965 – Oct. 1995
Foreword note
This article, write up, below was received by me from Frank Brechin. Frank mentioned that this
was an article that he wrote recently for Care Nepal's 35th anniversary. I found the article worth
taking in for the Care memories Book 3 collections as Frank's Nepal memories. It's a master piece
write up to go along with the memory collections. Frank agreed to my suggestion, thanks Frank.
Frank had earlier contributed his memory on India, which is part of Book 1 collections
under serial #39.
*******************************************************************************************************
The story of the opening of CARE in Nepal as I know it actually begins in 1975. This was while serving
in Turkey; I was invited to join as junior member an exploratory team. Of course, this means that
someone else had first arranged for our visit. Who that was, I cannot recall. Our little team, headed by
Allan Turnbull, also consisted of Dr. John Mowbray from CARE - MEDICO Afghanistan in addition to
myself. As I recall, we assembled in New Delhi, no doubt coming together at the CARE-India offices of
then Director, Allan Turnbull, himself.
The trip up was by air as there still was not much for roads leading into the Kingdom in those years.
Besides, I think the time available to us for this mission (about a month) was also a scarce commodity.
We stayed at a charming hotel, which was one of those that in which foreigners of all walks were found,
right in the center of Kathmandu. Allan handed out assignments soon after our arrival and we went
about our tasks -independently for the most part. At the end of the day or every so often, we sat to go
over where we were in gathering the information required of us.
Then, it all seemed to go so fast, we were on our way back to New Delhi and on to our originating home
bases. By that time I think Allan had drafted a Basic Country Agreement he left with the government.
After that, there was no word concerning anything about Nepal for many months. One morning, I was
called into the Ankara office and told to get ready to go to Nepal as Country Director. It was my first
such appointment: promoted, transferred plus charged with opening a new mission. I felt faint. The date
was sometime in 1978.
Larry Holzman had been up from New Delhi prior to the arrival of my fiancee, Sue Griffey, and myself.
Larry had made a number of helpful arrangements that eased our settling-in. Nevertheless, there was
still plenty to do in getting set-up. We set about things that needed arranging with a lot of energy - not
all of which was necessarily spend as wisely as possible. On the same day Sue and I were married at the
Lillipur CDO’s office, I hired the office manager, a wonderful man by the name of B.P. Sharma. B.P. was
said to remain with CARE almost until he died.
B.P. eventually helped recruit and bring in B.B. Rajbandari as accountant, Deepak Lama and Basu Dev as
field officers and a male Office Assistant, Tulsey. In those early days, while making the rounds of
government, USAID, other NGOs, etc., a lot of effort was similarly put into the establishing of
procedures. This included installing a filing system based on the work of Felix Ashinhurst. We had
copies of the old CARE Field Manuals brought with us. They served to guide us in not only in
establishment and operations, but also indicated just who best needed to be trained in which tasks so to
do the JDs.
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During this time, there we two GON staff who were more or less assigned to help CARE get started. The
first was a retired Minister, Tera Dev Battari. He was more of a minder in that he kept track of me and
accompanied me on early field trips. The other was a much younger officer in an obscure development
office, one Bal Kapal KC. KC was supposed to help point the way and clear obstacles that may have
hindered CARE’s progress in identifying project opportunities, etc. It did not work out quite that way,
unfortunately.
Of the many visits I made to GON offices, USAID, other NGOs and in discussions with observers of Nepal,
not much initially came up as an entry into project development. Although one could see so much to be
done, just fitting in was not so an obvious a conclusion. So, we took to the costly importing of medical
equipment, i.e. hospital beds, cabinets, etc. Plus other CIKs, such as some nutritional supplements and
the like. This led eventually to looking into GON nurse training. We initially had three nurses join,
including Cyndy Tice, a long-serving MEDICO veteran. The three were a bit challenged as they were
bringing a host of new ideas and approaches to nursing.
One thing that came of discussions with the GON I noted was that we were never invited to look neither
to the East nor the Terai for possible projects; it was always suggested that we seek to engage in the
Central and Western parts of the country. Consequently, I did a lot of travel in the West. But the
logistical obstacles seemed just overwhelming. However, on a trip with Pat Carey, a fellow CARE guy
from India, we went to the Central hill country. The objective was to determine the feasibility for a
school feeding project.
We found real possibilities with the Chief District Officer in Sindapalchok District. Thus inspired, Pat
worked hard to sketch-out a school feeding proposal. Since Pat was so knowledgeable on the subject, it
was a smoothly done document. I took it to USAID, whereupon immediately after presentation, the
director at the time, a Mr. Butterfield, promptly shot the proposal down. That decision, among others,
was, to say the least, quite devastating to our early, fledging program development.
In fact, our set-back and seeming lack of progress may have caused Headquarters to send us visitors.
None other than Ed Wesley, then Chairman of the Board and Mert Creggor, the then VP for Programs
came to visit us! The upshot was that Ron Burkhard came up to see what could be done. Eventually, an
additional woman international staff member, Jane Rosser, was sent up from Bangladesh to seek out
project opportunities. That turned out to be a hilarious mis-adventure of the very first class. Jane was
dutifully sent out to the West in search of projects but was met with nothing but derision from the InCharges in the various districts. We soon learned that not all officers were feminist.
It must be said that, while there was a lot of pressure to come up with a viable program (after all, what
were we there for?), not every moment was all that heavy. Time was taken to visit the many marvels of
The Valley and there beyond- especially on holidays and weekends. We witnessed festivals, visited the
many temples and related monuments. These cultural imperatives to so many religions and peoples
make one think how such a society could emerge? Yet here we are still today appreciating the wonder
of it.
Participating in the opening of the Nepal mission was, needless to say the least, a once in a life time
experience. I would like to think that my successor, Ed Brand, was able to build somewhat on what
went before. BTW, during the visit to the CDO in Sindapolchok with Pat, the CDO called in an orphan
child, called Punkas. This little boy was to become my only child, Chandra. He has done well as a citizen
in the USA. I ask you, what more can come from a wholly unanticipated life?
Frank Brechin
[email protected]
June 2013
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30
Frank Sullivan
CARE USA
1973 to June 2012 in several countries
(Leave of absence to get Master’s Degree 1980-1982)
BANGLADESH- 1973-1978, four and a half years
My first assignment with CARE was Bangladesh, arriving in February 1973 (40 years ago, gasp!) This
was two years after the 1970 cyclone that killed a million-and-a-half people, and CARE was building
15,000 CINVA-Ram houses in far-distant counties (thanas) heavily affected by the cyclone. I was not
hired as career staff but seconded to CARE Bangladesh (from Wally Campbell’s cooperative housing
organization) as technical advisor on cooperative housing principles, since the housing repayments
were envisaged to become part of a capitalization campaign of the famous Bangladesh IRDP rural
agricultural cooperative system. Exciting times for a single guy: travelling by jeep, motorcycle,
speedboat, and riverboats to Bhola Island, Patuakhali and Laxmipur thanas fifteen days a month. Bhola
lay at the end of a three-hour speedboat ride straight out into the Bay of Bengal; Patuakhali required a
two-day riverine launch trip, and Laxmipur a seven-hour jeep ride from the capital. In those days of no
internet/no cell phone, once you started on these trips, you were off the face of the earth until
whenever you got back! Once when the speedboat broke down (it happened a lot!) and I was on a local
launch to Bhola in a storm, we ran aground on a sandbank with no land in site (yes, it is possible) and
the boat keeled so far over I thought we were all going to become nameless victims drowned in the Bay
of Bengal! Standout names from that era: George Taylor, Dal Vipond, Ian Smillie (now a well-respected
Canadian development author), Mike Krajniak (now a Nepali citizen), Tom Roach, John Chudy, Marty
and Irma Schwarz, and the unforgettable and much loved Bob Dukes and Bill Woudenberg (two of the
most colorful characters in CARE history and worth separate stories in themselves.) By project’s end,
CARE built 12,500 of these 10’x20’ (somewhat) cyclone-resistant houses. The ag. cooperative linkage of
this activity evolved into an extensive CARE portfolio of agricultural development projects over the next
decades, a transition I helped in; and CARE’s work in agricultural development became astonishingly
diversified: projects of vegetable marketing, coop development, expansion of irrigation, agricultural
extension, institution building. (It was this involvement that led to my decision five years later to
pursue a Masters in agricultural development from Cornell University: see below.)
Also during the 1976-78 era was the start of the famous CARE Bangladesh Food-for-Work Program, a
multi-million dollar, country-wide program of agricultural infrastructure development using Title II
food resources. Country Director Ron Burkard was the visionary in creating this project, and he
brought in a large team of colleagues from CARE India to help him crank it up. Rick LaRoche (who
would years later become CARE’s Chief Financial Officer in NY and then Atlanta) was a key player on
Ron’s team, along with Rudy von Bernuth, Dan Roth, Larry Holzman, Jim Myers, Bob McCullam, and a
host of others. The number of CARE staff who started out in this program or honed their skills in rural
Bangladesh is at least several hundred; and this program continues in one form or other to this day.
(Years later as an independent consultant, I would be the Team Leader for a Final Evaluation of the
second of various ten-year, $80 million project cycles.) At Ron’s insistence, CARE Bangladesh hired its
first two female employees (!), a group that now numbers many hundreds; and the cadre of CARE
national employees would rise from fifty to over 800 during his tenure. Dozens of senior national staff
from this era would become international staff (with CARE and with other NGOs) and expand CARE’s
legacy of managerial excellence throughout the development world. Truly, the building of one of the
stars of CARE’s international reputation.
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Also during this period, my secondment would end, and CARE offered me career status. I also met an
Irish nurse working for Concern, married her, and returned to Bangladesh for the first two years of our
honeymoon!
HONDURAS- 1978-1980- three years, plus graduate school, 1980-1982
After Bangladesh, I was transferred to Honduras to become project manager of an artisanal fishing
cooperative project based in San Pedro Sula. More wonderfully exciting times: traveling the length and
breadth of Honduras’ five hundred-mile North Coast: by jeep (35K in 12 months), by four-seater plane,
by lobster boat, by dugout canoe! The manager of a Tabasco marketing project, Mark Draper, and I
competed to see who would travel the most, Mark fifteen days a month to SPS-adjacent sites, me
eighteen days a month for two weeks at a time from Omoa to Puerto Lempira. Several of those
cooperatives could only be reached by an eight hour jeep ride, and three hours walking along the beach.
One highlight was traveling by dugout canoe from one community to another (three hours of sitting
unmoving so as not to tip the canoe!); another was spending a weekend with Garifuna fishermen salting
fish for Holy Week Sales on Little Pig Keys in the middle of the Caribbean. Who could dream of a more
fun job!
Later in those three years George Radcliffe promoted me to sub-office manager and zonal supervisor,
and I travelled throughout the Northern part of the country supervising CARE’s decades-long-school
feeding project: Ocotopeque, (onomatopoeia in that name); Copan (the world-famous Copan ruins);
Lempira; and the far-west of the country. (Years later I would evaluate the success of a CARE/H Title II,
agricultural and community health development project in that same area.) My wife once traveled with
me to the area and marveled that I could recite the luncheon menu when we were yet twenty km. from
the restaurant, until, sitting at lunch; I told her the menu was the same whether it was breakfast, lunch
or dinner. Recent travel showed me the menu hasn’t much changed in 35 years! I also supervised
Puerto Cortez and importing and warehousing several thousand tons of Title II commodities, learning
that if you didn’t kill the bugs quickly, they would eat you and your commodities out of house and home.
Key personalities were Country Director Jim Pucetti, Mike Viola, and Marge Tsitouris (then Gorecki),
who would spend many years in Atlanta as the Director of Emergency Programs. Marge and I had a
running competition whose arm became browner from hanging out the driving window as we racked
up thousands of kilometers a month of field supervision. (She won.)
After three years in Honduras, it occurred to me that my career needed better qualifications than an
undergraduate degree in Philosophy and a penchant for sweaty field work, so I took a two year leave of
absence to study international agriculture at Cornell.
I loved every minute at Cornell. The professors were tremendously knowledgeable and the coursework
was a smorgasbord of dozens of topics I was thrilled to study: large and small scale irrigation,
vegetable production, basic grain cultivation, grain storage in the tropics, even personnel management:
many issues I had dealt with (or would deal with) in CARE programs. Also, it was a great challenge to
synthesize the “ivory tower” erudition of my professors with my on-the-ground experiences of CARE
life. (In academia, this is still is an unresolved challenge!) When my studies ended, I was offered a job
as the CUSO (Canada) country director in Nigeria, until Buck Northrup, the then-Director of Personnel,
gave me a call (I remember it to this day) and said: “Come down and talk to us…” I replied: “Nah, Buck,
I already have another job; I’m done with CARE.” He said: “Come down and talk to us anyway.” When I
asked: “Will you cover the bus fare to get me to NYC?” he laughed and said “yes,” he thought CARE could
probably cover that. Because of Buck’s initiative, I wound up spending another seventeen years with
CARE.
Enter Rudy von Bernuth, (who would eventually spend five years as the Executive Vice President of
Programs in CARE HQ--first in New York, then Atlanta), then the Country Director of CARE Bangladesh.
My first exposure to Rudy was on the 26 hour flight from New York to Dhaka, where he talked at me of
the Bangladesh portfolio until I was bug-eyed with tiredness, probably somewhere over Dubai! I would
learn an enormous number of new skills from Rudy.
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BANGLADESH- 1982-85, three years
Back in Bangladesh, I assumed responsibilities as the Assistant Country Director for Programs,
overseeing a portfolio of approximately $40 million. These years flew by, as the portfolio was
terrifically complex and ever-evolving. Rudy had a triumvirate of highly productive senior staff: me,
recently returned with new skills after an absence of five years, Lizette Echols and Sandy Laumark.
Lizette was a hard-working, boots-and-jeans leader (with a soft heart) who would at the drop of a hat
write a 50 page proposal between close of business one day and start of business the next-- in
longhand! Lizette was the organizational brains and the operational overseer of a 500-person (!) /
$35million annual budget project. Sandy was a Ph.D. economist, now five years in country and a fluent
Bangla speaker, and the conceptual visionary, proposal writer and project manager of numerous
agricultural development projects. She was also the creator of the Women’s Rural Roads Maintenance
project that won numerous program quality awards and million-dollar CIDA financing over the next
decade. Other key personnel at this time were Larry and Elizabeth Marum, Rick Henning, Peggy
Thorpe, Bob Dukes (again), and many others.
With a sudden (medevac) departure of a senior administration specialist, Rudy moved me into the
Assistant Country Director for Administration, a position I would hold until my departure. At this point,
I was (administratively) supervising 800 CARE Bangladesh employees, all Finance, Procurement, Audit
and Administrative departments, a 500-vehicle fleet, and who-knows what else. Unbeknown to me, my
secretary would line up tokens on the floor outside my office: the stapler represented Finance; the
Scotch tape dispenser, Personnel; the plant meant the Vehicle division; and each Department got called
as their token reached the front. Great fun and never a dull moment! Of course the job was impossible
without extraordinarily competent Bangladeshi staff: CFO Asraf Ahmed (who would come to Atlanta
and work as the food commodity officer for another fifteen years), Fred Ellis, the workshop manager,
Regina Hassan, my secretary, Md. Hussain, the HR Director, and others. The Sullivan family is forever in
the debt of these last two who on two hour’s notice achieved the impossible of successfully negotiating
the medical evacuation of my wife to Calcutta, 18 hours into her extremely dangerous labor. Without
their spectacular efforts, my daughter, now a debut novelist of growing reputation would have died
stillborn in Dhaka that day.
With Rudy’s departure to the New York VP-Program position, I assumed Acting Country Director
responsibilities until Ginny Ubik’s arrival (she years later would become the Regional Director for Latin
America in Atlanta.) My promotion was formalized with my transfer as Country Director to Ecuador
that summer. Because Ginny was several months delayed in arriving, my wife’s U.S. visa expired, and
she was told she would not be allowed to enter the U.S. – this, the summer of our bi-annual Home
Leave! According to the Immigration staff, she would only be allowed to transit the U.S. on her way to
Ecuador, notwithstanding that she was the mother of a two-year-old U.S. citizen who was coming to the
States for the first time! In the end, a friendly (Irish-American) Immigrations Officer at Kennedy Airport
let her in on the promise that “she would never do it again, and she would never say the name of the
officer who let her in!”
ECUADOR- 1984-1987, three years
Ecuador was my first assignment as Country Director, and it is surely one of the most beautiful
countries in the world. The program was relatively small when I got there: CARE was building
community health posts in isolated parts of the country; also potable water systems; a woman’s and
school vegetable garden project; an agro-forestry program of some sophistication; and a soil
conservation program. This latter activity was a fascinating new activity to me. Led by John Mosher,
CARE was promoting terracing and rain water “harvesting” to impoverished farmers very high up
(4,000M or 13,000 ft.) – on the Andean slopes; and the gains in agricultural production achieved by this
project were remarkable. But terrace building has to be done very carefully because if the slope of the
terrace is improperly constructed, a great deal of ecological damage will be caused. From John I learned
how to carry out soil conservation in the many years this project was financed by the Canadian
Government, and we had fun outings with the Canadian Ambassador visiting to see activities in person.
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True story: One memorable day, the villagers discovered overgrown terraces that had been built
hundreds of years before in Incan times but since forgotten and proudly reported thereafter: “CARE
helped put us back in touch with the heritage of our ancestors.”
Another highlight during this tour was hosting a visit from 12 or 15 CARE fundraisers, US Field Office
staff who were with us for 10 days, traveling in four different directions throughout the country, getting
to see in person the results of the money they were raising for us. This was a tremendously gratifying
experience for both parties: for them – getting to see real Development in action; and for country office
staff – captivated by their enthusiasm and dedication to our shared cause.
Late in this tour, we were awarded a multi-million dollar grant from USAID to conclude a sprinkler
irrigation project on 2,000 hectares (huge!!) in the Riobamba valley, bringing irrigation water through a
5km tunnel from one watershed to another. A dauntingly complex undertaking and I have always
wanted to return to Ecuador to see how that project turned out! We also moved into micro-financing,
(new for CARE at the time), signing a cooperative agreement with the Carvajal Foundation—a
distinguished Colombian micro-financing entity similar to Grameen Bank. By the time I left, the
portfolio had doubled, national staff had gone from 20 to about 50, and international staff from two to
eight. Key personalities during this tour were Raul Cadena (eventually a 40 year veteran!), Marcos
Cevallos, Joe Narkevic (who became a lifelong friend), Estuardo Jarrin, and others. My wife recalls
Ecuador as her favorite country in the world and would return at the snap of a finger if anyone would
invite her!
BOLIVIA- 1987-1992, four and a half years
In Bolivia I came of age as a Country Director. When I arrived, the country office was suffering from
management issues but by the end of the first year, most of these had been dealt with; and CARE’s
reputation with donors began to climb back to what it had been. One of CARE Bolivia’s traditional
portfolio strengths was community water systems, having built over the previous decade water systems
in 500-or-more extremely isolated areas — more than any other entity in Bolivian history. With my
arrival, we began to pay more attention to the quality of the systems as well as the quantity, -- and to
the programmatic links between improved water and improved community health. We won an
unheard of grant from USAID for $8.5 million to build 125 water systems over five years, with a
significant maternal and child health promotion campaign, and won other large, multi-year grants from
Canadian CIDA and from the Dutch government for another fifty or so. We even landed a small grant
from the Japanese Ambassador for a couple! This was such an exciting time in CARE Bolivia’s history!
Through Joe Narkevic’s initiative, CARE also hosted a major workshop among the GOB senior engineers
and community water system agencies that produced the first ever manual on National Norms for rural
water system construction —a manual that to this day is part of Bolivian law.
We were also doing marvelous things with soil conservation, micro-irrigation, agro-forestry,
community health promotion, and community development. Bolivia is a vast country, over 1 million
square kilometers, and I became known by staff as “The Travelling Director,” visiting every sub-office
and every project site many times—achieving 44% travel (8+ days every month over four-and-a-half
years.) Of course I couldn’t have done so without strong back office support, and I was lucky to have
two senior Assistant Country Directors, Jan Schoellert and Steve Hollingworth (who would of course
become COO a decade and a half later.) With these two in place, I could travel to my heart’s content
(and did!): Tarija to the Argentine border; Potosí (home of the most famous silver mine in world
history); Monteagudo (where Che Guevara died) and Villa Abecia in far-distant Chuquisaca; Lake
Titicaca and the Aymara communities; the Yungas (nail-biting my way down what the NY Times terms
“one of the five most dangerous roads in the world); the Uyuni Salt Flat (the world’s largest) where I
was awarded a “Distinguished Visitor” plaque by the Municipal Corporation; and hundreds of other farflung villages. And for this I was being paid?
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Also at this time, CARE became one of the founding members of a 12-NGO health consortium called
PROCOSI, and we experimented with a very Andean management system: rotating Executive
Committee membership. PROCOSI continues as an important local Bolivian NGO to this day.
Key personalities besides Steve, Jan and Joe were Corinne Seltz, Scott Tobias, Gerardo Romero, Manuel
Diez Canseco, Chris Roesel, Swaleh Karanja, and dozens more. By the time I left, the portfolio had
doubled to $6.5 million annually, national staff grew to 325, expatriate staff to ten or twelve, and CARE,
indeed, had once again become one of Bolivia’s premier NGOs. Some of the most energizing times of my
life! If my wife’s favorite country in the world is Ecuador, mine is Bolivia. Paraphrasing Poe: “the glory
that was Ecuador, and the grandeur that was Bolivia.” The Bolivia Altiplano is truly majestic, and the
Bolivian people are noble and uncomplaining in their harsh, high-desert climate. When you walk into
our home, you arrive to a Bolivian art gallery: our walls are full of Bolivia!
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, 1992-1996, four and a half years
Now a mature, experienced country director, I arrived to the Dominican Republic with a mandate to
grow the portfolio. CARE had been carrying out a “routine” Title II MCH food distribution and a School
Feeding program for probably thirty years, and the Regional Manager wanted more innovation. It took
18 months to carry out a rigorous, statistically valid evaluation of the School Feeding Program and
determine we were not having any significant cognitive impact on the children, and then another 18
months to slowly, (carefully!) negotiate a closure to the program. I will never forget the day I received a
letter from the President of the Country, Dr. Joaquín Balaguer that began: “Dear Mr. Sullivan…”
(addressing me personally!), concluding: “please don’t close our school feeding program.” Luckily we
were able to re-program those resources, (and I was not PNG-ed!), and we began a program of urban
water and sanitation, especially drainage and sanitation in Santo Domingo, that became one of CARE
Latin America’s standout urban programs of that decade.
Tightening program quality in the MCH feeding program, we conducted a 30,000 interview baseline
survey (wow!) followed three years later by a similarly sized final evaluation survey that showed at the
99% level of statistical significance a 25% reduction in childhood malnutrition in project children, 25%
improvement in maternal health, and 40% improvement in use of family planning. In terms of rigorous
evaluation, we prided ourselves that this was one of the finest (and earliest) CARE efforts to document
program impact in the history of the organization. Key personalities in the DR were Argelia Tejada—
my brilliant Dominican Ph.D. evaluator; Mario Lima; María Estér Fernández; Cecilia Corporán; Terasi;
Lilian Bobéa; Mark Johnson; and many others.
Tremendously important to the Sullivan family was the arrival of our second child, Mark, and at four
weeks old, his successful emergency surgery six days after his arrival in the country!
The Dominican Republic exhibits some of the most complex social dynamics of any country in which I
worked. It is so close to the U.S. that in one survey over 60% of the population said they wanted to be
somewhere else; meanwhile (like the Irish in Ireland) a deeply somber world view is obscured by high
sociability of the population, high conviviality, a vigorous culture of dance and high-spirited music, and
lots of fun-loving events. It took me two years to begin to understand these complexities, and begin to
deal with them. We started by conducting staff workshops on alcoholism, a big HR problem in
CARE/DR—conducted by a wonderful Dominican psychologist with U.S. training whom I was able to
hire as a consultant; and we quickly saw follow-up workshop topics move into Self Esteem, Relationship
with My Mother, Relationship with My Father, and Relationship with My Society. I will never, ever
forget a comment from one of the participants in one of these many workshops: “I am a bastard child,
and have been neglected by my father my entire life; and I am repeating this pattern, neglecting my own
bastard son. This workshop has shown me that I must do better with my son than my father did with
me” – of course with tears streaming down his face, my face, and the faces of everyone else in the
workshop. This was some of the finest HR work I was ever involved in, and I am convinced that dozens
of Dominican ex-staff are living better lives for having worked for CARE DR.
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Alas, this tour did not have a happy ending. CARE Atlanta took the decision to close the country office
and informed the CD of the decision two days later. In spite of personal telephone calls to CARE’s
President from the US Ambassador and the Director of USAID/DR, the decision was not reconsidered. I
was given nine months to “close down with professionalism;” but the day the decision was announced
in the local paper, the political cartoonist drew a picture showing an empty plate, and a tear coming
from a face above, with the caption: “CARE is leaving.” We conducted numerous job-search skill
workshops for all 125 staff, as well as sessions on “Managing Transitions” and “Dealing with Life’s
Moments of Grief” that I believe prepared staff for their new lives. At this point I decided to leave also,
and resigned in December, 1996.
---------------------------------------------- o ---------------------------------- o ----------------------------------------EPILOGUE NUMBER 1: FREE LANCE CONSULTING for CARE, 1998-2008, ten years
But as many of us have experienced, CARE is never fully left behind! After enduring nine very scary
months of unemployment, my C.V. began to circulate; and I began to land consulting jobs. In the first
several years I didn’t have any CARE work, but after about three years, I started receiving consulting
offers from CARE country offices and occasionally from CARE Atlanta. Over nearly a dozen years of
free-lance consulting, the work I did for CARE covered a wide range of tasks and countries:

Three different assignments for CARE Angola

One Final Evaluation of the CARE Bangladesh FFW project

Two proposal development assignments for CARE Bolivia

Eleven different assignments for CARE Caucasus

Three different assignments for CARE Guatemala

Five different assignments for CARE Haiti

One Final Evaluation for CARE Honduras

One investigative report for CARE India

One assignment in CARE Kosovo and CARE Macedonia

One Acting Country Director assignment in CARE Malawi

Six different workshop assignments for CARE Nicaragua, and one mid-term evaluation

Two Acting Country Director assignments in CARE West Bank/Gaza and one ACD assignment.
Many of these tasks were as interesting as the long-term positions, but if I haven’t lost the reader by
now, I surely would by detailing these jobs! Suffice it to say: life, either IN CARE or OUT of CARE, is
never dull!
EPILOGUE NUMBER 2: Director of Risk Management, 2008-2011, three-and-a-half years
And then twelve years after leaving CARE the second time, I got a phone call from Steve Hollingworth,
now CARE’s COO, saying that CARE was embarking on a substantial organization uplift, investing $5
million to improve CARE’s overall grant administration and performance on USG audits: given my long
overseas experience as well as my attention to administrative detail, would I be interested in helping?
Overall, the uplift would involve hiring six regionally placed staff skilled in administration (now called
Deputy Regional Directors for Program Support); filling the Global Controller position that had been
vacant for some time; strengthening the Internal Audit Department; and creating a “liaison” position
called the Director of Risk Management to help everyone keep talking to one another. I accepted the
offer and moved to Headquarters (having avoided for it for 22 years!) and spent the next 3 & ½ years in
Atlanta. As a result of this large team effort, serious audit weaknesses were reduced from 88% to 8% in
that time, a team accomplishment that I believe I had some small part in achieving and for which I take
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substantial pleasure. When the position was eliminated as part of the major organizational downsizing
in 2010, I left CARE for the third time. But with CARE, deciding you are leaving “for the last time” is not
wise!
SUMMARY
What would do it justice to twenty-five years of a wonderful career? One might turn serious and quote
Jimmy Stuart: “it was a wonderful life;” or one might whimsically quote Florence (Stevie) Smith saying:
“a good time was had by all;” or one might philosophically quote Robert Duvall in Second-Hand Lions:
“it was great while it lasted but now it’s over.” All these comments tell part of the tale. But for me, my
best summary might be: “It was great. (Stop) If I had to live all of the ups and all of the downs all over
again, I wouldn’t hesitate a second!”
Frank Sullivan
[email protected]
July 10, 2013
Photographs collected during Meetings, Visits & Events during 2010 - 2014
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Photographs collected during Meetings, Visits & Events
during 2010-2014
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31
Narain Tulsiani
CARE India
May 1977 – August 1996
A happy turn-around in my life (March 07, 1977, I was interviewed by the Port officer in Kandla and
was 99% sure to be selected)
Before this, I was working for the edible oil company in Kandla and was studying as well for my
graduation. prior to this, I used to work as a daily wager in Kandla port with a survey company and
shipping company, sometimes 24 hours (3 shifts a day) during vacation period to earn sufficient money
to support my education. I did not want to depend on my parents for this purpose; I wanted to go an
American way. One of our survey company friends wanted me to apply for a job in care. Since I had
attended some CARE cargo unloading at Kandla port, (and keeping in mind working for an American
social development organization), I applied immediately.
Selected, joined CARE Port office in Kandla from 1.5.1977. I was told that my salary would be Rs.450
which was almost double of my salary I was drawing in Oil Company. This came to me and my family
as a pleasant surprise. I was unmarried at this time.
1978 - The journey of my prestigious employment begins here
I was Office assistant and handling all routine matters, including dispatch of mails, my supervisor one
day checked the postal stamps account and found 5 paise stamp extra, he was furious and even wanted
to sack me from care, I was issued reprimand letter. The reason being, carelessness, that 5 paise stamp
I must have pasted less on some mail and that mail would not reach the destination or would reach with
some fine. My job was secured and I became more careful then.
1981 Because of my employment in an American company and with very good salary base (stability), I
found my life partner and got married after four and a half years of my employment i.e. in 29th of
October, 1981.
When I was planning my marriage at the same time care was also in the process of shifting port
operations from Kandla to Jamnagar. My supervisor did not want to approve my marriage leave and
wanted me to postpone my marriage. I kept balance between both and left for Jamnagar immediately
after my marriage.
In 1982 my family joined me to my new place of work and also added up a new family member Yogita
(she is married now to Manoj Talreja and they have a very sweet baby girl – Evana about 2 years). One
more member added (in 1985) to family my son Prakash (he got married to Mala Jha in 2010)
1987 Promoted as Port officer of Jamnagar Port
I remember one incident – my life would have ended that day. I was very tough with those people who
used to damage the food parcels at the port due to their negligence. I had only one thing in my mind;
that if wastage is avoided, we can feed more beneficiaries.
I was also very tough with those shipping companies who used to foul play and do away with claims.
One morning on my usual visit to the Port, a labour raised a very big knife on me and attacked me by
saying that I scolded and abused him (actually I did not). Many people came to my rescue and snatched
knife out of his hand. Later on it was sorted out and that guy had a miss-understanding and then he
came to me and apologized.
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Another incident: CARE used to provide their supervisory staff, the rail fare for vacation to their home
town. I was working in Jamnagar and my home town was Kandla. The rail fare from Jamnagar to
Kandla was quite high because of no direct rail line connections. But there was a flight from Jamnagar
to Bhuj (near my home town) and the air fare and taxi together cost was lower than rail fare that time.
This was the first time me and my family (including two children) had an opportunity to board a plane.
Thanks to CARE. After this incident till today, I have taken thousands of domestic and international
flights but the fun I had in my first flight, I never had it again.
Third incident: I also used to make field visits to the nearby areas of Jamnagar.
Once when I was about to leave a village, a villager came to me and asked me if I was a foreigner, if my
jeep was imported. Poor villager was very innocent. I talked to him in local language and cleared his
doubts.
In the same trip, I requested the supervisor (Mukhya Saevika) to help me arrange cold water in the
thermostat bottle (which we used to carry with us during travelling). The lady was so innocent, she
filled up tap water (mineral water was not common those days) into the bottle, tied cap and kept the
bottle in the refrigerator. Next day morning, I wanted to drink the water, it was of room temperature. I
laughed at myself
In 1989 I was promoted as Administrative Officer and transferred to CIHQ. It was a new environment
for me and my family. With the help of my colleagues I got settled in the place and job.
I was selected in 1992 as the team member of TDYers to CARE CIS.
I had a tremendous experience with new people, new environment. I remember one incident in Russia.
We were the second group to visit Russia. The first group had returned. I met one colleague to take
guidance from him about Russia. He appraised me with the local conditions, but in the end he said that
you know in Russia they have all imported cars only.
I visited a village to verify correct supplies of CARE donation. An old lady, CARE’s beneficiary (about 75
years) came to me and wanted to touch my feet. I insisted her not to do so, since as per India’s culture,
only younger ones do that for their elders. I requested her to give me a kiss on my forehead.
In 1993 I was selected as the team member of earthquake relief assessment to Latur (Maharashtra), had
to rush overnight to earthquake site. First time in my life I had seen human suffering a lot physically,
economically and physiologically. I distributed them their daily necessities. The then Executive
Director Dr. Phil Johnston also visited the site.
31 August, 1996
After 19 years and 4 months, I left CARE with a dream uncompleted of 20 years pin and certificate. A
day came when I had to deliver my farewell speech, with much pain in my heart and uncertain future. It
was a mass farewell of many CARE employees, being a voluntary retirement.
My 19 years and 4 months with CARE, made me a perfect human being with values full of humanity,
kindness, politeness, discipline - which have brightened up my over 17 years after CARE’s prestigious
life and many more years to come in my life. In 2 decades with CARE, I have made many friends; many
of them are in contact till today. Through this note, I would like to thank all my Ex-CARE friends &
colleagues who have been quite supportive during my tenure with care and even after that. They all
helped me one or the other way to make me an important part of CARE India functionary.
Out of 37 years of my working, majority of time goes to CARE and the remaining with the commercial
world. I confess here that nothing like working for CARE – best in all respect.
1996 - 1997
After leaving CARE in August 1996, I worked as a consultant for CARE for about a year on the project
appropriateness of RTE. In this context I visited Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttarpradesh for the study.
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1998 – 2013 (till today)
For the last over 15 years, till today, I am connected with commercial world, the timber industry, have
been to almost all the forests in the world be it Malaysia, Indonesia, Africa, South America. Most of the
time I spent in South America, sometimes with my wife sometimes forced bachelor.
The most memorable experience, learning in my life which I am till today exercising in my own life is: In
Hindi they say – baat jo dil ko chhu gayi (that is
One of the memorable aspect was in the then (1978) CARE Personal manual was:
Use pre-stamped post office envelopes, since this will save you from buying envelopes from the market
and money thus saved, could be used for the well being of mother and child.
Narain Tulsiani
[email protected]
July 2013
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32
Zahir Islam
CARE Bangladesh
August 1992 – July 1998
I worked in Care Rangpur sub office in the Rural Maintenance Programme (RMP) as Technical Officer of
M&E. I often monitor program activity progress in the field. While monitoring, I had to interact with the
Union Parishad Chairmen under the local government ministry. The project ran with collateral
matching funds, part of the funds provided by the Union Parishad, which is 10 per cent of total cost. To
get this 10 percent from Union Parishad, sometimes I had to go to Member of Parliament for financial
assistance. Without confirmation of Union Parishad contribution CARE money was not deposited to the
RMP Accounts. Maintenance worker were 100 percent women. All of them had accounts in Bank, from
where they used of receive their wages and deposit savings.
Checking of banking transactions worker record was an integral part of the project activities
monitoring. One fine monitoring day, after completion of my menitoring visit in remote hilly areas of
Chittagong (a district out of 64 district), I was returning from the Bank with my motorbike. It was 100AG motorbike, easily drew the attention of crazy young boys. While travelling, I was listening non-stop
horn from two riders in a motorbike. I quickly understood that they are behind me. The horn could not
stop me, but suddenly with high speed they came in front of me and made me to stop. One of them came
to me and asked to get down, because he wanted to try the bike. I protested and said that this is an
official motorbike of Care and we are working for the development of their area. I added that if they
take this motorbike, we have to discontinue development work. But both of them were asking
insistently to give them the motorbike, just for testing purpose. I knew I will not get the motorbike back,
if they have it. I was on my motorbike with my full control on it.
It was almost ten minutes we exchanged arguments. I saw none around me. No passerby. I realized
some people working a bit far, but remained silent, least they should get in trouble. I did not lose my
courage and I was determined to save my official property, from where I get my livelihood.
My lord, who is most beneficent and kind helped me to recall the name of Union Parishad Chairman of
that area, who was very influential. As soon as I name them the Union Parishad Chairman, they left me
and the motorbike, by saying never mind.
I went directly to the sub-district level Executive Officer, where the Union Parishad Chairman was also
there and explained them the whole story. They felt very sorry about that and assured me of complete
safety in future. Further they added CARE is working for the benefit of their people, so CARE official
should not be in trouble working in this area, they will ensure security.
I worked with CARE Bangladesh for about six-years’ - Joined in CARE Rangpur Sub-Office and ended in
CARE HQ-Dhaka. It is a great organization for building career. The experience enabled me to get a good
job in the UN.
Zahir ISLAM
[email protected]
July 2013
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33
Sushmita Mukherjee
CARE India
February 2003 – August 2005
My care memories begin from my interview day; it was a big day for me. I moved from Delhi to Jaipur
for my interview, all went well, met these well-known Care leaders – Sunil Babu, Sonali Nagpal and Dr.
Anupam Raizada. It was a transition from a small NGO to a national organisation – the working canvas
was growing.
Soon after the selection, I entered my induction process and was posted in Bharatpur – more famous for
its Bird Sanctuary. The toad to the town was lush green, soothing to the eyes and adding to my thrill and
excitement to meet my fellow team members.
The Dream Team of Bharatpur:
It was really a dream team posted in Bharatpur – Sudhir Pillai, Jitendra Awle, Aadesh Chaturvedi and
Jamaal Siddiqui were first set to welcome me. Although the team went to many changes during my time
there, but still with all the changes, it was
always the best team(s) that I have worked
with – my best of learning in my professional
life comes from Care. The other members
whom I teamed with include – Subhash Ray,
Sunita Jhala, Santosh Gupta, Krishna Gautam,
Satyavrat Vyas, Sharad Chaturvedi and
Dhanunjaya Rao. And also my personal best
half also comes from same team. I and Aditya
met in Care in Bharatpur, and decided to be
together soon after I left care and came back to
my parents in Delhi. Not to forget the
transitions of the Regional Managers – Dr. Sunil
Babu Dr. Sanjay Kumar Dr. Deepmala
Jamaal and Subash's Farewell Party (2005)
Mahla. Going little above; transitions at State
Programme Manager level – Sreela Dasgupta  Dr. Pramila Sanjaya. So in the midst of all the
transitions, the dream team was working day and night on ground to attend to all the commitments to
the donors and people of the land. We hosted multiple visitors to share and learn our best practices,
achievements and also to voice out the challenges and the need for changes in strategies and thinking
for the developmental work in the region.
A life-time learning experience and bag of opportunities:
RACHNA was the flagship project for Care and I was working as Youth Coordinator in the district Bharatpur. Care had existing partnership with some great NGOs there, which were also a great source of
learning for me. Coming fresh from Delhi, it gave me a real life opportunity to see and feel the rural
India. While being in Care and also at a point when CHAYAN (HIV section of RACHNA) was being
launched and rolled-out across all 5 states, I got some brilliant opportunities to be part of few national
events – including a mega-launch in Delhi, Gender study in Jharkhand, Planning exercise in Jharkhand,
multiple planning and training workshops in Delhi etc... In addition, I also got opportunity to be part of
few assessment and formative research studies for INHP II as well in Rajasthan. In addition to this, due
to the quarterly staff workshop, I got opportunities to see the life of people in different districts of
Rajasthan, namely – Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Jhunjhunu and Bhilwara.
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Experience of government liaison:
I think, Care gives its entire staff a life-time experience of working with government system. Good or
bad, but it’s a real experience which one keeps on remembering and using. Being working at district
level, had experiences of working with District Education officers, Health officers and District
Magistrate. Meeting them, negotiating to support our project, releasing orders, communicating to all
implementing level officials and front line workers………..oh my god! That’s an experience, which cannot
be shared in words, need individual experiencing. During this period, it was one of my happiest
moments when I was informed by my SPM that my District Education Officer during their state based
departmental review meeting shared the achievements of School AIDS education programme,
mentioned my name and the project. That’s recognition! To add, along with my team, I was part of a
major event of rolling out Immunization cards along with Ration Cards (PDS) to ensure every family has
a card, with all its children enrolled on it and thereby enrolled for complete immunization services. This
event was inaugurated by the District Magistrate, which was again a big achievement for us. Attending
meetings of District Health Society was another great experience, to understand, how things move and
why things/decisions do not move.
Care days make me nostalgic, each day was an experience, learning and joyful. I cannot hold time in my
hand, but these memories cherish me every day and moment.
Thanks and with warm regards
Sushmita Mukherjee
[email protected]
July 2013
My Sweet Family (2012)
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34
David Rogers
CARE USA
Latin America Regional Director
July 1993 – Feb. 1996
Transitions
My brief sojourn as Regional Director for Latin America can best be recounted in terms of the major
events and evolutionary shifts that occurred at that time.
I vividly remember arriving on my first day of work at the CARE New York office to a darkened jumble
of boxes and empty desks. Almost all the employees had left; either in the process of transferring to
Atlanta or having taken a severance package to remain in N.Y. One month there helped me to get a
sense of the “old CARE”. Once in Atlanta, I quickly became part of the manifold efforts to rebuild the
operations in the organization’s spacious and modern offices. The strategic planning and training
programs conducted by the Program Vice President were excellent. The IT and communication
systems were state-of-the-art. Staffing the new facility was cause for some drama, because a promise
had been made to the (now ex-) N.Y. employees to re-staff with exactly the same positions. That policy
resulted in applying old job descriptions to personnel with new skills and technical abilities, resulting in
significant redundancy later on.
My professional journey also covered a lot of new terrain. I had worked for fifteen years as a country
office director for Save the Children (El Salvador, Honduras and Bolivia), where the programming was
carried out mainly under the banners of community-based integrated rural development and child
survival healthcare, using a mix of child-sponsorship and USAID funding. At CARE I quickly had to learn
about the emergency-relief-to-development continuum and, of course, food aid. Also, it was now my
responsibility to support and oversee ten country programs, all of which were run by senior country
directors and their expert staff. As one can imagine, the asymmetry of institutional knowledge and
specific CARE field experience presented its own set of challenges for me, especially in dealing with
some of the feisty old guard. All of this resulted in my needing to be in the countries on a nearly halftime basis, which eventually became a strain on my family who found themselves largely abandoned in
our new home in Atlanta, which was not part of the deal.
The third transition, preceding and throughout this period, was the profound change in the political and
economic context of Latin America. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, U.S. policy toward LAC lost its
long-standing foundation of containing the expansion of communism. Throughout the region, the
military dictators were falling by the wayside; leftist governments were voted out of office and peace
accords signed. In 1993, Bill Clinton moved to the White House and launched a new generation of
American leadership, and shifted the focus of U.S. development assistance to economic development,
beginning with implementation of NAFTA and subsequent trade agreements. Other political priorities
included democratic institution building, immigration and illegal drug trade. Moreover, Africa was to
become the main beneficiary of traditional grant-based development assistance. In this context, it
became apparent that CARE’s paradigm was slowly and inexorably losing currency with U.S.
development assistance in Latin America.
In an attempt to stay ahead of the external challenges, and with moral support from the VPP, I
formulated a two-pronged strategy. The first prong was to “make the case” by helping to document
country program results. Three country programs, Dominican Republic, Peru and Haiti, highlight a
concerted effort by country teams to document results, each, of course, with its own challenges and
outcomes. I refer you to Frank Sullivan’s excellent contribution to these memoires on his efforts to
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improve and document program outcomes. The second prong was to initiate a process to close out
country programs where stable democracy and market economy had become established. This was a
hard sell. Costa Rica was the prime target, which had become a small, sleepy program where donor
income was insufficient to cover the core staff, and where government was indifferent due to the
country’s exemplary social and economic results. Ecuador and Dominican Republic were next in line
for closure, but in all three cases, unfounded optimism and inertia prevailed, at least for the time being.
As Regional Director for Latin America, I had two very special assignments for which I am honored and
privileged. First, I represented CARE before the U.S. Senate Foreign Affairs Committee to testify on
behalf of Haiti. The hearing was to review U.S. policy during an economic embargo to protest a military
coup, problems with sequestration of fuel by local authorities, and significant loss of food aid due to
piracy. CARE’s small contribution to the debate helped move that policy agenda forward. The second
special assignment was to represent CARE on an exploratory mission with CARE-Canada to Cuba. At
that time, Americans were generally prohibited from visiting Cuba, so I had to secure a special visa from
the State Department, along with a briefing on how to be politically correct during my stay. The trip
was a unique opportunity to observe Cuba’s communist system first hand. The upshot was little
common ground for CARE to develop a program in Cuba at that time.
In early 1996, CARE announced that a reorganization process needed to take place in light of
significantly reduce revenue projections. This was principally a cost-cutting exercise to reduce
superfluous staff and HQ overhead costs. Many staff, including myself, received notices that that we
would need to reapply for our positions. In February 1996, I tendered my resignation and took a
position at the Inter-American Development Bank, where I stayed until my retirement in 2011.
Although I wasn’t at CARE long enough to consider myself a true insider, I hope my contributions did
provide some support and leadership during this period of rapidly evolving events and paradigm shifts.
In closing, I want to include a note of special gratitude to Marge Tsitouris, who patiently helped me
learn the ropes and kept me within bounds, and to Jeannie Zelinski and Susan Ross, who expertly
carried the large burden of running the regional desk.
David Rogers
Falls Church, VA
August 2, 2013
[email protected]
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35
Anith Suvarna
CARE USA
1977-80 ; 1985-86 ; 1992-97
India, Sudan, Mozambique and Angola
Garora is a small village surrounded on three sides by mountains and desert on one side in the extreme
south-east corner of Sudan -which in 1985, bordered Ethiopia –less than a km. away. Now it borders
Eritrea. K. Karan, who was then the Field Coordinator for Refugee Relief Programme, sent me with
Waseem Khan to Garora to evaluate the humanitarian situation of the Ethiopian refugees on the ground.
It was mid-1985 and it was my first ever overseas assignment. While Waseem returned three days later
to civilization and his duty station Kassala after the evaluation, I reluctantly set up my base at Garora
which was termed as ‘the end of the world’ by the locals. My other colleagues – KP Belliappa, Jimmy
Rodrigues, SK Sharma, IBS Pannu, Anil Sharma, NN Sinha, David Kaatrud (Now one of the senior
Directors in WFP HQ in Rome) and many others were at Showak and Gedaref – almost 900 km away. I
could not find a house or an office at Garora because there were no suitable buildings to find. Staying in
a crumbling government guest house was the only option. The only one who spoke English in the village
was a government doctor from southern Sudan. Evenings were spent outside his hut under star-lit sky.
The arrival of an occasional bottle of Melloti cognac or gin -smuggled from Ethiopia by Ethiopian
soldiers deserting the army, provided an excuse for celebration. The commander of the Sudanese army
garrison nearby would bring one of these bottles and join us.
Initial months were quiet and food distribution program to the refugees went well. All my shopping had
to be done at Port Sudan – 300 km away but it took almost 10 hours to reach it by Land Cruiser. CARE
had its main office (headed first by John Britton and later by NN Sinha, followed by Jimmy Rodrigues). A
month after my setting up base at Garora, fighting broke out just across the border, between the
Ethiopian government troops and the Eritrean rebels belonging to the EPLF. The Ethiopian Air Force
started flying in Sudanese airspace looking for rebels’ vehicles moving from their supply bases inside
Sudan in to Ethiopia. Traveling to and from Garora became dangerous because of the Ethiopian
bombers overhead. Since EPLF used Land Cruisers similar to the ones used by CARE, it was risky to
drive during the day, - especially the last 100 km. to Garora. It normally took four hours to travel this
rocky terrain followed by a desert stretch. Reaching the trading town of Tokar by evening after a five
hour drive from Port Sudan and waiting till it was dark to make the trip to Garora was the only option
to avoid the Ethiopian bombers. Driving at night in the desert was possible only with the help of locals
who knew the way. After less than a year, when UNHCR handed the project to WFP, I was preparing to
return to India. When WFP offered me the job to continue managing the project in Garora, I accepted it
and stayed there till the end of the project in 1987.
Almost ten years later and in Angola, it was different. In mid-1994, I was transferred from Mozambique
to Angola as the Project Manager in Huambo – the administrative capital of the Angolan rebels, UNITA.
CARE had evacuated Huambo town a year earlier just before the bloody battle for Huambo and before
the rebels captured the town from the government troops. My task was to re-establish CARE’s food
distribution program in Huambo but it was not easy. UNITA had commandeered vehicles belonging to
all the NGOs and the U.N. agencies after they evacuated. Most of the warehouses – like all the other
buildings in the town, had suffered serious damage in the fighting. A few serviceable trucks that were
left were useless as the town had no fuel. We had to get the building repair materials, window grills,
fuel and our vehicles from Luanda in WFP aircraft. It was weeks before we could have secure and usable
warehouses and vehicles to start feeding program.
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However, before we could make any food-distribution, situation became worse. The government
launched a major military offensive to recapture Huambo. The Angolan Air Force started bombing
Huambo and surrounding areas in preparation for the ground offensive.
Every time the air-raid sirens went-off, we would rush from our office – which also served as the
residence of the CARE expat staff, to the bomb-shelters located in the backyard. It took just a few
seconds to reach the shelter but every time it felt like an eternity. When anti-aircraft guns opened up,
some of us would dare come out of the shelter just to catch a glimpse of the high-flying aircraft of the
Angolan Air Force. We could barely spot them – except a glint of sun-light reflecting of the aircraft.
Spending a few minutes in the air-raid shelters was not uncomfortable. We had biscuits, water and
flash-lights in there. Actually CARE won the second prize in the best bomb-shelter in Huambo contest
while WFP won the first prize!
The daily bombing resulted in UNITA closing the Huambo airport and refusing to allow even UN flights
to land in Huambo to bring in humanitarian aid. Permission to evacuate the Huambo-based NGO staff
was refused. This was a ploy by UNITA to prevent Angolans aircraft bombing Huambo town by using
the humanitarian workers as human shields.
Meanwhile, I fell sick and the doctor working with CARE’s health project declared that I needed to be
evacuated to the capital, Luanda. UNOCHA and CARE negotiated with the Angolan government and
UNITA and a WFP Hercules was allowed to land to pick me up. The CD for Angola, Peter Middlemiss was
on board to accompany me back to Luanda. As planned, all the expat NGO and UN staff members were
also at the airport with their essential baggage to board the aircraft along with me.
However, UNITA officials present at the airport became suspicious. Realizing that I was not the only one
leaving Huambo, they stopped the others from boarding the aircraft. While I was carried in to the
aircraft, Peter opted to stay back with the staff that could not leave to provide moral support. When I
landed in Luanda, I was met by the acting C.D. Arthur Hussey, A.C.D. Janet and SK Janardhan. I was taken
from the airport in an ambulance to a hospital. The doctors asked me to go home in less than an hour
without any treatment.
Further attempts to evacuate the humanitarian staff from Huambo over the next few days failed. It was
not before the intervention of the-then-Secretary General of the U.N., Kofi Annan, that all the expat
humanitarian workers –including Peter Middlemiss, were allowed to leave Huambo a few days later by
UNITA. Peter also finally returned with the UN evacuation flight that brought out the NGO workers.
Months later, the government troops recaptured Huambo from UNITA following heavy fighting. By then
I had been transferred to Namibe – a peaceful port town on the Atlantic coast to manage a feeding
programme and to run the port operations. Before I could start relaxing in the peaceful environment, it
was time to move to Menongue in southern Angola. Here the situation was the opposite to the one of
Huambo. Menongue town was a government controlled garrison town surrounded by UNITA on all
sides. Aircraft landing or taking-off at Menongue had to spiral their way down/up to stay out of the
range of the rebels anti-aircraft guns.
These and many other similar CARE experiences have helped me deal better with similar situations
later with my work in WFP in different countries.
Anith Suvarna
Rome (Italy)
[email protected]
August, 2013
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36
Justine Miley
CARE USA : 2008 - 2011
I first heard of CARE when I was in graduate school in 2005. I started as a volunteer and eventually
became an intern in the San Francisco Regional Office helping with office administrative activities and
working with the Women’s Initiative, an initiative in the US regional offices to get more US citizens
involved in CARE’s work. I also quickly became involved in CARE’s advocacy efforts and traveled to
Washington, DC to lobby my congressional representatives to support policies that would have a
positive impact on the world’s poor.
In 2008, I was hired as a Development Specialist, working with CARE’s financial supporters in the San
Francisco Bay Area. A year later, I was promoted to an Assistant Director of Development within the
individual giving team and was transferred to CARE’s Washington, DC office. In 2011, I had the chance
to work in Dhaka, Bangladesh with a local organization running youth development programs, and
unfortunately had to leave CARE USA to take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity, but while
I was in Bangladesh I never forgot my CARE roots.
I spent a total of 15 months in Dhaka and part of my job was to organize the first US-Bangladeshi high
school exchange program, sponsored by the US Department of State. The program consisted of 30 US
high school students traveling to Bangladesh for four weeks to learn about the impacts of climate
change on the country. Part of the experience involved doing community service projects to better
understand the consequences of climate change and the adaptive measures being utilized to address
this challenge. A unique aspect of the program was that the US students lived with their Bangladeshi
peers and together all 60 students (30 Bangladeshis and 30 Americans) traveled and worked alongside
each other for four weeks.
As part of developing this program, I approached the CARE Bangladesh office to see if they would be
interested in partnering in this program and hosting a group of students for one week so the students
could learn more about CARE’s work. I was put in touch with the office in the city of Sirajganj, and
traveled there and to meet with the Regional Coordinator, Khalequez Zaman, and long time CARE
employee, Jamal. As soon as they found out I was a former CARE staff member, they welcomed me with
open arms. They said to me that once you are CARE family, you are always CARE family, and I
immediately felt like I was truly family. The three of us traveled to see the SHOUHARDO II projects on a
char in the Jamuna River and they helped organize a program for 22 of my students. The US &
Bangladeshi students worked side by side with the local char community to help elevate a building in
advance of the impending flood season. My CARE colleagues knew that the char community did not
need support to complete the laborious task of raising the foundation to the building; however, they
recognized the importance of the exchange between cultures, between US and Bangladeshi and Dhakabased students and char dwellers. And after spending four days on the char, every single student I
spoke to said the experience completely changed their lives. One Bangladeshi student was so inspired
that she now wants to dedicate her life to helping those in need and just recently received a highly
competitive spot in a 3-week Bangladeshi exchange program to come to the US and study social justice
issues.
When I was asked to record a CARE memory, I could think of no better experience that tied it all
together than the one I had with Zaman and Jamal organizing the US-Bangladeshi high school exchange
program. The memories of my work with CARE will forever be tied to Bangladesh, the Sirajganj office,
and especially to Zaman, Jamal, and all of the wonderful CARE Bangladeshi staff that welcomed me into
their lives and allowed me to see parts of the country that most Bangladeshis don’t even get the chance
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to experience. Even though I was only with CARE for a few years, CARE will always be part of my family
and my time with the CARE Sirajganj office will forever be one of my most memorable experiences.
Justine Miley
[email protected]
September 02, 2013
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37
CARE USA
1991 – 1997 : Bolivia
The story of "Chapu Balanceado" or my experience to sustainably improve
weaning diets in rural Bolivia while working for CARE (1991-1997)
In the very mountainous and often high desert area of rural Bolivia, young children are weaned on a
diverse mix of locally produced foods. More than 15 years ago, the mix wasn’t diverse and health
outcomes during weaning were poor, as they are today in many countries.
When I served in Bolivia with CARE, weaning diets were insufficient. We know that weight gain and
growth in children often falters because exclusive breastfeeding stops, the weaning diet is insufficient in
protein, calories, and energy and children often suffer from bouts of diarrhea from poor sanitation and
hygiene. Although CARE/Bolivia’s integrated health programs addressed poor sanitation and hygiene,
prevented and treated diarrhea, and encouraged prolonged breastfeeding beyond six months, growth
was uneven or poor. From one month to the next, children seemed to lose ground or not gain weight or
height at all.
To address this, my colleague, Edith Rodriguez and I developed an improved weaning diet using locally
available foods that were adaptable and culturally acceptable to multiple indigenous cultures
throughout the country. Over time, we saw malnutrition drop significantly in children 6 - 24 months
old.
How was this done? First we implemented a HEARTH-type dietary assessment, including 24 hour
dietary observations by having our CARE community workers stay with the selected family, observing
everything the child consumed during that 24 hour period. After doing the data analysis we developed
what generally became known as “Chapu Balanceado” in a local indigenous language.
It is the custom in Bolivia to use cereals and grains, either whole or ground into flour, as part of the
family diet. Often a big pot of soup is made, which is consumed for various meals during the day by
family members. Knowing this we worked with local health personnel and women community
members to develop and share community maps via mothers clubs, baby growth monitoring sessions,
or other community structures to plot available foods within the community -- vegetables, fruits,
cereals and legumes, cooking oil etc. Women shared experiences and knowledge on local stores and
what was available via trade or occasional purchase. After identifying available community resources,
each participant was asked to bring a quantity (bag, can, other container) of the dry cereals, legumes
and any fruit or vegetables that were available to a meeting with any legumes and cereals ground
separately into dry powder (per cultural practice). At the mothers club or other community meeting,
women mixed different ground cereals and legumes together in a specific proportion. A cooking
demonstration was done, using the technique of “getting to the bottom of the soup pot” where any
vegetables, potatoes or perhaps meat might be. Taking the liquid in a small bowl, the appropriate
amount of cereals and legumes were mixed with a small amount of oil to make porridge. Taste testing
was enthusiastically done by all, including small babies older than 6 months and children. Each woman
then took home with her a combination of dry cereal and legumes flour in the same containers that she
brought with her to use in the home. Often the tightly sealed cans/containers of “flours” would last for
months. Each community chose the name for this new mixture of cereal and legume flours to “own” it as
their own creation. Many Quechua speaking communities would call a weaning porridge "Chapu" and
thus many communities coined the name of this new combination "Chapu Balanceado"- or
improved/balanced porridge.
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Subsequent sessions with the mothers lead to new recipes for the "chapu balanceado" that they shared
using fruits, juice, vegetables (rather than just soup), tasting competitions, and a "short recipe" book
documenting variations of mixes which also reflected the differing crops throughout the season and
best practices (increased diversity of foods consumed and frequency) we had seen from the healthiest
children from our HEARTH analysis. All of these culturally accepted practices were shared by health
promoters and ministry auxiliary nurses with other communities and mothers, as well as through 3
CARE integrated water and health projects underway in over 400 communities (mid-1990’s). At
growth monitoring sessions, mothers explained and taught others how to make various iterations of
chapu balanceado. Pregnant women also started to consume chapu balanceado in their diets.
In the CARE projects we noted that children began to grow better and mothers told us that when a child
developed diarrhea they kept feeding them "chapu balanceado". They reported that "el chapu" seemed
to "plug the baby up" --leading to less fluid loss and less diarrhea. In one of our project evaluations,
chronic malnutrition decreased substantially after the implementation of the chapu balanceado formula
and improvements in weaning diets.
“Chapu balanceado" became very popular in rural communities along with prolonged breastfeeding.
A former CARE health colleague, Dr. Nilda Caballero, has continued to work in the Potosi department of
Bolivia, and over the years has visited many of the same communities in the course of her other
positions. I was so happy to hear recently from her that "chapu balanceado" we started more than 15
years ago is still being used in the communities, and that the mothers make it a point to talk about it.
Now, THAT is sustainability and community ownership for the benefit of young children and improved
nutrition!
[email protected]
September 03, 2013
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38
Utpal Moitra
CARE India
July 1994 – June 1996
The first step…towards a 1000 mile journey… CARE India, July 1994 – June 1996
I joined the then Evaluation Unit of CARE India in July 1994, and with this I embraced Delhi as well to be
my “home” for years to come. I worked for a short period, exactly 24 months, with this organization but
hold some good and lasting memories of being with this organisaiton. There are two distinct
experiences that I cherish the most of being in this unit and with the organization. The first, we were the
“dozen”. The total strength of the unit was 12, and many of us (or rather most of us!!) were gearing up
(or better, getting ready!) on our career paths ahead. In a way, it was a new unit with new faces, new
ideas and a new vision. The unity amongst the members, support that each one of us received and gave
to the other, the eagerness with which colleagues came to lend a helping hand made the stay and the
work more enjoyable.
The second was the country wide training programme on participatory rural appraisal. A massive
endeavour, covering 10 states and more than 350 staff, and all this were to be completed in 5-7 months.
Each of the training programmes were meticulously planned and included theoretical sessions and field
visits. This in house training led by the unit colleagues created a movement, ensured that participation
and approaches to participation becomes a norm in the organization! If I remember correctly, it took
about 7 months or so to complete one round of 5 days training per state. By the time the training was
over, it was heartening to see colleagues talking a different language. Its important to know that the
training itself was a big shift in paradigm, new ways of working were being talked and discussed, and
strategies like partnership, participation, advocacy were slowly taking shape. The organization was
changing and I was extremely glad that I had my 2 cents contribution towards this.
No training is completed without the “humour” that backs up the event. For example, in one of the
locations, we spend hours explaining why a “chapatti diagram” is called a “chapatti” and not a “banana
diagram”, and what will happen if the term is changed to a “banana diagram”! In another location, due
to size of the training room, the overhead projector had to be focused close to the roof, so that all can
see what the trainer was talking about. In another location, how the venue, which was coined as
“pathshala” (meaning school) should change its terms to something else as that venue itself was the
place of resting for many colleagues in the night. And finally, possibly the most dramatic, when a group
of colleagues who went out for field work, never returned till late night! We don’t seek additional
questions of where and why?!
The stint was very short, and before I could know the “who’s who”, I left CARE India. My appointment
with CARE was also a moment when I had to bid good bye to field based postings and in a way, it was
struggle to work in an office and that too at the “Head Quarters”. There were conflicts and
contradictions within me, and added to this, the (in) ability to mix and interact in a multi culture,
heterogeneous urban life. The strenuous 27 kms of bus ride every day to reach office and experience
the same on the return was in no way helping either. But what I didn’t realize then, and took me long
long time to understand, that my time with CARE was a significant contribution to my own
development, my professional ability and preparing me for the journey ahead. In a way, it was my first
step towards a 1000 mile journey, and soon after crossed the Indian shores to South East Asia, Central
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Asia and Africa, and still picking up the pebbles and learning. How I rejoice the moments spent with the
“dirty dozen” and how one long to go back to those days!
Utpal Moitra
[email protected]
September 14, 2013
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39
Rudy Von Bernuth
CARE USA : 1970- 1991
Turkey : 1970 - 1973
I joined CARE in September of 1970, fresh out of two and a half years in Peace Corps in Colombia. Once
Bert Smucker learned I spoke Spanish, he decided Turkey was just the place for me. This turned out to
be a fabulous choice, as I got to work for the deservedly legendary George Taylor (and Ellen) and with a
great group of colleagues, including Frank Brechin who generously introduced me to Turkish culture
and geography and Larry and Sherry Holzman who shared with me his profound understanding of PL
480 programing, ranging from call forwards to audits and claims proceedures and much terminology
that has now receded beyond recovery into that fast arena of lost memory. And then there were the
fabulous Turkish national staff, led by George’s right hand man Ilhan Bey and the brilliant Fezvi Bey
who led the innovative home canning project.
Facing a situation where rural communities produced huge amounts of fruit and vegetable in the
summer but lacked any way to preserve the surplus, and very limited marketing outlets, and then
suffered long snowy winters living on bread and soup, flavoured with a few dried vegetables and lentils,
CARE began sometime in the 1960s importing Ball canning equipment and building home canning
centers in remote vegetables. While the project in itself was useful, Fevzi’s genius was to work over a
period of years with Turkish entrepreneurs to locally manufacture all the elements required for the
village canneries. The glass jars were the first and easiest element to produce domestically. Next came
the pressure cookers. Most difficult and the last to be locally produced was the rubber sealant to
connect the metal lid to the jars, but eventually Fezvi reported success. I doubt the Ball Jar company
was ever consulted on copyright issues, but within a couple of years Turkish industry was exporting
canning equipment throughout the middle east, and a commercial canning industry within Turkey was
burgeoning, a small part of the remarkable journey of Turkey towards national development.
My own job, as low person on the expat Totem pole, was to do the end use monitoring of the various
PL480 projects, school, hospital and institutional feeding, as well eventually as port visits. This involved
travel to all parts of the country with Turkish colleagues from the various sub offices, Izmir, Iskenderun,
Trabzon and Istanbul. It was a superb introduction to the beauty, diversity and historical wealth of the
country, not to mention its cuisine. The end use visits themselves were routine, including the frequent
discovery of arrangements between schools and local bakeries for turning wheat and oil into bread
whereby 100 pounds of flour yielded 100 pounds of bread, which led to more than a few filed claims.
But the constant travel was always rewarded at the end of each day by the discovery that the province
we were in had a crusader fort or a Byzantine or Armenian church or a Roman theatre or collosal
Assyrian statue to visit, layers upon layers of historical richness to be enjoyed.
Turkey was also my first introduction to emergency programing. Some weeks after an earthquake in an
eastern province (Vilayet) called Bingol, I travelled in one of our VW Passats with (I recall) Fezvi Bey
and Frank Brechin to the affected communities to check on the use of the food we had provided for the
survivors. Unfortunately we had apparently not done a very good job of explaining what we were
providing to the villagers, and we found to our surprise that in at least some cases the NFDM was being
used as a whitewash for the packed dirt walls of repaired homes.
Bob and Lisa Sears were with us for our first year in Ankara, and a wonderful perk Bob and I shared
was the assignment from George to travel to Wolfsberg, Germany to pick up at the VW factory two new
Pssats and drive them back to Ankara. Our itinerary led us through Nurenberg, Salzburg, on to Budapest
where we went to the opera one evening, and then through Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, where I still recall
the billowing incense and hazy candlelight at an Orthodox evening service off the main square.
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Working with George was an extraordinary experience. He exemplified so many things: his
commitment to his staff: we were all family, and I still treasure a photo of my son Paul bouncing on
George’s knee, with a Santa hat perched on George’s head. Watching George draft the weekly telex
update to 660 First Avenue, manage the donor relationship with USAID or edit my first attempts at
some sort of policy paper was an unmatched management tutorial. He also was responsible in another
way for a management lesson in what not to do. When his invaluable deputy Ilhan Bey tragically died of
a heart attack in 1972, George was only a month or two from a transfer out of Turkey. He consciously
made the decision to leave the selection of Ilhan’s replacement to his successor, Dr Allan Kline, believing
that Allan should have the privilege to choose his own deputy. Allan’s choice turned out to be a disaster,
and led me to the axiom that tough personnel decisions should never be deferred to a successor who
will not for many months have the local knowledge to be truly initiated.
In the spring of 1973, Bert decided it was time for me to move on, and I was transferred to Barranquilla,
back in Colombia, where I joined a team led by Jerry Lewis, that soon included my dear friends’ sam and
Beryl Levinger. But that is another story….
Rudy Von Bernuth
[email protected]
September, 2013
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40
Malvika Varma
Director (HR)
CARE India Head Quarter – Delhi
July 2004 – January 2007
I joined Care India on a hot summer afternoon in the year 2004 as Director Human Resources and even
though a decade has passed during which i have worked in various organizations, I still regard it as one
of the best organization I had the good fortune of working for!
True to its name CARE is actually a caring organization not just for the communities it works with but in
a much deeper sense for the people who work for it and rightfully so - as through its own example
CARE first practices what it preaches.
For a first timer in the development sector after being totally ingrained in the cynical and selfish
corporate sector, where the bottom line was paramount to all principles of human values and decision
making, it was a revelation to see phrases like 'inclusive decision-making', 'collaborative working'
and gender equity and diversity transforming from clichés to reality. Else, where would you have a
commercial sex worker sitting in the interview panel for selection of a field worker for an AIDs
prevention program or an ex-convict being recruited as a demonstration officer! Of course to be able to
turn cliches into reality meant a lot of hard work and extensive communication to all stakeholders and
sometimes frustratingly extended periods of debates and discussions to come to a decision. However
the means always justified the end - 'how' a job was done was equally if not more important as the
what' it sought to accomplish.
My tribute to CARE would not be complete without me mentioning Steve Hollingworth who was the
Country Director then and who recruited me and whose visionary leadership advanced the evolution of
the Indian entity that CARE India has blossomed into now. Cheenu (K. T. Srinivasan) truly represents
the quintessential spirit of CARE - tirelessly enabling people to connect and collaborate for a cause and
it is his persistent efforts that a fence sitter like me is sharing and reliving memories! If an organization
is as good as the people working in it then CARE is one of the best as everybody working for CARE is an
excellent human being without an exception and again I consider it my good fortune to have made
friendships and connections which will last a lifetime!
Working in CARE made me realize that the key elements of any sustainable change are persistent
dialogue and collaboration. Now I understand what the Eagles meant when they wrote the following
lines for their song "Hotel California" - "You can check out any time you like but you can never leave"...
and so it is with CARE! Thank you CARE for being such a wonderful organization!
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Steve Hollingworth and Malvika Varma at a tribal community gathering in Orissa
At a Health and Nutrition program meet in Goa
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At a Coaching and mentoring workshop in CARE USA – Atlanta
Leadership through story telling workshop at Seattle
Malvika Varma
[email protected]
September, 2013
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41
Soumitra Dutt
Regional Manager (INHP)
CARE India West Bengal –Kolkata
July 1996 – October 2006
While in CARE, one of the questions I have always faced esp. during training program for Govt. staff as
well as NGO staff was: What is the full form of CARE? I had to give them three answers as the name
changed thrice keeping the acronym same (what innovation in words!)
CARE (just after World War II): Cooperative for American Relief in Europe
CARE (when Europe survived and thrived after the war): Cooperative for American Relief Everywhere
CARE (when it became international forum): Cooperative for Assistance & Relief Everywhere
Well, not sure if there is any further change to the acronym since I left in 2006 but let me admit that
whatever be the full form, this long 10 years of my play in CARE India stage have pushed me to a level of
experience and maturity that I probably would not have expected from any other organization.
While in CARE, I saw the birth and near graduation of one of the largest USAID supported projects in the
world, in India: Integrated Nutrition & Health Project (INHP). When I joined Kolkata office in 1996,
West Bengal had the largest geographic area (all 18 districts – 177 blocks) to provide CSB and RVO (of
Title II-PL480) for the ICDS program of the Govt. It was pure food monitoring program, well
systematised, monitored and programmed (hardly any scope for innovation) till INHP evolved. By the
time I left CARE, CSB and RVO were totally withdrawn and it was a different CARE India. So I had the
previlage as well as challenge to go through the period of great transition.
Working through such a large structure was not easy and I had to learn how to be an effective team
member, keeping balance with boss (also bigger bosses), contemporaries and supervisees as well as
with other stakeholders (Govt. and NGOs). It paid me rich dividend in my leadership, communication
skill and conflict resolution improvement for which I will remain indebted to CARE family now and
then.
One can imagine so many exciting events have happened to me during my decade long stay in CARE, but
would like to share two of them:
My first vehicle drive (all alone) 4 months after joining CARE taught me how to deal with an emergency.
It was a 350 km drive in CARE jeep (old vehicle usually given to new staff). After driving for 100 km,
whistling and enjoying the November weather, I realised that the brake was not working adequately.
And that too in area where it was forested. Fear gripped me but I told myself ‘relax man, use your
brain.....this is just a beginning in CARE’. After driving for 15 kms in 2nd gear I got to a reapiring shop
where the guy was having lunch and told me to wait (had to apply 1 st gear and jolted the vehicle to a
halt). While waiting, I discovered that more than half of the brake oil been drained out due to leakage.
The mechanic got it repaired the leak and filled in brake oil but could not mend one of the brake
‘bush’on the front right wheel. Following his instruction, I had to drive next 250 km cautiously because
my front right wheel was ‘free’ so every time I applied brake, my vehicle was swerving to the right and
so I had to turn my steering to the left immediately. I will never forget that day
When pulse polio immunisation program started in India, CARE found that an important opportunity to
establish relation with Govt. Health Department (as a part of INHP). I was asked to take care of one of
the districts in West Bengal, helping and supporting Health department in the field. I remember when I
met the Chief Medical Officer of the district in his office on the day of Pulse Polio, after my introduction,
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he asked me how I can be of help to the program. I told him, ‘Sir, I can be three-in-one. I can be a Logistic
Officer (for the vaccine), I can be a Medical Officer (by the way, I am a doctor by graduation) and I can
be a Driver’.
That was a beginning of our relation with a new department that went a long way in making INHP a big
success in India........led to a policy formulation at Cnetral Government level to introduce Nutrition and
Health Day every month across the country to offer both nutrition and MCH primary health services like
immunisation and ante-natal care in collaboration with ICDS and Health sectors in remote areas.
I had great respect for my boss Dr. Sen (under INHP I) and Mr. Swapan Saha (under INHP II) as they had
delegated responsibilities on the basis of my competencies. One was developing NGO partnership that
CARE India did not have much experience prior to INHP while the other was establishing community
managed monitoring system to sustain healtb and nutrition interventions beyond project period. I am
proud of establishing both for CARE West Bengal.
One country director I always admired was Steve Hollingworth and I was happy to have him once in the
field that I so fondly nourished with my team during INHP 2nd phase. It was a pleasant surprise when I
got Steve again in my present organisation since 2011 as President and so I am with him again after a
gap of 5 years.
During a part of organisational development training in my CARE tenure, I have often said to the
participants (CARE field staff) that if and when you leave CARE (or CARE makes you leave) you have to
return all the assets including the vehicle.....tearfully.......but CARE can never take your driving skill, your
travel experience, your relation with stake holders, dealing with Govt. and your other technical and
managerial skills that will always remain with you for the rest of your life.
This is what organisation like CARE can do for you.........hats off! CARE family
Soumitra Dutta
[email protected]
September, 2013
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42
Gouri
CARE India (Uttar Pradesh)
1994 - 1995
True to its name CARE is actually a caring organization not just for the communities it works with but in
a much deeper sense for the people who work for it and rightfully so - as through its own example
CARE first practices what it preaches.
Looking back in 2013 on that one life changing year (1994) in my life, it brings myriad memories
comprising passion, compassion, empathy and love.
Little did I know that the spring of 1994 would change my life forever; having joined CARE UP on March
21, 1994 as Field Officer with SEAD’s Dairy Development Project based in the remote Hardoi district of
Uttar Pradesh in India, my formal entry
into the development sector had only
just begun……..
As a young girl, I always liked to ‘be
there’ for anyone in need and always
wanted to be able to contribute my bit
through whatever means - cash, kind,
time. Growing up with the Nuns while
at school in Loreto Convent (an
Institution that gave the amazing
Mother Teresa to our world) put me on
the path of service. I loved and admired
the way they were always there to help
anyone in need and how selflessly and
untiringly they worked to make just
that ‘little difference’ in peoples’ lives.
The contributions during those school/ college days were simple yet satisfying like teaching small slum
children (each one teach one program), spending time with the residents of old age homes, leprosy
patients, visiting dowry victims, writing for school magazines etc. As time passed, these contributions
continued along with the pursuit for finding and seeking a niche where the ‘service’ would continue.
Being part of a family of Bureaucrats, Engineers, Defense and Academicians, naturally the ‘pressure’
was to get into the ‘traditional jobs’, but somehow I wanted to do something different, something in
which I could contribute my bit. The thought remained, though I joined Isabella Thoburn (IT) College
Lucknow as a Lecturer of Economics teaching the degree students while simultaneously preparing for
the UPSC (civil services).
The ‘break’ came when I joined CARE. It is indeed strange how the Universe hears and answers us. I
literally just walked into the CARE office on a Saturday (holiday) with no knowledge of what CARE was
and with no vacancy announcements. As destiny would have it, Mr. R.V. Wala, the then CARE
Administrator was there and he introduced me to CARE and said that they do have a vacancy and that I
should come on the following Monday with my CV and meet the Project Head, Dr. Sushil Mudgal.
Monday came and I was formally interviewed and was subsequently offered the job.
The job entailed that I be stationed at Hardoi, as it required the project staff to witness morning and
evening milk collection (5 am and 6 pm). I had no problems, but the family did. Coming from a
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traditional family where ‘girls are over protected’, I got the support from my elder brother Mr. Parth
Sharma a Lawyer and Banker, who reasoned with everyone that ‘she will be just fine, Hardoi is close by
and let her explore the world on her own’. And so, thanks to him I started on this beautiful sojourn.
Hardoi was like any other small town in UP that I had happened to visit along with my father on his
umpteen official tours; but this was different, firstly I was here on my own and most importantly I was a
representative of CARE, so it was important that I conducted myself as was deemed appropriate to the
reputation and stature of both CARE and my family.
The evening I arrived for the first time, I stayed with a friend of my brother as my family refused to
allow me to stay at a local ‘dharamshala’ - a kind of motel. The next morning my colleagues Rajesh
Srivastava and Nasreen Fatima Rizvi &
our driver Kishan Bahadur picked me up
in the trademark Mahindra 540 “blue
and white” CARE jeep, which I later used
to love driving .
It was one of the most beautiful journeys
of my life. Traversing through the tree
lined roads from Hardoi to Tadiawan, a
distance of around 15 kms. The smell,
the feel of the countryside immediately
took me in and all my fears and
apprehensions just melted away. We
reached Sainti, one of the ‘model villages’
of the Dairy Project. The SLA (SHG)
meeting was in progress and women
were contributing their monthly savings at the rate of
Rs.5.00 per month; on one side the Treasurer of the
group was collecting and counting the money and on the
other Secretary was writing the minutes. The discussion
amongst them continued and revolved around why each
one should save every month, participate in every
meeting and not just send in their contributions,
ensuring the quality of milk, learning how to test fat
content, carrying the milk cans to the road head to the
milk van (a distance of about 5 kms, with no roads),
about the payments due to each member etc. I was
absorbing it all and realized that there was so much to
learn and ‘formal education’ was just a preparation and
this was ‘real life’.
We went around the village, traversing it
completely along with the President of the
Group, Nanhi Devi, Sainti Village Extension
Worker cum Head Loader, Suresh and other
women group members. I was seeing a
village with a different perspective that day
(visiting the extended family and
grandparents in villages was very different,
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that was more of a holiday in luxury), understanding their way of living, their interdependence on each
other, the various occupations they followed, their family systems, their culture, the cleanliness (I think
we in India should take a course from our villagers on how to keep the surroundings clean) etc.
Needless to say I was loving what I had got into and as days passed my love for each and every moment
spent in our project villages with the women, men and children grew. There was so much to do,
everyday life was difficult for them; but somehow the villagers together with the project staff had
become a one big family. These villages became a second home and villagers my extended family.
As time passed, having got over the initial boarding and lodging problems after getting my ‘very first
independent house’ in my life (and that too in a very traditional society where people were just not
willing to give accommodation to an unmarried girl); life was indeed beautiful with these amazing
people around. Slowly and steadily, I was also learning the technical requirements of the Dairy
Development Fund (DDF) formation,
ensuring proper milk collection (both
morning and evening), fat testing,
monitoring
proper
head
loading,
distribution of income to the village
women besides interacting with PCDF
officials, other NGOs in the area. The three
weeks schedule on field, would just fly
and the ‘one week’ spent in Lucknow was
equally busy with submitting and
finalizing reports, meetings, trainings and
workshops.
Each of the 20 project villages is a story in
itself. Sainti, remained our best village.
Sainchamau, the village that got the
‘reputation’ of head loading maximum litres
of milk (in response to the competition
announced by the local dairy staff, Nanhe Lal
the Extension Worker cum Head Loader
decided that he just had to outdo other
villages, so he used to mix water to increase
the quantity, the fat content went down and
so did the payments; needless to say he was
reprimanded for the same with a threat to
debar him).
Gursanda, a village dominated by SCs (Scheduled
Castes) where things would go right in a scheduled
meeting and by next meeting everything was back to
zero, forms a typical case of how hearsay affects
remote villagers and makes them open to suggestions.
Lalpur Bahinsari, the village of upper castes where it
was tough to motivate them to ‘sell milk’…….the
stories and anecdotes are endless………their journey continues even today.
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Apart from working in the field, the FINSUST (Financial Sustainability), PRA (Participatory Rural
Appraisal) training by Action Aid in Shahjahanpur and the mid-term evaluation of the project were all
enriching lifetime experiences that I cherish even today. With CARE I formally got initiated into the
development sector and so to say it put me on a path that’s now a way of life.
There were a total of 20 villages in the Project and we were three Field Officers, so Nasreen and I were
given six villages each and Rajesh looked after the rest. This was just to ensure closer monitoring of the
villages, but we were always there to support each other. Rajesh was a dependable colleague (he works
currently with CARE Nepal) and was always there to help sort out the local governance conflicts, he and
I together were a good combination for addressing the local male/ female politics, he had a similar
rapport with Nasreen as well. Nasreen and I often visited the villages together and as two women
together we could understand the small nuances of a village woman’s everyday life; she was also our
team’s joke teller and regaled us with funny anecdotes.
Kishan Bahadur the driver was perhaps most
knowledgeable of us about the villages. A lot
of times we tend to think our drivers are just
driving us to project areas and offices; but I
realized that he and many other drivers
during my career span that I came across so
far, were actually more knowledgeable and
well informed about how the work is going
on and what the feedback is. And yes when
we would all be taking a break ‘Kishan would
sometimes volunteer to make Maggi’ (a ready
to eat noodles pack), I haven’t tasted a better
Maggi since; don’t know if it was ‘Maggi’, his
culinary skills or the camaraderie of our team
or all of it that made it taste so good.
Our Project Officer, Dr.Sushil Mudgal was/is a humble person, very unassuming but a knowledge
reservoir and somehow had a solution to every query and
problem. He was/is a maverick and led from the front (little
did I know then that he is my soul mate and would be my
husband in times to come ). I am indebted to God and CARE
for bringing such a fine human being in my life.
I had a short stint in CARE as I got married to Sushil and had
to resign as per the existing CARE Personnel Manual. I do
look back with regret that my career in CARE was short lived,
wish I had gotten more time to work with CARE . But the
short stint was enriching, a great learning experience and I
do hope I was able to contribute my bit in a short but a
dynamic span.
I have since then been working with several stakeholders in
the development sector - Government, Civil Society
Organisations, Faith Based Organisations, Bi-lateral, Multilateral Organisations in the field of Women & Youth
development, Gender, Natural Resources Management,
Monitoring and Evaluation, Local Self Governance, Good
Governance, Education, Health, Administrative Reforms, Human Resources Management and Capacity
Development.
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Thank you CARE for providing me an opportunity to look at the world with a development lens. No
matter how high I rise or how low I fall, whichever part of the world I am in; I shall always remain
indebted to God, my family, the umpteen villagers in Tadiawan and colleagues at CARE for inspiring me
and keeping me grounded……Gouri
Gouri
[email protected]
September, 2013
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43
Dr.Sushil Mudgal
CARE India (MP & UP)
1989 - 1995
Each story as part of three volumes, contributed in the process initiated by Cheenu is unique
and important and Cheenu wants to promote it to a broader global audience, these impact
stories from around the world have been giving a platform to inspire a global audience to do
more than read by giving them a path to know the organization, its culture, take action and
make difference......This is a great initiative by an ex CARE personnel supported by other
colleagues by sharing their CARE life experiences. My story goes as under:
Passion for Community Development
My greatest passion is to be able to contribute to the community development in the society.
Community Development here is captured in a very broad sense to include just about anything I can do
to contribute for the improvement of the lives of the people I live, work with, and pass-by on the streets,
everyday - even those I have never met or encountered before. I see this passion as something of a
noble course, on which I can give anything to be able to accomplish.
When I was growing up, I had a very hard time coming to terms with the fact that most of the problems
encountered within the human society such as increasing population, communal conflicts, corruption,
climate change etc., are all a result of the patterns of human activity. Many of these problems were a
reality to my life and existence as I grew up in the city of Bhopal located in central India where the
biggest chemical disaster happened due to Union Carbide MIC Gas leak. Though my volunteering got
triggered as the aftermath of the gas tragedy, although my opinions as at then were not fully formed, I
was vaguely aware that the human society needed to change, and I committed myself to be one of such
change agents. In going about achieving my passion for fostering the development and progress of the
human society, I started out rather haphazardly. I went to school like all normal children are expected
to do, trying my best to secure the best grades, while balancing with extra-curricular activities. (I
actually made sure that I was engaged as much as possible into community activities, because
somewhere I was convinced that I had a role to contribute in society).
By the time I was mid-way through university, I began to concretely conceptualize and understand the
critical implications of the human conditions. That was easy because of the educational in life sciences
that I was following. Hence, the question of what to do about the situation and how to do became more
real at that time. It was at that point that I took the conscious decision to act. I therefore began my
journey to help address the human condition in earnest just at the point I was leaving the university,
having studied and understood well, the conceptual and practical realities of the human society. I began
by developing a trajectory. The first thing I considered in doing that was to reflect in order to clarify the
difference between what I could possibly be able to do and what I couldn't - the difference between
reality and illusion. I therefore came to the conclusion that as an individual, I could do nothing; but by
working with people, I could do a lot. The question now remained: how do I work with people to
achieve change in society? In answering that question I came to the realization that I needed to chose a
line of work where I could see practically the results of my work. I began volunteering with the aim of
learning what the work was all about.
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I volunteered for over five years with local development organizations, of these, one was instituted by
colleagues including me while studying in University, that was when I grasped fully the value of the
work I could achieve by practically being in the frontline of mobilising resources and critical knowledge
or interventions to communities with the aim of bettering their lives. It was a very enriching experience
which made me fall totally in love with development work. I therefore continued to grow along that
path. But in the process I felt there is need to get wider understanding and institutional perspective to
be more effective in my pursuits and thus shared with my Ph.D. guide that I am not going to wait for a
teaching position in the University, rather would explore opportunities in social development. My guide
Prof. Pradeep Shrivastava happened to know Dr. J.S. Vaseer and the day I submitted my doctoral thesis
he recommended me to meet Dr. Vaseer for further discussion in this regard and then I met Dr. Vaseer
who took me to than State Administrator (Madhya Pradesh) Mr. P.E. Haridasan who called Mr. S.K.
Kapoor and Ms. Joan Devgan and started having a chat on various issues to know my interest and
intentions.
Mr. Haridasan after a long discussion of over two hours shared that there is a new program of CARE
(SEAD) to be launched to support women livelihoods and institutional development across six states
but was under approval with Government of India and I could have possibility of being a Project
Manager in that, but he asked me if I could join as a Field Officer till the new Project is in place and start
preliminary work taking up studies across all CARE program districts in the state and I agreed to join
the very next day. That is how I got into working with CARE an international development organization
which helped me trace my path in the process of development.
Journey in CARE
CARE-M.P. office just above the beautiful Bhoj Wetland or Upper lake locally called ‘bada talab’ in
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (M.P), was the best located CARE offices as endorsed by Mr.Ron Burkard
during his visit the year I joined. I happened to work for my research on the lake since my post
graduation and doctoral studies and in CARE I got a desk from where I was able to have full view of the
lake, that was bliss. My orientation on CARE and its programs was facilitated by a large group of friends
many of them who have contributed over 25 years of service including Mr. Nariender Francis, Mr. S.K.
Kapoor, Ms. Joan Devgan, Mr. John Varghese, Mr. P.S. Srinivasan, Mr. R.H.Trivedi and the younger lot
including Mr. B.R. Punia, S.K. Sharma, Subhash Moghe, Peter J. Trinidad, Victor Paul, Manoj K. Naresh,
Dr. Narendra K. Dundu, Saxena, Thomas K. Cherian, Valsa Khan, Rajeev Nambiar, Rajiv Kunji, Anupam
Sarkar, Ashok Trivedi, V.K. Singh, Felicita Kerketta, Sangeeta Rawal, Deepak Aurangabadkar, G.V.Rajan,
Lucy Mathew, S.H. Abbas, Meera Srinivasan, Saraswathi Iyer, Saswati, Mathew Jose, Bindu, Abdul Khaliq,
Habeeb, Rajan, Kumar and several others from field and government departments. Mr. Francis and Mr.
Kapoor were the ones with whom I had my field exposure and that still helps me in connecting people,
places and eating joints in unknown places.....may their souls remain in peace. Mario Rodrigues who
joined CARE-M.P. a little later was a colleague full of life, loved by everyone around; I had opportunity of
travelling with him too and learning from his
extensive experiences.
Mr. P.R. Chauhan joined as Administrator M.P.
who had a name and identity within the
organization
as
the
most
effective
administrator and program personnel, I clicked
with him immediately and he asked me to work
for the food program PNP with ICDS and MDM
with schools. This was a great experience that I
cherish most till date. I was also part of a team
to sort out the corruption in food distribution
and record keeping at block and district levels
in areas falling under present Chhattisgarh. The
performance chart had maximum travel and effective days against my name for months together.
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Working with government in partnership and networking were the biggest strengths I have taken as my
lessons during my short stay in M.P. as the expected project could not be approved for the state; instead
Uttar Pradesh got two as the Union Minister was from the state . I got transferred to Uttar Pradesh as
Project Manager for SEAD in 1991.
A new chapter in CARE-U.P. began with a new group of colleagues in the poorest and most needy state.
Though I was sad for CARE-M.P. for not getting the Project (as it is one of the BIMARU states) when I
went on transfer, but the conditions in U.P. were almost the same in terms of need of the community
that gave me some console to take up the new challenges of getting the staff in place and building their
capacities for a new approach that CARE was trying in the state. Mr. R.V. Wala, Mr. Aroon David and Mr.
P.K. Narula were very kind to welcome me on my arrival in Lucknow. Mr. Wala is a very affectionate
person and as a boss to have someone like him made me happy and since we both were living away
from families we got along well soon. He was always like a big brother taking personal care of each one
during and after office hours too.
Initially, under SLA (Savings Loan Association)
Project, Sitapur district was selected where a
multiple activity income generation project was
launched, which was handed over to a colleague
Shalini Sharma and I had to restart looking for
something innovative. It had resulted in a Subsector study to be carried out for which an
Intern John Melvin joined the team from U.S.
We could complete the study and developed a
single income generation activity project
focusing on women milk cooperatives in
partnership with PCDF (State Milk Cooperative
Dairy Federation). Mr. R.S. Tolia, IAS who was heading the PCDF got really interested in the process and
supported CARE in the successful launch of the project in Tadiawan block of Hardoi district.
The District officials including the District Magistrate, Chief Development Officer and the General
Manager PCDF and his team were very cooperative and had extended fullest cooperation in fund
channelization process, trainings and supply of material and equipments needed by each of the women
milk cooperatives.
The process at village level began with organizing
Self Help Groups (SHGs) of women who had milch
cattle or were willing to buy one and contribute
milk to the milk cooperatives established in their
villages. The project resulted in getting an average
of Rs. 5,00,000 (Five lacs) every month in each of
the villages and this meant something big to be
received as cash revenue in the poorest of the
poor and interior most villages with very limited
access, where no government machinery had ever
reached.
Many of the women were motivated through
management and leadership trainings and were
elected to the Panchayats too. I continued with the project till its mid-term evaluation and designed the
steps ahead on the basis of recommendations.
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We all had to really struggle each day to sustain the women in groups where there were forces acting to
destabilize the success of the poor women and their families.
The project team was always in their monitoring and support responsibilities, starting 5.00 a.m. in the
morning when the milching and milk collection at centres began, following the delivery by extension
workers to the road head in the milk vans and repeating the same process in the evenings till 10.00 p.m.
and they had to attend SHG meetings and organize trainings during the daytime, all this was an arduous
task, but no complaints.....that’s strength of being CARE staff.
I was also part of CARE Recreation Club and Employees Credit Union in CARE-U.P. and this gave
additional responsibilities to explore my unknown self and hone my management skills. The tenure
passed through successfully with the support of colleagues. CARE’s Vision, Mission, Aspiration
Statement, Program Principles, LRSP and OD processes and quality of program design processes have
always been with me guiding through the process that needed commitment and genuine efforts and the
leadership helped us all sail through the vagaries of time.
The colleagues in U.P. office were very supportive to
include Mr. Y.K.S. Rathore, G.N. Yadav, P.P.
Shrivastava, Ananta Singh, R. Muralidharan, Jeet
Singh, K.R. Surendran, Farid Sultana, Ashish Auddy,
Anita Srivastava, H.C. Gupta, Mohd. Latif, Sher
Mohd. Samar Singh and others. SEAD team
with Shalini Sharma, Savitri Sharma, Akhil
Prasad, Rita Singh, Sarita Kandpal, Aparajita,
Anil Yadava, Gouri, Nasreen Fatima Rizvi,
Tanuja Shukla, Mala Vyas, Sunam C. and Kishan Bahadur were always forthcoming and inspiring while
at work. Ms. Sylvia Francis was always a source of stimulating new ideas and perspectives to
administrative affairs and she had always been kind and kept guiding the team on related issues. Rajesh
Srivastav the key member of Women’s Dairy Project team has always been an example of commitment,
responsibility and delivery, he was available 24x7 for any emergencies and routine project activities,
and therefore he deserves a special mention in my story for providing incessant support all through.
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Not to forget mentioning working with Mr. K. Gopalan who joined CARE-U.P. as Administrator almost in
the last leg of my stay before I left. He was most dedicated person I have ever met and worked with. At
times I felt that he was literally wedded to CARE and all his time was for the organisation. He was very
good at planning, organizing and articulating
things and ideas in right and innovative
perspective. He remained best programmer,
master of management processes, focused on
achievement of the mission goals with the work
team, and believed in innovations and program
sustainability
besides
establishing
true
partnership relationship with government
counterparts. He was a true missionary....hard
to get such committed personnel within an
organisation....I was fortunate to have worked
with him.
During my different responsibilities I happen to
come in touch with several CARE personnel from other states and headquarters and worked together or
got into discussions, to whom I owe a debt of
gratitude - Anuj Jain, Ravina Srinivasan, N.
Madhuri, Dr. Lakshmi Menon, Rajeev Sadana,
Utpal Moitra, Jyotsna Roy, Vaishali Sharma, K.T.
Srinnivasan (Cheenu), Ram C. Bhargava,
S.L.Srinivas, Sneh Rewal, Vasanti Vepa Ramaiah,
Susan Koshy, Dr. Stephen J. Atwood, C.S. Reddy,
Rina Dey, Subir Bhattacharya, Romesh Mahajan,
T.R.Sadasivan, K.Karan, Ashok Rawat, Rohit Pal,
Dr. Philip Viegas, UVKV Sastri, Vibha Malhotra,
Y.D. Mathur, Jaishree Jain, Jyoti Dhingra, Gita
Pillai, Meeta Lall, Lavina Mehra, Anna Lucia,
Andrea Rodericks, Amitabh Datta, G.V.Rao, G.S.Raghavan, Ivan D’Cruz, Desmond Ignatius, Harry Sethi,
Dr. Karunesh Tuli, Dr. Mary Mohan, S.K.Kukreja, R.D. Sundriyal, Capt.K.S.Pannu, Sunita Gupta, Maureen
Pearson, Shobhaa Iyer, K.Dharmambal, Sushila Chand, Lalitha S., Shiva, Gurcharn Dass, T.J. Ferrow,
Shekhar Anand, Sashiprava Bindhani, Satya Sheela, Nagendra Acharya, R.N. Mohanty, Narsing Rao and
Usha Kiran to name a few. Besides these I also had opportunities to work and interact closely with
Ginny Ubik, Mark Fritzler, Gordon Molitor, Rowland Roome, Shelly Kessler, Ron Burkard, Rudy Von
Bernuth, Joan Sherman and Judy Schroeder on various state representations and visits that helped
enhance my horizon beyond local perspective.
While organising CARE World Family Dinner in Chandigarh with Cheenu, I could meet CARE colleagues
who had contributed their bit in various capacities across different states and settled in and around the
town after retirement from CARE. They included B.S. Rahi, Nariender Francis, Capt. K.S. Pannu, M.P.
Anand, Satish Patti, Dr. Fredrick Shaw, Ajaib Singh, IBS Pannu and G.S. Anand. This has been a regular
event and of course Cheenu has graced the occasion for past four years as coordinator cum special
guest... God give him more strength and energy for many years to come and keep blessing us all.
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CARE World Family Chandigarh Dinner March 18, 2010
Sitting Left to Right - B.S.Rahi, Nariender Francis, K.S.Pannu, M.P. Anand, Satish Patti;
Standing Left to Right - Dr. Sushil Mudgal, Cheenu, Dr. Fredrick Shaw, Ajaib Singh,
Rajendra Mishra (ex GoI), Gouri, G.S. Anand
Passage post CARE
My originating mission over 28 years and
counting, has been in educating families and
the general public through helping them
explore their potential, organizing them,
facilitating institutional building, supporting in
capacity enhancement and developing linkages
& networks, besides this a continued hand
holding approach has been integral part of the
development process. By fostering awareness,
communities can usher in change for current
and future generations. Advocacy in the areas
of concerns within the society, families, homes,
schools, helps alleviate a societal permeated
problem. Being a part of development means
we must be a part of the solution. Our youth
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needs to know what is and is a not healthy behavior starting at very early ages. Yet, still this sort of
education has neither been mandated as curriculum, nor have we found a way to teach our children
about such subjects effectively. This can be changed.
I believe that personal advocacy and work experience ranges from non-profit organizational creation
and development, administrative management, mobilization of effective community outreach, resource
implementation, teaching, special education, faith based communications, with a background in
research, governance, health issues, social, civil, court systems and public policy. Being a part of
numerous systems gave me solid insights and live experience which has been the motivating factor for
serving with integrity and an eye towards conflict resolution.
The vision and goal that is sought represents oppressed individuals who are the part of vulnerable
status weary from struggles. Be it young, old, disabled, ill, poor, farmers, labour, single parent
households, youth, recipients of government programs, mental health services, or other organizations
(government/ NGOs/CBOs) meant to provide needs to such families that require it. There was an
amazing dream come true to establish a foundation for such outreach encompassing what it means to
give to those less fortunate with encouragement, support, resources while providing a safe
environment born out of compassion and a love for others.
Today, working as a Trustee cum Member Secretary with my NGO - Daanish Foundation, primarily
working in north-west India, I am satisfied to look back and see the personal life-changing efforts I have
deployed, in some communities across different parts of India. The trajectory I drew at the beginning is
moving just fine; and with an increasing appetite to do better and achieve more. At this point, therefore,
I have made a vow to the fact that I will continue to do all in my power to contribute to the good of
society and the progress of humanity.
Learning
A peaceful mind can think better than a worked up mind. Allow a few minutes of silence to your mind
every day, and see, how sharply it helps you to set your life the way you expect it to be. As peace of mind
produce right value and right values produce right thoughts which in turn produce right action and
right action always ends with right and fruitful results.
Finally
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the CARE staff and other stakeholders who have been
my inspiration and support during the journey so far....... stay calm, be happy and keep smiling
..............Sushil
Dr.Sushil Mudgal
[email protected]
September, 2013
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44
Dr.Anoop Tripathi
CARE India
Bihar : Dec.2010 – May 2013
Since my days as a student of Rural Management, I heard so much about CARE as one of the most
reputed organization in the world dedicated to social cause and probably the most HR friendly among
the institutions. During that time CARE in India was implementing one of the largest programs, INHP,
across many States to address the issue of Malnutrition. As a student of the social sector it became my
dream to work with this Organization, which was highly talked of and respected among the
development professionals. I tried to pursue for my internship in CARE but to my hard luck could not
have the opportunity. Post studies, I worked with some of the most reputed organizations and
meaningful projects but the dream of working with CARE just kept on mounting in back of the mind.
After around 8 years of my professional carrier, at last, I had an opportunity with CARE. It was an
interview for one of the most ambitious program in health sector reform, supported by DFID and
implemented by a consortium led by CARE in Bihar. Though the interview was for the position of
Regional Manager but somehow looking at my Health experience I was offered a position of Health
Coordinator. I was disappointed, as I was desperate to work with CARE but the position offered was
much below my current profile at that time. With a heavy heart I had to deny the offer quoting my
reason but did offer my support wherever required in the field. Somehow, Dr. Sujeet Ranjan, State
Director did understood my reasons and entrusted my capabilities and I was offered the very important
position of RM on December 24th 2010.
As I took up the responsibility, I was very contented but realized that I was part of a team which has
given sincere effort in the field abiding by the core values “RICE”, which gave me a feeling of pride and
at the same time sense of accountability towards the populace. Working through such a large structure
was not easy and I had to learn how to be an effective team member, keeping balance with each
stakeholder (within Organization as well as outside). The challenges and learning’s developed me as a
professional and leader and my understanding to the Sectoral issues and their convergence. The
engagement also took me closer to the community and understanding the larger picture of
development. This was the time of CARE changing in India, and we as an organization were learning to
become a fast cheetah rather than a bulky slow Elephant. This means growing as a great technical and
learning organization to deliver maximum results with lowest of resources.
I also cannot forget the best in the sector HR policies which focuses on Employees Work and personal
life balance, benefits and future and family security which augment the sense of belongingness among
the team, which they even remember after they leave CARE. The inbuilt processes of Appraisal provided
an opportunity for retrospection, as a person and as a team.
Every good thing comes to an end, but for a new beginning. Hence, it was time, where I had to make a
move to take up a bigger responsibility. So I had to take an impermanent break from my association
with CARE on 30th May 2013. Though I would like to especially mention to the whole team of well
nurtured, knowledgeable and wonderful characters, you all are very close to my heart and I cherished
with regards to the professional cum personal insightful learning’s drawn out of the association and
your contribution towards development of my knowledge, skills, attributes and personality.
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In CARE, I was provided the freedom to express & apply my professional thoughts and no matter I made
mistakes in my tenure but I do learn from them and improved. I look forward to an opportunity to
work again with this wonderful organization and people in future.
Dr. Anoop Tripathi
[email protected]
September 28, 2013
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45
Dharmendra S Panwar
CARE India, UP
1997-2007
Those familiar with Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine would know that a chapter on
International Health in the text describes UN and major international agencies. It is here that I first got
introduced, as an undergraduate student in 1990, to CARE (then mentioned in the text as Cooperative
for American Relief Everywhere). A few years later in April 1997, on the brink of completing my post
graduation in Community Medicine, I found myself travelling to the CARE office in Lucknow to be
interviewed for a position in a Reproductive Health project to be launched. I distinctly remember three
people in the interview panel Dr YP Gupta, Dr Vasanthi Krishnan and the then State Director in UP, Mr
K. Gopalan. I was nervous but remember being looked after well by friendly staff in office. The then
CARE logo in darkish green colour looked fascinating and I hoped I could make it through the selection
process. I was asked to leave a contact number and I left a landline number of the phone booth next to
the college hostel which, for us, was the only reliable source of communication in that era.
Back in medical college, a couple of weeks later I got a call informing of my selection and that I was
required to travel to CARE's Delhi office to complete formalities. I entered CARE's office in Delhi
situated at Greater Kailash anxiously but also feeling proud to soon be part of the organization. Vibha
Malhotra from the HR section met me. It was actually to be my first job and probably I looked naïve to
her as I recall Vibha asking "Dr Panwar simply smiling will not help, do you think you would be able to
work on the ground with health staff and ANMs?" Though not too sure inside, I confidently replied in
the affirmative but her words stays with me till date. I was also expected to negotiate the remuneration
package. I had been advised by a well wisher (outside of CARE) to negotiate hard but getting to work
with CARE at beginning of my career was like a dream come true. Besides, I was worried they might just
withdraw the offer and take someone else and so I happily agreed to what was offered….it was any
ways double the stipend I received as a MD student then at the college and that thrilled me. Words like
"cafeteria" and "wardrobe allowance" in the offer letter fascinated me, at least initially until the time I
understood it better!
I was made to lead a reproductive health project in
district Sitapur. After overcoming the initial hiccups
of understanding the CARE terminology (as it
appears to an outsider)and understanding the
myriad acronyms used in the organization, such as
"CIHQ, Pop-RH, SLAC, DLAC,SEAD, CSB",etc I geared
up to work in Sitapur. Working with hardened
government health officials was not easy initially
and it often made me recall Vibha's "prophecy".
Amongst many challenges that we faced engaging
the health department was the biggest as a huge
(US$325 million) USAID funded project Innovations
Community Orgainizers being trained at CARE
in Family Planning Services (IFPS) was previously
Sitapur office, 1997
being implemented and our project was seen by
some as very small in comparison to make any impact. However, over time CARE, through its quality
engagement of the system and communities it is globally known for, was able to establish the "Sangini"
project and continued to work for many years in the district including implementation of an operations
research on the Standard Days Method.
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My real learning in the development sector
started with this project. Dr Vasanthi Krishnan,
Technical Specialist at the Population and
Reproductive Health (Pop/RH) Sector, was an
excellent mentor. Energetic and enthusiastic, she
was full of new ideas. I learnt a lot from her in
particular,
about
preparing
training
modules/organizing sessions with participatory
training methodologies. Dr YP Gupta (Director,
Pop/RH) was to us like a fatherly figure in the
unit. We used to call him an encyclopaedia and
rightly so....he could talk at length about any
subject under the sun from latest technology at
NASA to the best saree shops in chandni chowk!
Travelling with him used to be fun as he wouldn't
mind stopping to eat at the wayside dhabas and
sweetmeat shops. YPG, as we lovingly called him, was
also fond of talking and he had interesting anecdotes to
share.
With YPG, Dr Vasanthi and other Pop/RH Sector
staff (Ranikhet retreat)
Mr. Gopalan, known as a strict administrator, was very particular about what he ate (and spoke).
Travelling with the more serious Mr Gopalan, sitting so close in the car seat next to him used to be
tough..... nice man though, did not speak much but his sharp questions often made me squirm in my
seat. However, there was so much to learn from him…especially the way he drafted letters and
communicated, he had great monitoring, administrative and management skills. The excellent relations
he maintained with senior bureaucrats in the state helped CARE smoothly establish projects in the
state.
Sitapur, located about 90 km from Lucknow, holds a special place in my memories. It used to be a small
city, typically a sleepy non-happening kind of place with 9-10 hours of power cut every day and at peak
hours when you are likely to need it the most; in the evenings from 6:00 to 11:00 pm. The voltage used
to be too low to recharge the batteries and so inverters weren't very helpful. We got so used to living in
dark and dim lights in Sitapur that the brighter lights in Lucknow, where we drove down once in a
while, seemed like a visual treat. In connection with the name Sitapur, I recall an interesting incident
following an introduction to a doctor in Lucknow where I said I lived in Sitapur but she heard me say
"Singapore" (often pronounced in UP as Singapur) and thought I was Singapore based and so the
conversation went off something like this:
Dr: When do you arrive?
Me (referring to my travel that morning from Sitapur): A couple of hours back
Dr (thinking I had travelled from Singapore): Oh, then you must be tired
Me: Not really, I am so used to it
Dr: How often do you travel to Lucknow?
Me: Depends on the need, usually at least once in 10 days and sometime even 2-3 times a week as I
prefer to go back and return.
Dr (imagining I travel so frequently from Singapore): Ok!!!. that frequent..wow! How long are you in
Lucknow this time?
Me (referring to my return to Sitapur): I am returning this evening.
Dr (with eyes popping out): But you arrived just a couple of hours back and you return this evening?
Me: Yes, Sitapur is not too far....just under 2 hours "drive"…..and with that the conversation with the
doctor almost ended with her interest in the conversation ( and me) diminishing drastically!!
On a more serious note, CARE provided me the first overseas exposure to an international conference at
Atlanta in early 1998. Visiting the CARE HQ and the Centre for Disease control (CDC), was exciting. CDC
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because it is one of the only 2 sites on the planet where variola virus isolate (that causes smallpox) is
stored under high security. At the hotel in Atlanta I was allotted a room on the 42nd floor and handed
over an envelope by the receptionist. I took the lift to the 42nd floor only to realize once there that she
had not given me the room key! With no house phone in sight, I had no option but to go back all the way
with my bags to be told that the key was actually the "small plastic card" handed over to me in the
envelope. That was my first encounter with the "key card" now so commonly used in India. The jet lag
at this visit was terrible and it took me several days to adjust to it and when I did it was time to return
to India! Visits to Antigua in Guatemala and the East-West centre at Hawaii are other fond memories of
my association with CARE. Technical meetings and workshops at CARE provided ample opportunity for
cross learning between participants from various
states and even CARE countries.
I was transferred to the state office in Lucknow in
2001 and continued to work with CARE at the state
office for several years working on newer areas such
as operations research on Standard Days Method (in
collaboration with Institute of Reproductive Health)
and evaluation research, as part of the RACHNA
program, on home based newborn care and nutrition
(in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health). All these years proved to be
full of learning and the learning curve always
remained steep. That is perhaps why people who
CARE -UP staff (with families) at Nainital, 2000
have worked with CARE for any number of years are
recognized as a special brand. Any meeting,
conference, organization, and project you go to, you
are bound to meet CARE alumni and there is an instant connect between us.
I bid farewell to CARE in April 2007 and moved on to work with IntraHealth International on an issue
close to my heart….community based newborn care. I felt quite at home at IH as many staff there had
been associated with CARE in the past, beginning with the team leader itself... working with Laurie
(Parker) was so reassuring and many ex-CARE staff joined the team Madhuri Narayanan, Chandrika
Vasu, Saroj Srivastava, Madhusudan, Waqar Anjum, Vandana Naidu.......
I wish I could write about more incidents and mention names of all the people I worked with and
received a lot of affection and respect however, even a 20 pager document may not do justice to it.
Apart from the few names mentioned earlier I would like to acknowledge the support received from
Manohar Shenoy, RN Mohanty and all the highly experienced staff at CARE Uttar Pradesh and guidance
received from Tom Alcedo, T. Usha Kiran, Loveleen Johri, Rashmi Kukreja, Deepika N.Choudhery and
other staff at CARE India HQ. I carry fond memories of days spent at CARE and recognize that the
learning and experience gathered at CARE has been guiding me through all the work I do to this day........
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The Sangini Project
Standard Days Method (Manka Vidhi) Project
Dharmendra S Panwar
[email protected]
Sept, 2013
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46
Santhosh Gupta
CARE India
Jan.10, 2005 – August 05, 2006
A small but sweet journey of CARE Rajasthan
Some of the fondest memories we gather in the journey of life are the ones that remind us of our beloved
friends and colleagues at our workplace. And the very essence of life is to continue to make such beautiful
memories, that one can look back upon and smile about. My CARE story is one of such memories.
I joined care on 10th January 2005 and spent very little time (just one & half year) in CARE, Rajasthan at
Bharatpur which is famous for bird sanctuary.
A moment lasts all of second, but the memory lives on forever…
Just in such a small tenure, I learned so many things that are highlighted as my major strengths even
now, especially the quality to work in a team.
I hold sweet memories of making the opportunity to join CARE: it was both an incident and an
opportunity. Previously, I was working with UNICEF, U.P. At that time, one of my friends Sh. Anil Diwedi
was working in CARE Rajasthan, who was formerly in UNICEF, U.P., I heard about the vacancy from him,
applied for the post following his advice and was called for interview by Ms. Ruchi Sarshwat, HR
personnel, Care Rajasthan. Frankly speaking, till then I was not at all sure whether I would join Care or
not. I still remember the day I went for interview which was a full day process comprising of written,
GD and personal interview and faced panel of interviewers namely Sh. Sanjay Awasthi, RPD, Ms. Pramila
Sanjay, SPM, Dr. Deepmala, Sh. Sharan, Regional Managers and Sh. Subrato. Finally I shifted from U.P to
Rajasthan when got call for joining Care as Government Partnership Officer.
Induction was very motivational with my new colleague Mr. Rajeev Ranjan, Mr. Krishna Gautam and
Late Sh. Ravi. Sh. Ravi joined with me but after two and half years in CARE, he passed away by road
accident. He was of very jolly nature; his lovely memories will always remain with us. During induction
met with all state team members Sanjay kumar Ji, Gorge, Farukh, Shekhawat Ji, Madhu, Abhishek,
Abram madam, Saritaji, Abhiyamanu, Vikash, Radha KrishnanJi, and Mithlesh. My first CARE visit during
induction was Bhilwara where I met with my friends Anil Diwedi, Renu, Payal, Manjusha, Balmukund,
Kumar Vikram, and Rajan Kapoor. They shared their personal & professional experiences along with
existing challenges of the work.
After induction, I joined Bharatpur along with my friend Sh. Krishna Gautam, CBO. We both started our
work together with special driving classes being taken by Mr. Kan Singh. This was one of the most
exciting experiences for me because there driving lessons were part n parcel of our work and definitely
this happens only in CARE.
CARE Jeep has been the identity of CARE officers and gives the authority to clear all signals. The Jeep
was so well recognized in the fields that it symbolizes the presence of CARE officers around, without
any word.
In Bharatpur I was working with diversified quality & multi-dimensional capacity having team
members like Krishna Gautam, Subhash Ray, Sushmita, Aditya, Jamal, Satyavrat Vyas, Sharad
Chaturvedi, Dhanunjaya Rao and Heera Lal Nayak. During my tenure I worked with many, but some of
them are my good friends till date and is in touch with them regularly.
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As my thematic responsibility during my tenure, I was involved in number of programs and
implemented successfully RACHNA Program with Govt. & NGOs with the help of CARE team like
formation of Govt. functionaries Core Group for monitoring, launching of Immunization Sticker for
ration card pasting for tracking and monitoring of immunization, sector alignment according to health
sector of ICDS and Health department, joint monitoring visit of SDM, Medical Officer, CDPO, BDO and
CARE officer and many others things as required by the program. All these efforts were successfully
materialized because of two important persons; one was our RM Dr. Deepmala and second was Sh.
Praveen Gupta, District Collector, Bharatpur - My gratitude and lots of thanks to both of them. In my
professional career, Dr. Deepmala has been one of the best supervisors I ever had and is truly known for
her impactful managerial skills she possesses. I feel myself fortunate to get chance to work with her.
CARE taught me how to become a good team performer. I have not seen such an employee-friendly
approach anywhere else, in my entire social development career. I still remember those memories. The
work experience, knowledge and field experiment that I earned in CARE could never be forgotten.
Such bonding among team members & seniors and such harmonious environment can be hardly found
anywhere. The biggest example of this is Cheenu Sir himself, who puts in every effort to keep the
bonding and relationship among colleagues of CARE alive even today.
“You meet people who forget, you forget people you meet.
But sometimes you meet people who can’t forget.
Those are my CARE Friends”
Among my professional friends, the friends from Care are listed high always. This is the unique quality
of this organization that even after 7 years, it inspires us to pen down our past memories. I salute all
my colleagues who cultivated such a wonderful environment and culture at CARE.
It is well said “The best things in life comes in 3s, like friends, dreams and memories.” And I can proudly
say that my journey in CARE has given me all the three.
There are heaps of thoughts down my memory lane, little difficult to sketch them all. I just want to wrap
my feelings a single line – CARE really cares for its people.
A Glimpse of Care Events
National workshop on Convergence & Rights
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(Sh. Praveen Gupta, District Collector, Bhartpur launching of (Sector alignment exercise)
Immunization Sticker for ration card pasting)
Thanks and regards
Santosh Gupta
[email protected]
30th Sept. 2013
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47
Surabhi Sircar
Regional Manager, CIHQ
July 1994 – Sept.1995
Remembering CARE
I have had very good bosses so far and Philip [Dr. Philip Viegas] has been one of the most pleasant ones
with plenty of sense of humour. What I really appreciate about him is that he treated us with a lot of
sensitivity. He treated us with a lot of patience too. He was approachable and ready to help. He will
always be a boss who I
will remember.
I discovered a side of
Cheenu just recently. I am
astonished by all his
efforts to keep us posted
and in one big loop and
his perseverance to get
our CARE anecdotes. Not
many have this resolve to
keep a thing going! Hats
off to him.
pleasant with each other. I enjoyed working with this team.
Evaluation team was
interesting, a jolly group,
quite
cohesive
and
Our lunch time - I recall our lunch breaks. We used to be on tour very often and once in a while when
all of us had the luck to be in the office we used to have a great lunch time. There used to be jokes,
banter and laughter. Rajeev Nambiar had a good sense of humour [I am sure he still has]. Many of us
were his targets. Rajeev [Nambiar] would manufacture stories which had interesting beginnings and no
ending. I remember Utpal’s predicament, Rajeev [Sadana’s] comments, Sastry's one-liners, Mithulina’s
protests. Sushama and I would quietly enjoy it all.
Our Retreat at Mount Abu - I joined CARE in July 1994 and soon joined the team for a retreat at Mount
Abu. It was monsoon and Abu was not at its best. But I realized that joy and fun are all in the mind and if
one is with a happy group like the Evaluation Unit Team one would have a engaging and a good time. I
had one of the best trips so far.
We worked throughout the day and did some sightseeing during free time. I walked a lot in the
evenings, sometimes with Anjali or sometimes alone. The hills, the cool weather and the winding
narrow roads made the walks nice. Visited the famous temples and took plenty of pictures of Dilwara
temple, which are part of my favourite albums. Went to the sunset point, saw the toad top, missed
seeing the wild life sanctuary and the nakki lake. Late evenings we would all sit together and have fun
but would be up early next morning for a fresh session on evaluation techniques.
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This was probably the only trip where all twelve of us were together. Work took us to different parts
but the entire Evaluation Unit probably would have a common and a pleasant memory of Mount Abu
trip.
Two of them had an adventurous return to Delhi but then that is a different story and which probably
only they can share with the rest of the CARE family.
All the other trips – I travelled sometimes with teams and at times by myself to distant interiors and
each trip is a story in itself. The state offices were very supportive and helped us reach the project
beneficiaries. Sometimes the travel was tough, at other times we went without food for the entire day. I
was about to miss the train on one occasion.
I stayed in a guest house at Coochbehar for an evaluation assignment. All the CARE vehicles left for the
field and as I had to return to Delhi that day I was looking for some transportation to the railway
station. The person- in-charge at the guest house said that I could take a cycle rickshaw to reach the
station in 25 minutes. I did just that. But even after 15 minutes I did not see any hustle bustle of a
station area. On the contrary I was on a narrow mud path with paddy fields on both sides. I knew I was
on a wrong route and panicked. I walked up to a small solitary house by the side of the road, knocked
and asked for directions. As I had guessed I was nowhere near the station. The cycle rickshaw guy was
taking me to a small local station in the opposite direction. A young person came out of that house, saw
my helplessness and took out his two wheeler, (which was in a very bad condition) and urged me to sit
on it without wasting a minute. He drove me to the station in break neck speed. I reached there just 3
minutes before the train left. When I asked this boy what I could do for him – he said “NOTHING - Treat
this as a gift from a younger brother”!
Coochbehar, a small district by the side of the famous Doors Forest is beautiful with many rivers that
we crossed to reach the project villages, a royal history, royal palaces, a white serene Krishna temple, a
prayer wheel which when rotated brings luck. I enjoyed working there.
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Royal Palace at night
Workshop on Girls’ Education – This was a very good workshop in which many experts participated
and all aspects of education for girl child were discussed – the constraints, the counter measures and
the action plan. A complete project was designed at the end of the workshop. I remember this
workshop for its stimulating sessions and a neat action plan. This was organized by Ms Sneh Rewal.
The learning from this workshop helps me plan many projects for Girls’ Education till today. Thanks
CARE!
Surabhi Sircar
[email protected]
30.09.2013
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48
Project Officer, Girls Education Program- Rajasthan
Jaipur: May 2002 to May 2005
Technical specialist, Education SNEHAL program- Gujarat
Ahmedabad May 2005- November 2007
Soon after completing my consultancy with UNICEF, I joined CARE India in Jaipur in the year 2001.
Although more than a decade has passed still the memories with CARE are fresh in my mind. CARE is
one of the best organizations that I have worked with so far. I have had varied experiences– from Girls
Education Program in Rajasthan to a multi sectorial program in Gujarat; from Tsunami rehabilitation
program in Tamil Nadu to Flood relief program in Bihar, if I go down the memory lane, there are so
many stories that flash through my mind one by one.
Continuous reflections and discussions on various issues and cross cutting themes such as Right Based
Approach, Gender, Vulnerabilities, Girls Education, Relief and Rehabilitations contributed in deepening
my understanding of development sector.
Apart from all the wonderful things I learnt during my stint at CARE I found that the staff at all levels
voiced their opinions and contributed considerably while deciding policies and procedures of the
organization. This is a rare phenomenon in other organizations. I have two instances to substantiate
this. Soon after I joined, I found that one of the HR policies was lopsided. Being single proved to be
disadvantages for me compared to my married colleagues. The medical benefits for married staff
extended to their spouse and children but in my case only I was covered. My parents were dependant
on me and I thought that this policy should benefit them as well. I discussed with the Program Support
manager of the State but to no avail. I was told that this is what the policy, I was disappointed. This
didn’t stop me from approaching the higher ups. Within 10 days of my joining, Vasanti- then Director
HR visited Rajasthan. She asked the staff members if we had any concerns related to HR. This was the
moment I waited for. I raised my concerns stating that how can the policies of CARE be against the old
and single people. Vasanti went back and within a few days the policy was amended and all the
unmarried staff got their parents covered under the medical insurance.
Another instance that I would like to quote here is, when I came across another discrepancy in policy at
the time of my transfer from Rajasthan to Gujarat. The policy stated that during the transfer married
staffs were allowed to transport about 1000 KGs while we singles were still at loss, as our luggage was
restricted to a few hundreds of KGs. Strange! Several questions erupted in my mind to which I couldn’t
find a logical answer. So again I approached the Country Level HR team to help me get answers. Not
only did I get my issue resolved but the policy was again changed.
CARE is also one of renowned organizations working in the disaster mitigation. I had an enriching
experience while working as team leader in Cuddalore and Muzzafarpur in Bihar for Tsunami and flood
relief work respectively. One particular story which I would want to share from my Tsunami experience
which gives a glimpse to the kind of work that CARE did with vulnerable communities. This was during
my Tsunami relief work in Cuddalore. On 6th February 05, when I, along with my team visited a small
village called MGR Thittu which was completely divested by Tsunami waves. After visiting MGR Thittu,
one could easily imagine the kind of beauty, nature had bestowed upon it. It is an island village in
Cuddlore district, covered by crystal clear green and blue sea shore on the one side and back waters by
the other. Once a prosperous village full of coconut trees and small houses dwelling 176 families, was
completely washed out and stood divested telling its own story. It was once a prosperous village and
home for Tollywood’s glam world since it had ample scenic locales for shooting. But as far as I could see
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that day there were destructed houses, broken boats, and household things under debris. The people
living in temporary shelters were struggling with whatever little they were left with; sometimes they
did visit the village to collect the threads of their lives. They had lost their loved ones, houses, things,
and moreover, their trust in sea which once was the only source of living. A peculiar blankness had
replaced the saddening faces. It was frightening to see Wana Roza, a woman of about 35 years of age
telling us with the kind of calmness, that the cruel waves took her daughter in its lap. The community
showed us a mass grave where piles of bodies were buried.
Not a single house was intact. We were taken in ferry half way to reach the island and then we had to
walk through the back waters. Three police men accompanied us in the ferry, reason- a decomposed
dead body was found that day. We reached the island in about 25 minutes. The total death toll of this
small village was 85. Schools were half broken with furniture and records destroyed. Many of the
children who were studying here were then having eternal sleep in the mass grave.
Though all the community members had been relocated off the shore, we could see women coming and
picking pieces of their lives. We saw a 12 year girl, Satyavani doing some Puja near a broken hut. On
asking we found that it was her own house where she used to live along with her four siblings and
parents. She studied in class V. On the fateful day, when the first wave came they all ran to a safe place.
While running, her mother’s feet were swept off by the force of the wave and she swirled along with it.
She tried to clutch the boat but got hit with some heavy thing. Two days later her body was found.
Satyavani told us that her mother came in her dream last night and asked her to perform the puja near
the house. She said that she would never be able to go to school since being the eldest she had to cook
and take care of her siblings.
Back on the way, we were shown a liquor shop and the volunteer informed us that before Tsunami hit,
the average sale per day of the shop keeper was Rs. 30, 000 per day, which after Tsunami increased to 1
lakh rupees per day because people were taking liquor to forget their grief and secondly they had been
compensated by the government for their loss. We had to stop the men from splurging away all the
compensation which was actually meant to bring their lives back on track. So we met the then District
Collector, who had done exceptional and phenomenal work in the district and suggested that the money
to be handed over to women; and the boats and nets to be given in joint names of both men and
women.
CARE worked immensely in the Tsunami hit area through relief material after a need assessment was
conducted. Apart from that, CARE also partnered with NIMHANS to provide psycho social support to
traumatized children and women. Besides, we also began to work on rehabilitation of affected
communities through various means. Although our work began at 6 AM in the morning and got over at
11:30 PM after a detailed report was sent to Chennai office, I must admit that I have never been so
satisfied in my career and life. I will also be indebted to CARE for giving me such challenging
opportunities.
There are so many beautiful memories which I will continue to cherish for the rest of my life- but if I
continue to write here, it can be turned into a book of all my beautiful experiences. Therefore, I am
ending this story with a note to wish good luck to the entire CARE family.
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A community school supported by CARE in Thanagazi, Alwar district
I am powerful campaign in Gujarat
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Daniel, myself, Sandhya, Principal Secretary Mr. Tiwari and Veena Padia
during an event in Gujarat
[email protected]
[email protected]
October, 2013
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49
Meera Sundararajan
CARE India TamilNadu
April 2005 – Oct.2012
In the next three weeks it will be a year since I quit CARE.
I remember the day I received my relieving letter from the HR department, my eyes filled with tears and
I had to lock myself up in the bathroom where I let them flow freely. After seven and half years it was
difficult to move on.
I joined CARE in April 2005 as M&E Manager in the Tsunami response program based out of Chennai.
Being an emergency response program, it was rather chaotic when I joined- there was no formal
orientation and everything that I learnt was so to say “on my feet”. There had been a series of people
who had been on TDY before me, each one giving in the “turn over note” to the next. Finding files,
reports etc on the desk top that I had inherited from my predecessor was like playing “treasure hunt”.
But I enjoyed this entire experience of learning on the job.
Mr. V. S. Gurumani soon joined as Head – Tsunami Response Program. He was my boss. He joined the
learning brigade consisting of myself, Deepa Mukherjee and Padmapriya. Since the proposals had been
written by people at a time when there was hardly any permanent staff on ground, things were rather
vague when the team actually got together. We were unsure of the total number of projects, which
projects were to be booked to which donor and what exactly were the deliverables. I remember the long
evenings that we spent together, poring over proposals and trying to get the financials and narratives
together as we wrote up the donor reports. Telephone calls and meetings were constantly pulling us
out of our tasks and after a point they became so distracting that Deepadi, Priya and I decided to book a
room at a hotel nearby and work out of it for the day! We left for the hotel at 3.00 PM and by the time
we had finished up it was 10.00 PM! We ordered dinner in the room and left for our homes ready to
crash into bed! We worked very hard those days leaving for home every day around 8.00 PM. But there
was a feeling of satisfaction as the pieces began to fall into place.
By April 2006, Mr. R. N. Mohanty took over as the Program Director. He was my boss for the next couple
of years. I would say that these two years were my “golden days”! The pressure was considerably
reduced by then – one reason being that we had moved out of the rehabilitation phase to reconstruction
where activities on the field could happen at a slower pace and the second reason being Mr. R. N.
Mohanty himself. He was a like a sponge- absorbing all our stress!! Meetings with him were like casual
discussions, he would have some music playing on his lap top which would lighten the atmosphere
considerably. It was from him that I learnt “music therapy”!! As a M&E person I had to often do a lot of
data analysis – music I realized helped me concentrate! We used to have a stock of CDs that used to
circulate among us in the office.
We were an all women team those days. But we were in no way a docile lot!! Besides arguing a lot
among ourselves, we used to sometimes gang up and tease RN! A rather shy person, I think he used to
dread those sessions when we decided to start pulling his leg. But he was a good sport, allowing himself
to be bullied by us.
Some of the most innovative livelihood projects of CARE India took shape during the two year period of
2006-08. We made a lot of mistakes, admitted that they were mistakes and then looked on thrilled to
see the results as we made the mid course corrections.
Program review meetings were exciting times! There used to be heated discussions in the conference
hall on the terrace of the Ekatuthangal office. Though a soft man, RN was a tough task master- he would
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stick through a half an hour presentation and ask just two or three questions. If we could answer those
questions satisfactorily we would be “saved” by the knowledge that we were on the right track,
otherwise there would be some observations from him in a disappointed voice which was worse than a
public reprimand!
But after every review there would be a get together when all of the tension would be forgotten as we
literally “let our hair” down! Dinner and dancing until late evening would de stress us. We had an
interesting event once where we actually cooked in the office. There were teams formed with each one
being given the responsibility of cooking a particular dish. I was part of the poori making team. I think I
must have rolled out more than 100 of them that evening! I learnt from Pavan Kumar my fellow poori
maker, how to fry them so they come out nicely browned and fluffy!! Strange, the way we get
knowledge from the most unexpected of sources! – photographs attached.
One of things about CARE that I really liked was the staff diversity. We had people from different parts
of the country working together. The Tamil Nadu team at one time had people from Tamil Nadu, Orissa,
West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. Lunch breaks would bring in a wide variety of
food from each of these places.
It is this diversity that CARE needs to preserve because this is what makes it so unique and different
from other INGOs.
When I think back about my time in CARE, I feel very blessed. Some of the best friends that I have today
are those I met in CARE. Many of them are no longer with CARE but I know that the bond exists. I can
still pick up the phone and call them when I need to talk about something. No organization that I will
ever work for in the future can match this!
Meera Sundararajan & Pawan Kumar
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R N Mohanty & Deepadi supervising cooking in the backyards.
Meera Sundararajanm
[email protected]
October, 2013
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50
Gordy Molitor
CARE U.S.A.
January 1982 – December 1982, United Nations Volunteer,
CARE Somalia September 1984 – June 2006,
Assignments: Sierra Leone, Sudan, India,
Sri Lanka, Ecuador, South Sudan/Somalia
The following Field Trip Report was filed by Gordy Molitor, while serving as Assistant Country Director
of CARE Sudan, in April 1989. Gordy offers the report as a CARE Memory, because it gives an
insight into how CARE's work often fits into historical developments.
In this case, history reveals that the demonstrations against CARE in the small oasis town of En Nahud
took place at a time when Osama Bin Laden lived in the country and was an early expression of antiwestern sentiment that has become an increasing challenge to CARE's work.
The loading of the relief train to Aweil, became one of the first rallying points, Under Operation Lifeline
Sudan, for the international community to pressure the Sudanese government to allow international
aid to Southern Sudan. Operation Lifeline Sudan provided a framework for relief to the South, for the
next nearly three decades.
The displaced persons in the camp in En Nahud were Dinka, a tall, dark, Nilotic tribe, displaced by the
drought and civil war in the South. The Hamer are a lighter-skinned Arabian people, located near
En Nahud. The tensions discussed between these normally friendly tribes are similar to issues
faced by CARE in other displaced persons and refuge situations.
The report was prepared on CARE Sudan's only laptop computer and printed on a dot matrix
printer. The Khartum office had one phone, which didn't work; so communication was through
hard copy, a telex machine and radios.
The following acronyms are use in the report:
ALLSUDAN
Numbered letter from Khartoum to all CARE Sudan Staff
DP
Displaced person
ENSAP
En Nahud Smallholder Agricultural Project
KAEP
Kordofan Agroforestry Extension Project
PATs
Project activity targets
RFPP
Regional Finance and Planning Project
RRC
Relief and Rehabilitation Commission
Gordy Molitor
[email protected]
October, 2013
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51
Rudy Von Bernuth
CARE USA : 1970 – 1991
COLOMBIA, 1973-78
In, I believe, March or April 1973 I flew from Ankara via Rome and Madrid to Bogata to join Country
Director Jerry Lewis and his team. About the same time, Sam Levinger had been transferred to
Colombia from Honduras. Sam (and Beryl) was assigned to the Bucaramanga sub-office and I was sent
to Barranquilla.
The major program in 1973 was a large Title II project, then in the middle of a forced transition.
Historically, CARE had done Title II through a series of MOUs with various state governments
(Departamentos). When I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Barranquilla a few years before, Peter Reitz
was the north coast CARE Field Rep and spent much of his time negotiating with the governors of
Atlantico, Guajira, Cordoba and Sucre. But a fairly new national body, ICBF (Instituto Colombiano de
Bienstar Familiar) under two energetic leaders, Roberto Rueda Williamson, an internationally famous
nutritionist, and Reinaldo Grueso, had a mandate from the central government to take over the CARE
Title II program as national counterpart, and to integrate the CARE food resources into a national
program of pre-school children’s centers, Centros de Bienestar Social. It was a tough transition for
CARE, which under the leadership of Peter Reitz and others had pioneered the feeding center concept
and felt somewhat proprietary about it. CARE now found it had to convince ICBF that it had a program
role beyond being a conduit for the Title II food, and that it should be paid for its role. Jerry Lewis soon
moved on to a new assignment and was replaced by Doug Atwood as CD, and George Kraus, as ACD,
took on the day to day negotiating battles with ICBF, mostly with Reinaldo Grueso, and USAID.
Ultimately a successful agreement was forged, and CARE and ICBF worked in close partnership for
many years until the Title II program was eventually phased out, long after Doug, George, Sam and I had
all moved on. But in the meantime the uncertainty around the future of the ICBF program provided the
stimulus for a creative period of new program and project development.
But I am getting ahead of myself. After a few days in Bogata, I travelled to Barranquilla and took up my
responsibilities for the CARE offices and programs in Atlantico, Magdalena, Guajira, Cordoba and Sucre.
This involved a lot of travel, some of it very exciting. The Guajira was then a very remote area, a coastal
region bordering Venezuela, and largely inhabited by the indigenous Guajiro people, close cousins of
the Caribe tribes who had so fiercely resisted the early conquistadores that they had been exterminated
on Hispanola. They still had a reputation for ferocity and for vendettas, which made staff relations
somewhat more suspenseful than with the far more peaceful ethnic and cultural mix in other parts of
the coast. But it was an exhilarating place to visit, with long drives through desert landscape, and, once,
all the way up from Rioacha to Cabo de La Vela, first discovered in 1499 by the Spanish, and about as
isolated a place as one could imagine. In Sucre, one field trip took us to Mompos, in the Spanish colonial
period a thriving port on the Magdalena River that became isolated when the river changed its course,
thereby creating a virtual time capsule of 18th century colonial architecture with cobblestone streets,
sleepy plazas and white washed churches. It was here in 1810 that Colombian independence from Spain
was declared, and that Bolivar raised his first army.
But my favourite field trip of my years in Colombia was one I took with Richard Guzman, the CARE rep
in Valledupar, and my son Oscar by horseback up into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Mountain to visit a protected indigenous Tairona (or Tayrona) community, from which normally
Ladinos, or “lowlanders”, and their alcohol sales, were prohibited entry. Richard claimed to have visited
the place before, but I began to doubt when as we forced our reluctant and flatulent (it was mango
season) horses to the top of each ridge on our winding trail, he would exclaim “it’s just over the next
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ridge”, and of course it never was, until many hours later. But the journey was more than worth it. Late
in the afternoon we arrived at a colonial period stone Mission, where white clad nuns welcomed us and
where we were to spend the night. In the morning, after confirming the business end of our visit, i.e., the
use of the Title II food CARE was providing, we visited the religious center of the community, circular
stone platforms surmounted by thatch walls and roof. Much later I read a wonderful book which
studied the destructive interface between the encroaching Ladinos and the Tairona culture.
In 1975, I think, I transferred from Barranquilla to Bogota, at about the same time that Sam and Beryl
Levinger moved to the capital from Santander de Sur. It was a felicitous conjunction of personalities.
Under Doug Atwood, we were given the mandate to diversify and deepen CARE’s developmental work
in Colombia. Sam was a brilliant program innovator and I believe I learned more about good program
design, and good program monitoring and management from Sam than from anyone else in my career.
Working with agricultural cooperatives in Cordoba, Sam developed an approach to rice cultivation that
enabled the cooperatives to greatly increase yields which I believe he called “continuous rice
cultivation” and which used specially equipped tractors to wet plough rice paddies and avoid fallow
periods between harvesting and planting. I had the pleasure of selling the project to IBM in Colombia, as
we engaged in some local corporate fundraising to supplement what we could get from CARE NY and
USAID, corporate fundraising that Joe Wambach would later pursue from 660 First Ave.
Sam had a way of pulling together disparate elements to create a viable whole. Another example of this
was the project he developed with the Sociedad de Cafeteros, the trade group/cartel that represented
coffee growers. Sam’s brainchild was to develop a project to work on small enterprise development
with marginalised communities within the coffee growing regions but, given their elevation, outside the
areas of optimal coffee production. By Colombian law, the Cafeteros had to invest part of their revenue
in rural development within the coffee growing regions, and Sam gave them a way to spend their
money. A typical project would be to free a community which grew sugar cane from dependence on
someone else’s sugar cane mill by building a community managed Trapiche Comunal, and then provide
marketing assistance for the raw sugar it produced.
During my time in Colombia I did two really great TDYs. The first was to Honduras after Hurricane Fifi
in September 1974. Honduras was where I met Buck Northrup. Sam and I both went together on the
assignment, and I was sent to La Ceiba on the north coast, while Sam located to San Pedro Sula.
Travelling in very small planes, I scooted in and out of the Zaguan Valley which had suffered huge loss
of housing and crops from flooding, and where CARE did a lot of housing reconstruction. We quickly
learned that one only delivers zinc roofing to a recipient family or community after they have already
committed to the project and built the lower portions of the structure. Too much valuable material up
front encouraged the local secondary market and left kids in tents. I still remember the early mornings
in the Zaguan Valley before the day had really begun, standing in a clearing with the smell of wood fires
and breakfasting on tortillas and refried beans with smokey black coffee. Wonderful!
The second TDY was when Sam and I accompanied George Kraus who had been asked by CARE NY to go
to Bolivia and explore the possibility of opening a CARE office there. George and I arrived together, and
I recall we had just checked into our hotel after our high altitude arrival (La Paz is about 13000 feet up)
in order to “rest and acclimatize” so we could avoid altitude sickness, when George about two minutes
after I had lain down in my bed, called to tell me that he had just had a call from the Embassy that we
had a meeting with the President, Hugo Banzar, to which we had to go immediately. So we never had
time toget used to the altitude- and fortunately never noticed!
I am not sure what kind of mandate George had been given by NY, but George’s plan was to do more
than explore, it was to nail down the funding to support a country presence, and thereby assure his own
transition out of Bogata and into a CD position. And while George negotiated with the government and
USAID, Sam’s and my job was to travel to two different areas of the country and negotiate with local
government all the details necessary to develop two projects to deliver rural community water systems,
and all in about a week. I got to go to Sucre, the beautiful former first capital of the country. As I recall,
Sam had to go someplace much less pleasant, Traija, near the border with Argentina. We were
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successful, and USAID agreed to the funding, with matching funds from the municipalities or state
governments, and George moved to La Paz.
Towards the end of my Colombia assignment, I developed a team of nutritionists, initially to support the
ICBF partnership but which developed the credibility to eventually began to self finance through
contracts with the Ministerio Nacional de Planeacion and National University to do, inter alia, national
nutrition and dietary surveys.
My CARE years in Colombia were a wonderful period in my life. We had the good fortune to work with
very talented Colombians, both our own CARE team but also a lot of very brilliant Colombians in other
institutions, people like Roberto Rueda Williamson. My daughter Celia was born in May, 1975 in Bogata,
and grew into a marvellous child over the next two plus years. And for me it was where, under the
tutelage of people like Doug, George, and most of all Sam, I learned my trade. In late 1977, I found out
my next assignment was to be Dhaka, Bangladesh. After spending Christmas in the US, in early January
1978 the family departed NY for our first experience in Asia.
Rudy von Bernuth
[email protected]
October 21, 2013
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52
Cherae Robinson
CARE USA : 2008 - 2011
My time at CARE was full of so many life "moments" that it's hard to really boil my CARE memory down
to a few short paragraphs so I'll do my best! I started at CARE as an eager 24 year old who idolized
CARE CEO Helene Gayle from afar. Joining the media team was both exciting and incredibly humbling.
At the time we were gearing up for CARE's first ever one-night-only event which featured a showing of
CARE's "A Powerful Noise" documentary in 450 movie theatres across the United States. It was my first
time working on something like this and I was able to work with so many teams at CARE, I even flew to
Los Angeles to help out with a showing being hosted by Sarah Michelle Gellar. We were selling out
theatres all around the US and filling them with people who felt connected to CARE's mission! Around
the same time the Gaza crisis of 2009 was happening and it was one of the most sobering experiences
I've ever been through. It was the first time I felt the urge to use my voice and my command of media to
give voice and honesty to an ignored humanitarian crisis. We were receiving pictures, emails, and blog
accounts of what was happening from our CARE colleagues on the ground. Each day I cried and
sometimes screamed about what was happening while admiring the bravery of CARE staff committed to
documenting the story. It was amazing to help them get the word out. I actually opened my Twitter
account as a result of this, I needed an outlet to share what I felt and also tell my truth, long before the
Arab Spring, I knew this social media tool would be powerful.
My time at CARE continued to be full of amazing experiences, I worked on and attended CARE's national
conference and celebration and spoke one-on-one with CARE supporters who travelled from all around
the US on their own dime to lobby on behalf of women and girls living in poverty around the world.
Working with CARE's advocacy team was an amazing way to see just how much strong voices matter to
policy and how far that policy goes towards impact in the countries CARE serves. My first year at the
conference, I was responsible for the I Am Powerful award recipient. We decided to give it to a woman
from Burundi named Goretti - this powerhouse woman turned to entrepreneurship with the help of
CARE after her husband fell sick. Not only was she able to carry them financially and begin sending her
children to school, her business was so successful that her husband joined to help her in its expansion.
To greet Goretti once she arrived in America and to enjoy simple experiences like sharing photos of our
children and figuring out which foods she could actually eat here (we settled on Indian food everyday!)
was an amazing opportunity to exchange culture and understanding.
Perhaps my favorite memory at CARE, and the one I am the most thankful for, is travelling to Sierra
Leone to prep for a donor trip to microfinance groups there. As an African-American, travelling to West
Africa has always been a dream for me, Freetown with its history and connection to African-Americans
was especially moving to visit. Beyond my own personal fulfilment, this trip was the first time I'd seen a
CARE program in action. Visiting maternal health hospitals, travelling out through the mountains to
meet women in small villages who were working together to issue loans in VS&L groups, and speaking
to chiefs who were committed to ensuring that women had a safe place to give birth are experiences
that will forever be imprinted in my mind.
I am so thankful for CARE and the experiences I've had there. I went on to move to Mexico City and
work on partnerships and business development for an agricultural research institution named
CIMMYT. I was able to use much of the knowledge and experience gained at CARE to help me be
successful in that role. As I prepare to earn my Master's degree and plot my next steps in my
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development work, I continue to use CARE as a reference point for mission-driven, compassionate
support for people around the world.
Cherae Robinson
[email protected]
October 28, 2013
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53
C L Thomas
CARE India
August 1976 – April 1996
It was a wonderful journey of my career during the two decades of my association with CARE India.
It was a rich learning experience during this tenure working in various capacities as Office assistant,
Field officer and Project Officer, particularly with CARE Karnataka office. My initial days in CARE
Karnataka was mainly supported and motivated by my seniors like M/s M. A. Khan, Abdul Wahab, P. R.
Chauhan, Parthasarathy and others. I had the privilege of working under the then Administrators like
M/s Robert Sears, Pat Vescio, T. R. Sadasivan, S. L. Srinivas, K. V. R. Nair, R. K. Paul and R. C. Mahajan. I
had a very good support from all my superiors and colleagues and I cherish some wonderful memories
of my field experience.
One such example is when I was Field Officer of health project; we were to conduct health surveys in
ICDS villages. We had a group of about 20 female investigators and the staff of CARE which included an
official from Delhi headquarters, Mr. C. S. Reddy. In all, we were about 25 members – 2 male and 23
females and we had to stay in one very remote rural guest house with only two rooms and one rest
room (toilet). It was really tough but we all managed well and the work was accomplished as per
schedule. I admired the team spirit and adjusting to the environment
I also had the opportunity of working in two African countries, CARE Ethiopia during the worst ever
famine that country had and also in Tanzania refugee camps in N’gara for the refugees from Rwanda. I
learnt a lot in working in these countries in difficult situations, the experience that I gained in these
countries helped me in my future career to continue with development assignments.
Unfortunately I had to resign from CARE due to closure of the CARE-Karnataka office in 1996. The
experiences I got from CARE were immense and it was helpful for me to further work with World
Vision in Liberia under the direct supervision of Mr. T. J. L. Solomon who is a CARE veteran. Even
though it was a very difficult and challenging assignment to work in war ravaged Liberia, the support
and guidance from Mr. John Solomon and others helped me to overcome the difficulty.
I also had the opportunity of working in other two organizations in India with Holistic Child
Development India (HCDI) in Pune, Maharashtra and with Development Focus in Bangalore.
I would like to thank all my colleagues, my immediate superiors, the various staff members in Delhi
office and all the international staff with whom I have worked with, (it is a long list to name each and
every member) for all their support and cooperation and for making it a wonderful journey of my life.
It is also a commendable contribution on the part of Cheenu - Mr. K.T. Srinnivasan - to have tirelessly
communicating to all former CARE employees to keep them in contact with each other, organizing
annual get together in various cities in India and other countries and also sending regular updates on
individuals and their family members. May God continue to bless him for his noble service.
C.L. Thomas
[email protected]
Mobile: +919449987753
October 30, 2013
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54
Ajaib Singh
CARE India
Chandigarh : 1975 - 1985
After Completing M. Sc. (Hons) from Punjab University in 1974
and spending one year for teaching and Research work, CARE
fascinated me to join as field officer in 1975. Late Mr. Pat Carey
was then administrator of CARE Chandigarh office who hired
me and with whom I enjoyed working. Senior F.O. Ashi
Ahluwalia was my guru to train me on the field operations.
There after I took independent field visits. Monitoring of school
feeding program & its evaluation was a monotones job which I
felt after some time. To my good luck Mike M i s p e l a a r a n d
m y s e l f were deputed to establish the infrastructure for 'Food
for Work' project at Jawahar Lal Nehru (JLN) lift irrigation
project of Haryana Government covering districts of Rohtak, Dadri and Rewari. We formed a good
team and it took us 3 months continuously to put the project on wheels. It was first time that after
marriage and birth of my first son 'Gagandeep' I was away from my family, as Gagandeep was just a 1 year
old and he could not recognize me. It was a very emotional moment for me and my wife as he
started calling me "Taya Ji'' (Elder Uncle) not papa.
We had the chance to meet Mr. Ragu Rai who covered
the project and later became India's best
photographer. One incident which left a scar on my
right hand palm reminds me of that incident; when
one evening myself and Mike were traveling back to Rotak,
our jeep got fire due to wiring short circuit. As Mike
was driving I found some wires burning below the
dashboard and pulled the burning bunch of wires to
disconnect the circuit. This left the memorable sign
on my burnt palm, which now has joined other lines
of hand adding to my luck.
Back to school feeding program, I enjoyed visiting 6-8 schools a day. It really paid me as I was
assigned the work of establishing RTE Project at Gharaunda (Haryana), by late Pat Carey. Then
Stafford Clarry joined and advised to move my family to Gharunda. After establishing RTE unit at
Gharaunda I established 4 more units in Haryana & Punjab and established the distribution
network. I was also deputed on TDY to Kanpur to oversee another such unit under Mr. Ramesh
Mahajan. I really enjoyed these assignment under the direct supervision of K T Srinnivasan from CARE- HQ's .
During this period I was awarded with special increments I awards I had the chance to work with able
administrators like Pat Cary, Stafford Clary, T.R Sadasivan, E. Krishnan, G S Raghavan & V.S Rao
from a l l whom I learnt a lot. At Chandigarh we had a smart & excellent team of FO's like IBS
Pannu, Narinder Francis, SP Singh, Pamma Sandhu, MicheaJ, myself, Sukhwjnder Sekhon & Y.S Chaudhary. At
office t h e Anands, Satish, RD
Sundriyal, Gurjit. Behal, Anita Gill, Debie, Mohan Lal, Roshan Lal and others.
All went well up to 1982, I had spine surgery & had to leave the field for office assignment. Infact I
also lost the chance of Somalia TDY assignment. Meanwhile Raghavan took over and Govt. of
Punjab, Education Department wanted to appoint me as manager RTE unit at Rajpura; however
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Raghavan refused them in my absence and told me that he needs me saying that ' we will sink and
swim together'.
There after office was moved from S ector-8 to Sector-35 and V.S. Rao (Very Special) as he used t o
call himself took charge and small staff was retained. V.S. used to say that he is expert in closing
the office. Perhaps that was true at Chandigarh office when people were transferred out or forced
to resign and I was one of them. I received CARE’s 10 years’ service facilitation to say good bye to
CARE. Perhaps it was a wonderful period of my life with CARE; I wish I could serve CARE again in my
life.
My sons are in building construction, real estate and building material business. Both are married
happily and I have 2 grandd aughters and one grandson.
Ajaib Singh
# 569, Sec-10, Landran Road - Kharar, I 4030I Mohali PB- India,
[email protected]
Mob : - 9198765-13142
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55
Srinivas Surisetti
CARE India
January, 1998 – March, 2001
CARE India gave an opportunity for my re-entry in to development sector towards the end of 1997. I
was pursuing my PhD that time, though I took up some interesting grass roots work with an NGO-ARTiC
and with the Urban Basic Services in a Municipality after my MSW.
My relationship with CARE India for the first two years 1998 -99 was unique before I became a fulltime
employee on the roles of CARE. I was (more like) a non-government individual , with whom CARE
Andhra Pradesh partnered to implement its Integrated Nutrition and Health Program (INHP) in the
V.Madugula Hi-impact block in Visakhapatnam district.
Let me come to the specifics of my memories...
As a Community Coordinator (CC), I worked more closely with the Communities, however was also part
of all forums, trainings and meetings along with the Block Coordinators and Capacity Building teams of
CARE AP. C S Reddy, currently the CEO of APMAS, was the state director that time and that made it
possible.
Being part of INHP gave me an opportunity to initiate some interesting programs for the target
population in the areas of Nutrition and health, developed a strong cadre of volunteers from the
communities. More than the training of staff-secondary stake holders and managing Supplementary
Nutrition Program/Commodity Management, I felt this was leading to sustainable outcomes at that
time! That was the reason I consider those 2 years as CC was the best part of development work as on
date.
There were several opportunities of learning from the visitors from CARE AP, field functionaries of
Government Departments, local NGOs and the community members especially women. Muralidhar, an
IIM graduate, joined as Program Associate, was with me for about a week. Besides understanding the
status of the program, he worked on two case studies-one of them on a village where me and my team
of community organizers attempted to implement various initiatives towards promoting best practices
for better health and nutrition and another one on me, ‘CC..Who?’ His case study on Mukundapuram
village was published in ‘care line’.
It was fun working with the colleagues in the Vizag region of CARE in Andhra Pradesh. The team of
Vizag region was great to work with, while there were some changes as members moved out of
CARE/out of region and new people joined. Gained some friends and lost a few!
Being located in Visakhapatnam district and city in the later part of my stint, I developed familiarity
with ‘Port office’ and ‘Port operations”. That was the time for scale up of initiatives such as Nutrition
and health days (NHDs), Capacity Building of field staff or ICDS and Medical department, GoAP and no
more concentrated Hi-impact. Dr Sunil and I built on opportunities in the Tribal blocks of
Visakhapatnam to up-scale NHDs. Hope that made some difference! Year 2000 was the Golden Jubilee
year for CARE in India. I had the opportunity to be part of the celebrations in Vizag and in Hyderabad.
Golden moments!
There were some great admirers of CARE, especially CARE Andhra Pradesh, in the Government
Departments other than the main stakeholders-functionaries of ICDS projects. During that period it was
then District Collectors and Project Officer-ITDA, Paderu. With the initiatives of Ravi (K.Ravindranath)
we developed a pool of resource persons through Training of Trainer’s program across the region. The
trainers from Visakhapatnam became district trainers for several other rural development programs.
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This has built the reputation of CARE beyond ICDS as the Collector and PD DRDA had all appreciation
for the serious efforts of CARE AP.
In early 2001 I moved on from CARE Andhra Pradesh and started pursuing career in the area of
Livelihoods and Livelihood Promotion. I had the opportunity to work with APMAS and with some of my
friends from CARE AP, Anjan, Prakash, Tirupati, Satya and CS Reddy for about 3 years and the forum
CARE Luncheon helps to get in touch with others. Association continues...
I continued to be part of teams for Training and Capacity Building wherever I worked and I did well
everywhere-design and conduct of Capacity Building. The credit goes to my colleagues, especially my
mentors and senior colleagues- Dr. Shyam Prasad , Ms. Usha Kiran, N.V.N. Nalini, M. Satish Kumar.
Some of the names of people, blocks-districts and the dates mentioned in this two pager may not be
relevant for many of the readers, however I have fond memories of the same without which I would not
have moved much not only in my career but also in writing this piece.
Surisetti Srinivas, PhD
[email protected]
Assistant Professor
Tata Institute of Social Sciences
Hyderabad
Phone: +91-9395141382
December, 2013
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56
Ron Burkard
CARE USA
July, 1963 – Sept.1996
At the request of CARE-International, in January,
1993 we moved from Quito, Ecuador to
Johannesburg to establish a CARE presence in South
Africa. Our board chair, former Australia Prime
Minister Malcolm Fraser, obtained the go-ahead
from Nelson Mandela even though the apartheid
government was still in power and elections had not
been announced. It was a time of great uncertainty
and instability. Because of this we were unable to
consider the usual development programs CARE is
involved in elsewhere.
Once elections were announced it was obvious there
was a great need for voter education, something
CARE had never done before. We obtained funding
from various CARE-International country members
and USAID, that was channeled to small local NGOs
that were helping educate first-time voters, 85% of the population.
When the elections took place in April, 1994 we had organized international observer teams with
volunteers from six countries. We decided to take the CARE-International teams to the most
conservative part of the country, the Orange Free State. No one knew what would happen during the
elections, but all went well. The rest is history of course.
A member of the CARE-USA board of directors was one of the members of the Independent Electoral
Commission and very close to Nelson Mandela. As part of a promotion, CARE brought a group of NBA
players and Commissioner David Stern to South Africa and a couple of other African countries. The
CARE board member showed up at a dinner for the NBA visitors accompanied by none other than
Nelson Mandela. It was like magic when he unexpectedly entered the room! Stephanie and I had our
photo taken with him. It was a memorable evening, to say the least.
South Africa is a country we never even expected to visit, and there we were participating in the historic
transition to democracy. It was my final international assignment with CARE, the perfect culmination to
what ended up being a thirty-three year, two month, one week career in ten countries that began
because we were looking for a way to live and work in Mexico.
Ron Burkard
[email protected]
December 6, 2013
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57
Md.Muzaffar Ahmed
CARE Bangladesh
Dhaka, 1983 - 2002
After Completing Master of Arts (MA) Degree in Economics from the Department of Economics,
University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh in 1974, I have started my career as a Lecturer in
Economics and Banking and served during 1995-1997 and then before joining CARE, I worked for
several Research Study projects and organizations, including the Institute of Statistical Research and
Training (ISRT), University of Dhaka, Tropical Agro Consult Ltd., Bangladesh Institute of Development
Studies (BIDS), Dhaka, Bangladesh, Asian-American Free Labor Institute (AAFLI), Family Planning
Services and Training Centre (FPST), Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Sussex University, UK
(based in Dhaka, Bangladesh) and Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (REB), Government of
Bangladesh.
On 5th June, 1983, I joined as ‘Management Trainee’ in CARE International, Bangladesh and after
working both in country and abroad for over 19 years in different senior positions, including Assistant
Project Coordinator, Acting Project Coordinator, Program Administrator and Project Coordinator at the
ANR Sector, Women’s Health and Development Sector, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Project,
Food for Development Sector, Economic Opportunities Sector and Program Administration
Department. During the tenure of my services for CARE, I was on an overseas short-term (temporary
duty) assignment and worked for CARE-USA as a “Commodity Management and Dispatching Officer” at
the CIS, Moscow, Russia in early 1993.
While working for CARE in 1996/1997, I was nominated for an Acts Award of the UKAid from
DFID/British Council Scholarship to undertake a Master’s in Development Management (MDM-a PostGraduation Degree Course) at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), Manila, Philippines, which I
have successfully completed. Now, with the Bangladesh Government Planning Commission’s Social
Science Research Council Scholarship, I am doing Ph.D. in Economics at the Department of Economics,
University of Chittagong, Bangladesh, which is now at the final stage of completion.
In terms of my current job, I am working as Program Director-Shiree for Save the International in
Bangladesh (SCI/Shiree) and responsible for supporting in facilitating in taking out of the extreme
poverty conditions of over 44,000 extreme poor
households in South-West coastal region (near
Sundarban mangrove forest areas) in Khulna/Bagerhat
and Southern Barisal districts in Bangladesh.
While working for CARE, I had the opportunity to
work, while Ms. Ginny Ubik was the Country Director
for CARE-International in Bangladesh in 1983,
Project/Program Coordinators – Late Mr. David Sorrill,
Mr. Rowland Room, Mr. Steve Zodrow, Mr. Wahyio
Sutistna and Mr. Thomas Lewniski and Late Mr. Robin
Needham, the then Deputy Country Director (Program
Development), CARE. It is sad that Mr. David Sorril
died in Birmingham, UK in 2011 and Mr. Robin
Needham died in Thailand during the last tsunami. I
had the opportunity to work with both of them as the
Assistant Project Coordinator for LOTUS and as Program Administrator for the CARE Bangladesh
Mission, respectively. The key positions, which I was holding in CARE during 1983-2002, I have
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described below some of the important ones. I was offered with a work week study tour to make a visit
to CARE-Atlanta in USA as an honor and recognition of my excellent works and successful long services
with CARE for making outstanding contributions for the downtrodden people of Bangladesh.
While working for Reducing Vulnerability to Climate Change-RVCC (Climate) Project of the Agricultural
and Natural Resource (ANR) Sector of CARE, I provided supports in Administrative, Multi-Year
Budgeting, Program planning, staff development and other required supports to the project at its
inception phase. As a Consultant/PC, ANR Sector, CARE-Bangladesh I had to accomplish the ground
works and make remarkable preparations for a Post-Project Impact Assessment of the Landless Owned
Tube Well Users’ Support (LOTUS) Project. In addition, as a Consultant for the ANR-Sector, CAREBangladesh, I worked for the mission's ILT to translate, edit and analyze the village profiles of the
selected north-west Bangladesh villages of SHABGE/DFID and GO-Interfish projects’ areas. At the same
capacity of Consultant/PC, ANR-Sector, CARE-Bangladesh, I also worked for the LIFE/NOPEST phase-II
projects to make impact assessments of the LIFE/NOPEST projects.
As APC, New Options for Pest Management (NOPEST), CARE-Bangladesh, with Mr. Kevin Kamp (who
was the Project Coordinator for NOPEST/ANR Sector Coordinator, and now he is working as Deputy
Country Director for WorldFish Center in Bangladesh) and I assisted the PC in implementing the pilot
project activities, containing the whole lot of research agenda for validating the alternative production
strategies in the rice field environment. I also performed all the administrative, financial and
programmatic aspects of the project for its smooth implementation, and assisted in documenting the
pilot results and lessons learned. While I was working as Project Coordinator (PC), Integrated Rice and
Fish Project (Interfish), ANR-Sector, CARE-Bangladesh, I
was responsible for the overall implementation of this
project through providing supports to four field offices and
partners in the areas of administration, programme, M&E,
human resources, finance and logistics management.
As a memorable event of my social life while working for
CARE-Bangladesh, I very well remember that during my
marriage ceremony in 1984, the then Country Director-Ms.
Ginny Ubik, the Project Coordinator for Landless Owned
Tube well Users’ Support (LOTUS) Project-late Mr. David
Sorrill along with other senior international staff of CAREBangladesh were present and blessed me and my wife.
Another important memory, I can cite here that while working for CARE’s LOTUS project, I used to
make regular field visits to all over the project areas at the remotest places of Bangladesh. During these
field visits, I used to see the cultivation of winter season’s irrigated high yielding varieties (HIV) rice and
wheat crops under the supervision and management of the
landless groups and sometimes I had to stay at the field
sites even after the darks in order to see the cash and
resolution books of the landless groups at the remotest
rural areas of the country.
While working for LOTUS project, I had written two
manuals – one on “Irrigation Management” and another on
“Deep Tube well Operations” in Bangla, which have been
agreed by the BADC of the GoB to use the same by field
level staff of BADC and farmers and used by the Project’s
Landless Groups and partners- BRAC, Proshika and
Grameen Bank.
Another achievement, I have made was that with the designing and development of the Landless Owned
Tube well Users’ Support (LOTUS) Project, we have established the ownership of a Deep Tube Well
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(DTW) for each of the Landless Group of 25 members at the para/village level for managing this huge
technology worth of BDT 800,000 (equivalent to US $ 10,256 at current price) at a very low cost
through allowing subsidy by making an agreement with the Bangladesh Agricultural Development
Corporation (BADC), which is an autonomous body of the GoB.
In my personal life, I have my wife-Jesmin Akhter, my daughter-Ishrat Fahmida Ahmed and my son-Md.
Musabbir-Bin-Muzaffar Ahmed. I am happy and proud that my daughter has completed her Master’s in
Accounting with Honors (now working for a Leasing Company) and she is married to a Banker
(working for Standard Chartered Bank in Dhaka). My son is now studying B.Sc. in Civil Engineering at
the Ahsan Ullah University of Engineering and Technology (AUST), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Md.Muzaffar Ahmed
[email protected] / [email protected]
January, 2014
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58
Purnendu Kumar
CARE India
Bihar / Jharkhand : 21.11.2000 to 12.09.2008
I joined CARE in the year 2000 after 12 years of passing from XISS Ranchi. Many of my friends may not
be aware that I attempted twice before, once for bee keeping project and second at the beginning of
INHP but did not get chance. Finally thanks to Mr. Mukesh Kumar, then Project Manager, who selected
me in the last fag of first phase of INHP. Having lured to work in CARE, I joined as Field Officer and
continued working for more than 7 years in all the 3 phases of INHP including RACHANA (HIV/AIDS
urban and rural program) in the capacity as Field Officer, Demonstration & Partnership Officer,
Capacity Building Officer and Program Officer. Before joining CARE, I worked for USAID funded Child
Survival Project of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and integrated development projects for national level
NGOs.
Working in CARE was wonderful experience. It gave wide range of learning exposure, working with
Aganwadi Worker (lowest cadre of ICDS Scheme) to District Collector (head of the district) in
coordination with department of Health & Family Welfare. CARE is an excellent example of team work,
development professionals from different educational background having defined responsibility
striving for district results was unique example in the development world.
Many of the CARE team members had fascination for white-blue MM 540 jeep, but I never had, though
this had great advantages working in the field and was mark of CARE officers. I travelled almost all
CARE operational districts during my tenure in CARE.
Amongst the most challenging responsibility was handling NGO partnership in the Ranchi district in
INHP-II switching over from INHP-I, where six NGOs were partner and for programmatic reasons I had
to phase out four NGOs and included KGVK (development unit of Usha Martine), a corporate NGO under
partnership that was the first and believe was the only one corporate partner under the INHP umbrella.
Partnership management and Capacity building of different project audiences were key program
components of the project. We also developed training modules for training.
The other most learning and memorable journey in CARE was tenure of Bokaro district (Jharkhand)
having most vibrant team of the CARE Jharkhand where RACHANA (HIV/AIDS urban and rural
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program) was operational and once upon a time had responsibility to handle (HIV/AIDS urban and
rural program). Working with truckers, migrants, sex workers and life skill education to youths were
feathers in my knowledge basket. I get an opportunity to attend workshop at Bangkok, Thailand on the
subject participation of male in reproductive health and HIV/AIDS reduction.
I left CARE only to expand my knowledge horizons. With this note, I again thank all my colleagues and
seniors for their support in delivering the results during my tenure in CARE.
Purendu Kumar
[email protected]
January, 2014
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59
Robert Meyer
(son of late Robert H Meyer)
CARE USA : 1946 - 1970
New York HQ, Holland, Germany,
Yugoslavia, Italy, Libya, Iraq & Iran
Dear Cheenu,
My father joined CARE right after the end of WW2 - and well before I was born. I am going to say in
1947 but I may be off by a year. It might have been 1946. From 1947 - 1948 he was in Holland with
CARE (again, before I was born, which was in 1950). Then he returned to work with CARE at their NY
HQ and stayed on that assignment until late 1953. My brother and I were born during that period. In
late 1953 he was assigned to CARE's Germany office in Bonn. Even though only three years old at the
time I have a vivid memory of him coming up the staircase of our house after returning from work that
day at the NY CARE headquarters and telling my mother, "We are moving to Germany." While I had
little concept of where we would be going I did know that it would be far away and very new - and I felt
for the first time that wonderful thrill of excitement and anticipated adventure that would be repeated
periodically during my young life as we were sudddenly transferred from new country to new country.
We flew out as a family on a TWA Constellation aircraft - definitely a huge adventure for me! In those
days propeller planes could not fly across the Atlantic easily because of their limited fuel capacity and
long flying times. Plus there was nothing ordinary or routine about taking a plane trip back then. Most
people had never flown in a plane and many never would. We flew out of Idlewild Airport in NY (now
known as JFK airport) up the eastern seabord to Gander Airport in Newfoundland where, well after
dark, the plane would stop for refueling. The passenger waiting area at Gander was a converted
military hangar, and very drafty, with lots of wood partitions and ongoing construction all around. I
recall it as an unpleasant place for a sleepy child who had just been woken up to disembark a warm
aircraft in winter weather. From Gander the plane had enough fuel to cross the Atlantic at its narrowest
stretch all the way to Shannon Airport in western Ireland, where it refueled a second time. Then the
last stretch of the flight was into Frankfurt Airport, our destination. The whole trip took many hours.
Mr. (George) Mathues was Mission Chief in Germany at that time as I recall and my father was Deputy
Mission Chief. I knew his son, Howard, who was roughly my age and was called Howie at the time. My
father was in Germany from 1953 until the end of 1955. And I recall the names of Bert Smucker and
Dick Reuter extremely well also. Bert Smucker and Dick Reuter both visited with us while we were in
Germany. Bert Smucker was then Mission Chief in Vienna, Austria I think. It would have been at that
time that Dick Reuter was taking over as CARE's new Executive Director and his name was a big topic of
family conversation at the time. Another name I recall was Frank Mayer. He also visited us in Germany
and elsewhere during my father's employment with CARE.
Our house in Germany was only a block from the Rhine car ferry and eventually I used to cross the
Rhine every day to get to a British school I briefly attended in Bad Honnef. But a more vivid memory
than that was the winter when a downstream ice jam caused the Rhine to flood badly, essentially
turning our house into a tiny island. Our front door led straight out into a deeply flooded area that
lapped halfway up the short flight of steps to our front door threshold. We could only get in and out of
our house by walking across a thin isthmus path of high ground that led from our back door to our
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neighbor's master bedroom window. We could then climb through that window and exit the
neighborhood via our neighbor's front door, which was fortuitously located on high ground. Water had
poured into our basement via the floor drains, nearly filling it up to our ground floor where our kitchen
was, but it never quite crossed an officially marked out level on the basement staircase that would have
forced us to evacuate.
Another vivid "snapshot" young memory of mine from the early Germany days occurred when we were
driving in our car through a nearby German city (I seem to recall it was Cologne and in the 1954-55
timeframe). The damage from the appallingly devastating war bombing was still massively evident,
even 9 years after the war - which seemed a distantly long time ago, in the mind of a 5-year old like
myself. We were driving down a main city street that was lined on both sides by massive piles of debris
from the bombed out buildings. Any sidewalks were deeply buried under the rubble which had been
pushed there to at least enable the street to be passable. And then suddenly we drove by an apartment
building that had been cleanly sliced apart by bombs, looking as if cut by an immense knife. The entire
exterior building wall that faced the street had collapsed and had simply disappeared. The building's
surviving rooms were all exposed to street view. I remember thinking it looked exactly like a large
surreal dollhouse. But there was nothing make-believe about the scene or its implicit horror. On the
very highest story of the building was someone's bathroom that had been laid open by the bombs. And
hanging half out from that bathroom, over the multi-story abyss below, was an intact bathtub that was
still held dangling, albeit only by its plumbing. I was a very young child, but not so young that the visual
impact of the scene didn't hit me in an instantly sobering and profound way that I'll never forget. That
was (no, had been) someone's real life home and their belongings were still in it, even after all those
years. Were there people just like my family in that building once? What had become of those people?
One didn't like to think about it because whatever the answer was it had to be a sad one - or worse.
In early 1956 my father was assigned to Yugoslavia as CARE Mission Chief, where we lived in Belgrade
until 1958. My very young memories of that time are hazy but I do recall a Mr. "Bud" Brady who was
Assistant Mission Chief during some of that period. I also recall a woman called Branca Lukac who was
an office secretary/translator for my father in Belgrade. There was also a CARE driver called Dragi who
we relied upon a lot. And I do recall meeting Fred Devine on a visit he made to Belgrade where he
stayed in my (and my brother's) bedroom for a couple of days while my brother and I gleefully seized
the adventure of sleeping on air mattresses! I believe he also visited us several years later while we
were in Rome. Also, I believe Frank Goffio visited us in Belgrade.
Life for us in Belgrade was definitely an adventure but it wasn't an easy one, although my parents were
masters at taking everything in stride with seeming nonchalance. Our first apartment (out of an
eventual two) was too small for our family's size and, in the harshly cold Belgrade winters, we were
especially aware that it had no functioning central heating. A small stove supplied the entire apartment
with its heat but its coal had to be hauled up the flights stairs from the basement in hand scuttles. To
get any hot water from a sink faucet one first had to light up a wood stove and wait for quite a while
while it heated up water in a holding tank. So one planned any washing activities well in advance. But
often the city water to our building would get cut off at extremely short notice and stay off for an
unpredictable length of time before being restored, for many hours or even more than a day on
occasion. I remember helping my mother frantically fill up all our bathtubs and some buckets with
water when service cutoff alerts were suddenly received. That was the rehearsed drill. And often the
electricity would also be cutoff for hours. Candlelight evenings all the way to bedtime were pretty
common. On one memorable occasion, while my mother was in the middle of preparing a meal for
guests we had a 'perfect storm' of outages; the water was out, then the electricity went out and a few
minutes later the propane gas tank that supplied our kitchen stove burners went empty - and when my
mother tried to call for a replacement tank she discovered that the phone service was also out. It was a
spectacularly bad case of Murphy's Law at work, but taking routine difficulties and unexpectedly
disruptive events in calm stride was a talent that both my parents possessed in abundance.
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Shopping in Belgrade was very limited, though we were able to access the US Embassy Commissary
which sometimes stocked food (such as frozen goods) that wasn't available in the local shops and
market stands. For supplemental shopping needs, such as for winter wear, small appliances, or
especially hard-to-get food items, we were obliged to make a 2-day drive north to the Italian city of
Trieste or - very occasionally - travel into Austria or Germany on even longer trips. The plus side was
that the trips were long enough that I would have to miss school to be with my parents when they went
on them. They were always an adventure. I have special memories of certain hotel rooms with no
running water or heat, shared Turkish toilet facilities at the end of the hotel hallway, and minimal
dining opportunities to be found anywhere near at hand. I must add, however, that places we stayed
"on the road" were certainly not always this way. There was lots of variety, sometimes in a good way.
Like Germany, Yugoslavia had clearly been very hard hit by WW2. I recall our gypsy maid (who had
personally had a very hard time during the War but had very much a 'survivor' type of personality)
telling me how German bombers flew over Belgrade one day in such dense numbers and so low that
they had blocked out the sun while raining down bombs. There had been a lot of that throughout
Europe and on both sides of the conflict. But unlike Germany, Yugoslavia's infrastructure had not been
as developed prior to WW2 - which no doubt was both a plus and a minus for the country.
As I look back as an adult on my child's sense of 'normality' in Belgrade I appreciate that I had the
privilege of residing in a part of Europe that was functioning, at least in significant part, in an era that by
then was typically long-gone elsewhere. It was a bit of a time-warp. Many of the city streets were
cobblestone. Horsedrawn carts full of supplies and produce from the countryside entered the city on a
daily basis. Horse carts of coal would be dumped down coal chutes that were normally hidden by steel
doors on the sidewalk. I would often walk the sidewalks with my mother as we went shopping and pass
horse after horse tied up to hitching rails, sometimes also hobbled, and complete with blinders in place
and feedbags over their noses. In the winter it was common to see a horse slip and fall on the icy
cobblestones while hauling a heavy wagon of goods. Sometimes its owner would feel obliged to beat it
with a stick until it was sufficiently motivated to get back up. If all else failed it would have to be
unhitched from its cart but that was a big and awkward operation, especially if the cart was full and on
a slope - as was most often the case. Often the carts only had a single axle so they would tip if
unhitched. Pedestrians would stop in the windy cold to watch a bit of that recovery operation! Horses
still hauled a lot in Belgrade at that time. In Yugoslavia in the mid-50s even the snowplows were often
simply wide triangles of reinforced wood dragged along the roads by horses. Snow clearing, even on
major highways, was even sometimes still done by hand-shovelling crews!
I should add that while we were in Yugoslavia the Hungarian Revolution broke out. My father was very
heavily involved in providing CARE support to refugee camps established on the Yugoslav border with
Hungary during that period. These camps were very much in the news. Both Nixon and Humphrey, US
political hopefuls of the time, visited a Hungarian refugee camp on the border (with my father in
attendance) for photo opportunities and to officially demonstrate their concern. CARE supplies also
flowed into Hungary itself and my father oversaw some of that, sometimes traveling across the border
into Hungary itself for teh purpose. These were particularly tense times as the Red Army's tank
divisions were first driven out of Budapest (demoralized by the close-quarters street fighting and stiff
very Hungarian resistance) and then came back in with fresh tank corps to brutally suppress the
uprising in vicious street by street fighting that killed many troops and insurgents alike - including
women and even young Hungarian boys just a bit older than myself. I had consumed all the horrific
(and now-classic) Life Magazine photos of the violence in Budapest (burning tank hulks, men being
machine-gunned to death at close range and trying, cringing against building walls, to instinctively stop
the bullets with their hands, etc.) and recall being quite scared by it all. I was a 6-year old with an
overactive imagination all too ready to fill in any remaining blanks in the explicit press coverage. It was
all my idea of a highly likely start to World War 3, and my father was periodically out of contact
somewhere - hopefully alive and safe - in the middle of the fearful chaos. It was my mother's job to
remain unwaveringly reassuring and to discourage those young fears by manifesting an unperturbed
calm confidence.
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In the fall of 1958 (as best I can recall dates) my father was assigned as CARE Mission Chief to Italy and
we lived in Rome until early 1962 at which time he was assigned to Tripoli, Libya, as Mission Chief
there. In Rome I recall a Deputy Mission Chief Mr. (Theo) Solomon and a CARE Office Administrator Ms.
(Audrey) Capes. CARE at the time was very active in Italy, especially in the southern portions where
there was a lot of deep poverty. I remember hearing detailed descriptions from my father who had just
returned from one region in the south of Italy where, he informed us, he had seen people living in
cliffside caves packed in together with their animals. It was also the first time that I started to hear
from him accounts of towns with open sewers, or no sewers, and similar disturbing sanitation
conditions. Italy would not be the last country we were sent to with villages sporting open sewers.
On a much brighter note, the Italy assignment had its own special interest for me, and my brother and
sister. Instead of living in the heart of Rome itself my father chose to rent a villa in (what was then) the
small rural town of Albano Laziale. It lies about 15 miles south of Rome on the historic Via Appia and is
within walking distance of the Pope's summer residence at Castel Gandolfo. Directly behind our
backyard, just beyond a boundary line of towering roman pines, were the ruins of the ancient villa of
Pompey the Great. Indeed, our house's land had once long ago been a portion of Pompey's own
immediate villa grounds. It was a great way to teach small children who Pompey the Great was, how he
lived and died, and what politics he had gotten himself involved with!
Albano was sufficently rural in the early 60s that laundrywomen came by the villa weekly to collect our
laundry. They would haul it up to the main street where they would board a bus that would carry them
all to a stream just outside of town. There the clothes and sheets would be lathered and beaten on
stream rocks until deemed clean, at which point the laundry would be dried in the sun, folded, and then
delivered back to our house. I got to watch the fascinating process a few times, standing just back from
the gentle concrete banks of the washing section of the stream. I also remember our maid - a young,
very devote, local woman who had never been outside of Albano and had no real concept of the modern
world. She was utterly terrified by her first encounter with our vacuum cleaner. When it was turned on
she ran screaming from the room and hid. The telephone was an unnerving experience for her as well.
Plus, she had an unfortunate habit of meticulously replacing the handset on the hook before trying to
find my mother to talk to whoever was (i.e. had been) on the line when she first picked up.
My sister had her first school experience while in Italy - at a Catholic convent school located within the
Castel Gandolfo grounds. Its main advantage, other than being an august and historical place to start
school where one might conceivably even encounter the Pope himself by some chance, was that it was
close enough to our house that my mother could transport my sister easily to and from school in her
tiny antiquated "Topolino" car. I think maybe we could sometimes almost walk faster than that car
could drive uphill (and there was a lot of 'uphill' between our house and Castel Gandolfo), but at least
the car kept one quite dry in a heavy rain, even though its roof leaked a bit despite our best Bostik
adhesive patching attempts!
My brother and I did not have quite so convenient a school commute. Our school was an American one
located on the far other side of Rome from Albano - a very good school but far from our home. So our
weekday routine was that we would get up before the crack of dawn to prepare to go to work with my
father. In winter I would often be the very first up so I could go down the several flights of stairs to the
basement of our villa to fire up the coal stove that provided heat to the radiators of the villa - and I can
assure you that marble stairs and floors which have had an entire night to lose their daytime heat
gradually become a very memorable experience if one, for whatever reason, omits wearing slippers!
After an early breakfast we would be out the door and drive to the CARE office in downtown Rome.
There we would wait in my father's office for an hour or so until it was time to walk to catch a nearby
school bus that would take us to our school on the outskirts. The whole process was done in reverse at
the end of the day - minus the wintertime ritual of firing up the basement stove.
But mostly I recall Italy as the place where I first started to become thoroughly fascinated with history,
being surrounded by so many reminders of it as I was. From the recently damaged structures at Anzio
and Monte Casino to the last home of Giuseppi Garibaldi, one of the founders of modern Italy, to ruins
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from various Roman, Greek, Etruscan, and neolithic eras we took it all in at every opportunity. On
vacations we traversed the peninsula from north to south and as far afield as Sicily and Sardinia,
viewing as many historical sites as could be fit in. On day trips into Rome, Ostia Antica, and we spent
hours visiting the many classic sites and districts. Even my school turned into an archaelogical site
when a nearly perfectly preserved Roman mosaic floor was discovered buried on the part of the school
grounds where the school buses let us on and off. And then there was the memorable occasion when
my father decided to explore part of the paved Old Appian Way (which ran parallel to the modern Via
Appia highway but was much more picturesque) on the way home and ended up unexpectedly driving
over some remaining old Roman paving stones - at a speed definitely faster than what might have been
expected of a chariot or wagon when the road had been first engineered! There's nothing like trying to
go back in time using a modern car. In summary, when combined with great elementary school classes
on ancient Roman history and very knowledgeable parents who made local history the topic of many a
family conversation or the central theme of many a weekend family outing, Italy was a dream place to
be raised.
When my father took the Libya assignment in 1962 he replaced George Mathues as Mission Chief there
and we overlapped for a few weeks of transition. It was the first time I had seen his son, Howard, since I
had lived in Germany. I also recall Dale Harrison well from the Libya days, as well as Mr. (Art) Johnson
(whose father, Irving Johnson of National Geographic renown as skipper of the sailing ship "Yankee",
visited his son - and us - in Tripoli). I believe Dale Harrison went directly from his Libya assignment
with CARE to India. There was also a Mr. Fred Cole who was CARE's representative in Benghazi. I don't
recall much about CARE operations in Libya but such memories as I have include being told about a
project involving introduction of an economical earthen brick manufacturing machine called the Cinva
Ram. There was also a CARE earthquake emergency relief effort that my father presided over following
a devasting quake epicentered in eastern Libyan that completely wiped out the town of Barce (aka
Marj). And last, but not least, was the distribution of CARE foodstuffs such as bags of flour. On one
especially memorable occasion my father decided it would be prudent (from a 'prevention of possible
pilferage' perspective) to have our entire family present at Tripoli harbor dockside when a CARE flour
consignment was offloaded from a freighter. With increasingly caked up throats from the pervasive
flour dust we all informally counted bags of flour coming out of the ships' hold on rope slings as the
slings slowly rotated about on their way down to the lined up warehouse trucks and then provided our
tallies to my father for later comparison with official records. I suspect it was meant as a precautionary
'show of force' more than anything else, although we were a totally focused and dedicated little crew of
flour-counting helpers.
I also recall a memorable trip when our family accompanied my father once on a visit to meet Mr. Cole
in Benghazi. It was a long drive through the parched coastal desert that separated Tripoli from
Benghazi. Fortunately during that time there was a tiny (and thoroughly improbable) US Coast Guard
station enclave located near the halfway point of the journey where we, as Americans, were always
welcome as overnight visitors. They occupied an acre or two of fenced in building accomodations, on
barren vegetation-bare desert grounds replete with numerous scorpions and pit vipers but not much
else. Even the nearby Mediterranean was too dangerous with its unpredictable currents at that location
to swim in. They were glad to see us, an understatement I think. When asked they could tell us how
many more years, days, and hours their assignment at that post would last. Once a month one of the
dozen or so men would be given the assignment of driving to Wheelus AFB for supplies and staying ther
overnight before returning. Otherwise they had little in the way of entertainment except nightly
movies, although the station commander maintained a much treasured collection of formaldehydepreserved local reptiles and insects. Several confessed that when stateside in the Coast Guard they had
made the error of requesting an "overseas assignment" thinking of something much more glamorous
than what they ended up with! Benghazi was quiet when we got there but there was still much talk
about some recent political "unrest" that had occurred. Apparently the authorities had arrested some
local political leaders for being troublesome and their "fellow tribesmen" from the region had
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descended upon Benghazi in a massive armed, horseback-mounted show of force to garner the release
of their compatriots. Methods are more modern than that now.
Living in Libya in the early to mid 60s was arguably (and perhaps counterintuitively for some) a big
highlight of my overseas travels with my parents. I have nothing but the fondest of memories of the
place. I went to a great school run by the British Council, Tripoli College. To this day I still keep contact
with several of my teachers (now retired in Britain and France) from back then. The polyglot
international community of ex-pats was a very tight one. And we all hung out together as families on
the weekends and vacations. Whether it was simply attending Wheelus AFB movies or football games
together, swimming at one of the beach clubs along the Mediterranean coast, picnicking at spectacular
unspoiled coastal Roman ruin towns such as Sabratha and Leptis Magna, or hiking the edge of the
inland escarpment known as Jebel Nefusa that lay just south of Tripoli (in traditional Berber country)
we led a nearly idyllic life - at least in my teenage eyes. In the States there was the Cuban Missile Crisis
and the Kennedy assassination but that was all so far away. Also, what could be more exotically exciting
than road trips south, deep into the Sahara desert to places like Sebha. One could spot traditional
Taureg horsemen riding about in fully-head-covered garb in that area, as they had for centuries prior.
The Sahara desert, especially the sandy part, is a very strange and inspiring place, I discovered. I think
maybe one has to have seen such a desert to fully understand. It has a 'spiritual presence' all of its own
even though (or, perhaps more accurately, because) it can be so entirely utterly desolate in places.
There is a sense of tremendous freedom, intermixed with very alien impressions of harsh beauty and
raw power. I remember driving out onto the sand sea just on the outskirts of Sebha with my parents
and a guide. After a short drive there was literally nothing from horizon to horizon except for steep
sand dunes and the single track our vehicle was following. And very suddenly all became "flat as a
table" - or so one could swear was the case. Perspective was entirely lost in the shadowless bare dunes
lit by a noonday sun. A small protruding rock or abandoned jerry can a few hundred feet ahead would
give the impression of being an overturned vehicle many miles ahead instead - until one literally passed
it by.
My father was in Tripoli from early 1962 through late 1965. At the end of that time he was assigned as
CARE Mission Chief to Iraq. He stayed in Baghdad in that position from 1965 through 1967 when the
CARE operations in Iraq were finally halted. Then he was assigned to the post of Mission Chief of CARE
in Iran. He remained in that latter position until 1970 when the CARE operations in Iran were shut
down and the CARE office was closed.
I recall that my father’s Deputy Mission Chief in Baghdad was a Mr. Kehm. There was also a Mr. Lebedef
who I think was the CARE representative in Mosul, though it might have been Kirkuk where CARE also
had an office. I remember that my father took the Baghdad, Iraq, assignment at quite short notice to
replace a CARE Mission Chief who had needed to leave the country suddenly. I vaguely recall the Kurds
had ambushed a military convoy he was in, shot his CARE driver dead along with all the other Iraqis in
the convoy but taken him captive as a sole survivor since he was an American. They had finally released
him in such dangerously poor health so that he had to return to the US for treatment but I may also be
confusing that with another other incident involving a CARE representative. There had been several
mishaps invoving CARE personnel operating in the northern part of Iraq. I also recall hearing that the
CARE car of my father's predecessor had been somewhat shot up by machine gun fire as it endeavored
to escape some sort of unfortunate encounter and that it had had to be repaired - but that it looked and
drove perfectly fine by the time we inherited it!
Northern Iraq was at that time a somewhat hazardous place to conduct refugee relief - not that it was in
any way unique in this respect in the context of a select subset of CARE operation locales. While we
were in Baghdad the infamous 6-day war between Israel and assorted Arab countries occurred and Iraq
itself was peripherally involved - enough so that a side effect was the closing of the U.S. Embassy in
Baghdad and an overnight mass departure of Americans from the country. But our family did not
leave. The Kehms and the Meyers ended up being the only Americans in Baghdad from June 1967 on
until the CARE Mission operations ended much later that year (though we were evacuated very briefly
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right after the war to Teheran on strict orders from CARE HQ but then returned to Baghdad a few
weeks later to resume CARE operations).
I will add, as one of many stories from that period, that our return to Baghdad from Teheran was
memorable! First we were delayed when the CARE car we were in (the same one that had had its
adventures under my father's predecessor) decided to break down in Hamadan and we had to get it
repaired before proceeding. It was a major crankshaft bushing repair that took several days of new
part creation and engine block reboring by some local Kurdish shade tree-type of mechanics (who were
truly excellent at their job and charged us almost nothing for it, despite my father's protestations that it
should surely be a bit more). Eventually we could drive on and, now on an aggressive driving schedule,
we crossed the Iran-Iraq border at 10 PM in the evening on our way back to Baghdad. But the border
post on the Iraqi side was all but closed down for lack of traffic. The Iraqi officer in charge of it was off
in a nearby town (Khanaqin) patronizing the bars. So my father was sent into town in the CARE car
(and, of course, under guard) to try to find him so that the man could approve our reentry into Iraq. We
stayed behind at the border post with the remaining soldier or two and had a reasonably OK time,
although my poor younger sister was terribly sick with diarrhea and had been so for several days
already. So that added to the pressure all around. When they finally did find the border post
commander (after searching for awhile from bar to bar) the adventure was not yet over, since letting
Americans back in under the tense circumstances was much too exciting a decision for the border post
commander to make all by himself. So he had to call various Iraqi Foreign Ministry officials in Baghdad
(and by now it was midnight, so you can only imagine the scene at the end of the phone!) to figure out
what best to do. We finally got a high level Iraqi Foreign Ministry "OK" and proceeded on to Baghdad arriving at about 2AM. My only other coherent memory of that final stage of the trip was when we were
stopped at one of the many inevitable highway checkpoints the Iraqi military kept manned along the
Baghdad road (and, unlike the border post, always staffed by aggressively alert types who were
dangerously content to make decisions on their own). During that particular stop there was some delay
and I got out of the car to stretch my legs. Seeing me, a soldier "gestured" at me (a 17 year old teenager)
with his machine gun and in haltingly terse English snapped, "Americans finished in Iraq!" He had a
point, sadly, and there was certainly nothing useful to offer in response. There was a lot of emotion
loose at that time since the "official misinformation" that it was the US (and therefore not Israel) that
had been the cause of the humiliating Arab defeat in 1967 was commonly accepted as fact.
Our stay in Teheran was very brief compared to other assignments. The CARE operation there was
being phased out. But I did get a chance to spend a summer at home after coming back from a year in
college in the US. Iran was a lovely country with welcoming people and many spectacular places to
visit. I was only able to visit a few spots with my parents that summer but I did get to travel to Isfahan
(a city of especially memorable architectural beauty in its old square and the surrounding mosques and
palaces). And I was also able to accompany them on the long drive east through the interior to the
eaatern desert city of Yazd, a center of the Zorastrian religion. Historically I knew Yazd as a notable
stopping point of Marco Polo during his travels. Upon review, his account of the place was almost
timeless it seemed to me. We also visited the Zoroastrian Tower of Silence that lies just outside of Yazd
high up on a desert hilltop, yet another out of a long list of vivid memories (admittedly only very
sparsely sampled here) stemming from our family's many years of travels with CARE.
After closing the CARE Mission in Iran my father left CARE and joined the UN World Food Programme
(WFP). In that capacity he was assigned to the WFP office in Beirut, Lebanon, in late 1970 and
subsequently its office in New Delhi, India, starting in 1975. By the time of his New Delhi posting I was
in graduate school in the US so I sadly was unable to visit my parents in India or meet any of their
circles of contacts during that period. His last assignment prior to his retirement was to Seoul, South
Korea, again with the WFP.
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Regards,
Robert Meyer
[email protected]
January, 2014
P.S. For some odd reason I very vividly recall seeing Bert Smucker's "Rogues Gallery" from my young
days. I must have visited the CARE HQ in New York with my father and seen it there - probably even in the
1960 timeframe, as we would have been on home leave to NJ/NY somewhere around then and it was not
uncommon for us to meet up with my father when he was visiting the HQ for meetings. My father is the
photo on the left of the 3 photos attached to the Italy CARE office in the 1960 version of the Rogues Gallery
you posted. I knew just where to look.
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60
A B M Fazlur Rahman
CARE Bangladesh
January 1985 – March 2007
After completing my Master Degree in Social Science from Jahangir Nagar University, I did some
research works on various socio-economic issues.
I joined CARE-Bangladesh in January 1985 as a Management Trainee. I was posted to CARE-Rajshahi
Sub-office and that was my first full-time job outside of Dhaka. Rajshahi is one of the coldest parts of
Bangladesh and it was the winter season when I joined there. I experienced the very lower temperature
there for the first time in my life.
As a Management Trainee in CARE, I was given wider exposure to CARE’s programs and program
support functions. After having orientation on Administration, Finance, Human Resources and other
program support functions, I was assigned to CARE’s Integrated Food for Work Program (IFFW) funded
by USAID. At that time, CARE was providing capacity building training to the then Local Government &
Rural Development (LGRD, now it is LGED) officials District and Upazila (Sub-district level) to build
their capacity in order to develop a good Government Institution that can take over and implement
their own development activities when CARE would withdraw supports. After observing 2/3 sessions, I
started facilitating each session thereafter. I conducted such training sessions in several districts of
greater Rajshahi division.
I worked under the direct supervision of Robert Staats, the then Sub-office Administrator of CARERajshahi. Robert Staats was one of the nicest men I ever worked with. I learned from him what is called
manners. I never heard about him after he left Bangladesh.
Ginny Ubik was the Country Director of CARE-Bangladesh during that time. She first made restructuring in CARE-Bangladesh in 1985 and created the Project Manager position in IFFW project for
the first time. I was reassigned to function as the IFFW Project Manager. I was the only non-technical
Project Manager in the IFFW project, and was transferred to CARE-Rangpur Sub-office in July 1985.
There I worked under the supervision of Carol Cheu as the Sub-office Administrator.
The Integrated Food for Work (IFFW) was a great project that funded re-construction of earthen roads
and flood control embankments in the rural areas; re-excavated some silted-up drainage canals/rivers
and constructed small culverts and bridges up to 40 feet span. Thus the growth-center connecting roads
were made fully passable throughout the year. For reconstruction of roads, rural unskilled labour forces
were employed during the slack agricultural season, both men and women. US PL-480, Title-II wheat
was used for payment of wages for the labour. Thus food deficits were mitigated by creating
employment opportunity for the rural poor. The construction & re-construction of culverts and bridges
were done by the qualified contractors under the direct supervision of Local Government & Rural
Development. The fund was arranged from monetization of wheat. The project chronologically
expanded according to the social demand and was subsequently turned into Integrated Food for
Development (IFFD), Integrated Food Security Program (IFSP) and finally to SHOUHARDO. I was
fortunate to work through SHOUHARDO.
After successfully completing my Management Trainee assignment, I was confirmed as the Project
Manager for IFFW and was transferred back to Rajshahi Sub-office. I worked under Sharon Wilk, the
Sub-office Administrator. After completing about three years in Rajshahi Sub-office, I was transferred to
CARE-Mymensing Sub-office in the same position. I worked with Guy Stallworthy, the Sub-office
Administrator. After about 2 years, I was transferred to CARE-Dhaka Sub-office where I worked with
Nick Webber, Sub-office Administrator. There I was promoted to the Deputy Administrator position and
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was transferred to CARE-Khulna Sub-Office. I worked with Robert McCullam, Sub-office Administrator.
After about a year, the Khulna Sub-office along with IFFD, RMP, TICA and LOTUS projects shifted to
Jessore. Cassie Rademaekers joined there as the Sub-office Administrator. However, after several
months, TICA project under the leadership of Dr. Muhammad Musa, Project Coordinator, shifted to
Khulna.
While in Jessore, I actively participated in the CARE’s Relief & Rehabilitation program for the
devastating cyclone victims of 1991 in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and coastal islands. The cyclone caused
highest casualties in the coastal belts killing around 150,000 people. The entire operation was
conducted from Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar Sub-offices. Guy Stallworthy took over as the operation incharge; I was the Office Manager and managed staff rotation and deputing, procurement processing and
all kinds of logistic supports. CARE also helped in dead body disposal. Donald Lees, A.M. Habibulla,
Mustaque Ahmed, Sajeda Begum, Mohiuddin Amed, Sajedul Hassan and lot of other senior staff
participated in the operation. CARE provided survival package, food packages, temporary shelter and
subsequent rehabilitation, paddy and other seed distribution and conducted dead body disposal.
After completing this assignment, I was transferred to CARE-Bogra Sub-Office as the Deputy
Administrator in 1991 where I worked with Terry Ratigan, the Sub-Office Administrator. After few
months, Terry Ratigan became the Assistant Country Director for Program Support and was transferred
to CARE-Bangladesh HQ. I worked as the Acting Sub-office Administrator at Bogra.
After a year, I was again transferred to CARE-Mymensingh Sub-office as the Deputy Administrator
where I worked with Peter Nesbitt, the Sub-office Administrator. After working for two years, I was
promoted to the position of Sub-office Administrator and was transferred to CARE-Comilla Sub-office in
1994.
After a re-structuring in CARE-Bangladesh in 1996, the Sub-office Administrator position was
abolished. I was one of the last Administrators and I managed Dhaka and Mymensingh Sub-office
together from 1996 to 1997. With abolishing the position, I was transferred to the Program Department
at HQ as the Program administrator. I managed the Program Department (which was known as
Program Administration) until October 2005. Then I was promoted to Project Coordinator and was
designated as the Humanitarian Assistance Coordinator for the USAID funded SHOUHARDO program.
With that capacity, I additionally managed SIDA funded Flood Risk Reduction Activities at Sunamganj
(FRRAS) project; Climate Forecast Application in Bangladesh (CFAB) implemented by ADPC under the
umbrella of SHOUHARDO. I left CARE in March 2007 after serving for little more than 22 years.
I am really grateful to CARE. Working in CARE was an addiction; perhaps nobody ever thought that
there was a world outside of CARE. CARE made me interested to work in the development field and
that’s what I am doing till now. I worked in about 10 projects in CARE and worked in almost all the food
based Sub-offices. One thing I will never forget – in extreme rural areas of Bangladesh, where people
never saw any vehicle, they knew CARE’s vehicle. CARE reached to the hard to reach areas very
successfully. In case of emergency, CARE’s people were the first to reach with the survival package. In
Bangladesh, CARE built the capacity of the local government institutions that are still carrying over
their long-term development activities.
ABM Fazlur Rahman
[email protected]
January 30, 2014
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Photographs collected during Meetings, Visits & Events
during 2010-2014
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61
Steve Wallace
1980-1982: Egypt / P. 3
1982-1984: Congo (Brazzaville) / P. 5
1984-1988: Sudan / P. 7
1988-1991: USA (Reg’l Unit) / P. 10
1991-1994: Rwanda / P. 11
1994-1999: Mali / P. 20
1999-2007: Bangladesh / P. 23
2007-2010: Kenya (Reg’l Unit) / P. 32
2010-2012: Côte d’Ivoire / P. 36
“Nothing is lost.”
The Reverend Desmond Tutu, in his speech on CARE’s humanitarian work
CARE World Conference, Johannesburg, 2008
INTRODUCTION
My time with CARE began in 1980 and continued without interruption until I retired in 2012. The
organization changed dramatically during those years, but the best things about the experience of
working for CARE remained the same in many ways. And this was what kept me satisfied personally
and professionally from one assignment to the next for 32 years. Here’s what I most enjoyed about the
job:
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
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WAKING UP EACH MORNING, KNOWING THAT OUR WORK THAT DAY COULD PRODUCE
SOMETHING OF VALUE FOR THE POOR: It was gratifying to see how the most disadvantaged
and devalued people in the world were able use CARE’s assistance to improve their lives, in
ways that would continue to bear fruit for many years. In spite of the ups and downs of the job,
I never doubted that each day’s work would contribute in some way to making the world a
fairer, safer place.
SERVING AS A TRUSTED AND EMPOWERED MANAGER: One of the best things about CARE is
the autonomy that managers enjoy in their jobs. I appreciated that we were encouraged to
think for ourselves and that our judgment calls on how to resolve big challenges were backedup by the organization. This generated a sense of loyalty and engagement that led many of us to
invest enormous amounts of time and effort in the work, to the point where virtually all our
waking hours were devoted to it. But there were few complaints, as the payoff in job
satisfaction was so great.
BEING CHALLENGED CONSTANTLY TO ACQUIRE NEW SKILLS: Each successive assignment was
completely different from the last, requiring new competencies that I did not yet have. Even in
the last couple countries where I was posted, my prior work experience was insufficient for
dealing with the tasks at hand. In order to succeed, I had to stretch and adapt my existing skills,
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while at the same time developing new ones from scratch. Most of this learning happened onthe-job, through trial and error.
SEEING MY YOUNG NATIONAL AND INT’L STAFF BECOME ACCOMPLISHED PROFESSIONALS IN
THEIR FIELDS: The organization’s deep, longstanding commitment to staff development really
clicked with me. Looking back on my career, what consistently gave the greatest sense of
accomplishment was seeing the colleagues I had personally recruited, coached, and mentored
becoming skilled leaders, managers, and technical advisors in their own right.
GAINING AN INTIMATE UNDERSTANDING OF DIFFERENT CULTURES AROUND THE WORLD:
CARE’S policy of transferring staff from one post to another every several years suited me
perfectly. Settling-in and living as an “insider” in eight countries, each with a culture very
different from my own, had a huge impact on my life. It increased my insight about what it
means to be a human being, especially when material wealth is not a part of the equation, and it
helped me appreciate how many different roads to happiness there are in the world.
In the following pages, I’d like to describe – country-by-country – some of the experiences that made my
time in CARE so unforgettable. It’s a real hodge-podge of stories. Most are work-related (requiring a bit
of familiarity with “CARE-speak”), but some are personal; many are serious, but there are also a few
amusing ones; some can be described in a few sentences, while others (especially those from Rwanda
and Bangladesh) require quite a few pages. As I reflect now on my days in CARE, after having been
retired for a while, these are the thoughts that come to mind. However, after so much time, the mind
can play tricks; so I can’t guarantee that all of these recollections are 100% accurate. (In putting
together the expanded version of this paper, I have included a couple dozen photos. Referenced by number
at certain points in the text, they can all be found in the attached document. )
EGYPT
After completing graduate school, I sent a generic, job-seeking letter to several dozen aid organizations
that seemed interesting as potential employers. CARE was the first to respond, inviting me to come to
New York for a day of interviews. A few weeks later, I was offered a position of Field Representative on
the High Dam Lake Basic Services Project in Aswan, Egypt, and accepted it that same day.
And what a terrific introduction it was to the challenges of a career in development and humanitarian
work. The project’s objectives were to assist poor fishermen on the remote and barren shores of the
High Dam Lake by building sleeping shelters, providing seed and equipment for irrigated vegetable
plots (to diversify the men’s diets), improving the processing and storage of salt-cured fish, and
preventing/treating water-borne diseases like bilharzia. As I had a degree in architecture, my central
task was to oversee the construction component of the project, featuring Nubian-style mud brick domes
and barrel vaults.
To reach the little outposts of 15-25
fishermen, scattered up and down the
lake, we travelled for about ten days at a
time on our boat, the “CARE-1” (as
shown in photo #1, with the temple of
Abu Simbel in the background). The
boat had an observation deck on top, an
eating area and pilot’s cabin on the
middle level, and six passenger cabins
below.
As the distance from one
fishermen’s camp to the next could be
long, sometimes a full day’s travel, there
was a lot of downtime to fill. And so, we
would sit for hours on the top deck,
contemplating the vast expanses of the
lake and discussing what the valley
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below us must have been like before the
High Dam was built in 1964 (see photo
#2).
The 3-man crew of the “CARE-1” had all
grown-up in that valley. Their former
villages and fields were now at the
bottom of the lake. As we cruised along,
they would scan the shoreline and
remark, wistfully, “We are passing over
our old villages now”, or “Our family’s
date palms were right below us”. They
also told stories about pharaonic
temples, known to them in their youth,
that were now lost forever. Twice,
however, we happened upon beautiful little temples at the water’s edge that UNESCO had disassembled
in the valley below and rebuilt on higher ground. At least 3,000 years old, they seemed totally lost and
forgotten, with no guards or caretakers or signs of human activity anywhere nearby.
The only other buildings we ever saw
on the shores of the lake were the 20
or so fishermen’s shelters that CARE
had constructed, their brilliant,
whitewashed vaults visible from miles
away as we approached on the “CARE1”. Our visits were the men’s only
contact with the outside world, so it
was a big deal when we arrived. On a
typical stopover, we would exchange
news and information, distribute mail
and provisions from Aswan, and take
some snapshots. (See photos #3 and
4.) Then we’d inspect the work
underway at various points around
their sites. If the sleeping shelter and
fish storage facility were still under
construction, we monitored the progress
and verified the quality of that work. We
also checked the condition of the
vegetable garden, made sure that the
irrigation system was in good repair,
checked the health status of the men,
and restocked their supply of
medications.
On the surface, the project seemed welldesigned, competently implemented,
and clearly documented, with assured
long-term funding from the US
Government. And it was clear that there
had been good impact: the fishermen’s
health and the quality of life at their
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campsites were indeed improving. But as I later learned, the project was not addressing the issues that
most concerned the men. In fact, many were indentured: beholden to wealthy labor contractors that
required them to do seasonal stints on the lake to pay off debts. As a result, few had any desire to
remain there longer than necessary and were only marginally interested in improving their campsites.
The more time I spent informally with the fishermen, the more I came to understand their lives and
how they viewed the project. For instance, when it appeared that they were not using the newly
constructed shelters as intended, I asked why. Their response was perfectly reasonable: the shores of
the lake were infested with snakes and scorpions that constantly found their way into the structures.
Thus, it was much safer and less stressful for the men to sleep in their boats. And so, over the course of
my time on the lake, I learned in very practical ways how different the perceptions of the “beneficiaries”
can be from those of the donors and project staff. Although I didn’t know it then, this realization would
continue to inform and influence my work for the rest of my time with CARE.
At the end of my 2-year contract in Egypt, when I was back in Cairo and saying my goodbyes to the
Director, Allan Turnbull, and his staff, a short telegram arrived unexpectedly from Buck Northrup in
CARE Headquarters, assigning me to a new position in CARE Congo, where my responsibilities would be
defined upon arrival.
CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE)
When I got to Brazzaville, I was asked to handle the administrative side of the Country Office’s
operations: establishing systems and procedures for procurement, inventory, financial reporting, and
human resource management. Although I had hardly any experience in those areas, the Country
Director, Tom Zopf, said I shouldn’t worry and would do fine.
This was the first of many similar
situations I faced throughout my time
with CARE: when a particular job
needed to be done, and I was there and
available, it was expected that I would
roll up my sleeves and give it a try.
During the next few months, through
trial and error and not without a few
missteps, I did indeed learn how to
manage the administrative business of a
small CARE Country Office. (See photo
#5 for a shot of the main office and its
hardworking and fun-loving staff.) In
retrospect, it was a great educational
experience and very useful in future
postings.
My most vivid memories from the
Congo are of things I observed or experienced outside of the office. I was fascinated, for instance, by the
Congolese preoccupation with French culture, evident in the restaurants, bookstores, fashion shops,
and entertainment spots of Brazzaville. But at the same time, there were striking inconsistencies in
their Francophilia. I remember a meal at an upscale Congolese restaurant, when I adventurously
ordered Ngembo, having no idea what it was. It turned out to be an entire forest bat, roasted, with its
little red tongue and razor sharp teeth facing up at me from the white plate.
I also have fond memories of the lively nightlife of Brazzaville. There was a vast, open-air dance club
that I’ll never forget called Les Rapides. This made sense, as it was situated on the banks of the Congo
River, directly above the actual rapids, which boiled and frothed just below the dance floor. When the
river was at its seasonal height, the roar of the coursing water almost drowned out the DJ’s sweet
rumba rhythms.
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Another amusing story concerns a day-trip I took across the river to Kinshasa, the capitol of the other
Congo, on a ramshackle, sputtering ferry. It was a Wednesday, when the handicapped could board for
free, and the boat was crowded with wheelchairs. But there was something else going on: the
wheelchairs were jam-packed with bags and bundles of shoes, plastic bowls, cloth, and anything that
could be sold on the other side for a profit. The customs authorities on both sides turned a blind eye to
all this contraband, as long as they received a few coins in return. My other memory of that trip, which
entailed a visit to our USAID donors, was at the restaurant where we had lunch. When it came time to
pay the bill, our host opened the suitcase he had been carrying and casually pulled out a dozen bricks of
local currency to cover the tab.
At the beginning of my third year in Congo, I received another unexpected message Buck Northrup at
CARE Headquarters. He said that I was needed immediately in Ethiopia, to assist with CARE’s
emergency response to the ongoing famine there, where hundreds of thousands of people were on the
verge of starvation.
ETHIOPIA/SUDAN
Within a couple weeks, I was in Addis Ababa. One of the first things I heard from the Country Director,
Stan Dunn, was that he hadn’t yet been able to obtain an Ethiopian residence visa for me. The Socialist
Government of Haile Mengistu had informed CARE that it could not bring-in any more American staff, a
decision the office was trying to reverse. Several weeks later, however, the visa was formally and
officially denied, and there was no way I could stay.
It was a big disappointment, as I was already mesmerized by the country and hoping to be able to work
there for many years. But that was not to be. As Plan B, I was instructed to get on the next flight to
Khartoum, Sudan. Huge numbers of malnourished Ethiopians were crossing the border into Sudan each
day in search of food, and CARE wanted me to assist with the ongoing start-up of emergency feeding
activities there.
Upon my arrival in Khartoum, the office of CARE Sudan was rapidly gearing-up to respond to the
Ethiopian famine. Three months before, CARE Sudan had been a sleepy little operation. But now, with
quite a bit of urgency, disaster response strategies were being finalized; large numbers of new staff
were being hired; vehicles and equipment were being procured; and funding agreements with UNHCR
and other donors were being signed.
Given all of this, I’m not sure that the Country Director, Emil Steinkrauss, even knew who I was or why I
had come. But after a couple of meetings with him and our New York-based Regional Manager for East
Africa (Rudy Ramp), I was asked to take over the management of CARE’s feeding operations on the
border with Ethiopia. My admission of not having had any prior experience in food or emergency
programming was met with reassurances that experienced staff there would be available to help me
learn what I needed to know.
Shortly thereafter, I found myself in the 120-degree heat of a remote desert outpost called Showak,
where I would be based for the next several months. My job was to manage the storage, distribution,
and monitoring of food commodities for over 200,000 Ethiopian refugees. Luckily, as I had been told, a
number of CARE staff from India and Bangladesh, with years of experience in disaster response work,
were already there and busy getting the job done. They were at the same time my subordinates and my
teachers. With their help, I learned a huge amount about emergency feeding activities, and that
learning would come-in handy later-on in my time with CARE.
One experience during my initial visit out to the border remains vivid in my memory. Hundreds of
Ethiopians were streaming across, and UNHCR was doing its best to register them. Out of the mass of
emaciated human beings waiting in line, my eyes settled on one particular family – father, mother, and
two children. Fine-boned and very tall, with heads shaved, they were all were wearing the white cotton
smocks typical of peasant communities all over Ethiopia. Clearly, they hadn’t eaten in a while and were
gaunt and weak. But what struck me at that moment was the immense dignity of that family, like the
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dignity of Greek statues. Waiting silently and expressionlessly to be registered, they exuded a steely
determination to survive. We made brief eye contact, and then I moved-on. But the knowledge that
that family and countless others like them would indeed survive, thanks to the relief response I was
helping to manage, kept me energized for many weeks afterward.
A small side-note here is that, before arriving, I had ordered a Yamaha piano to be shipped directly from
Japan to Sudan. When it finally arrived, I first thought to bring it to Showak. But luckily I moved back to
Khartoum before that ill-founded idea could be realized (the heat and dust would certainly have ruined
it), and the Yamaha served me well throughout the rest of my time with CARE – in New York, Rwanda,
Mali, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Cote d’Ivoire.
Several months later, with CARE’s feeding activities on the Ethiopian border winding down, I returned
to Khartoum to find out what I would be asked to do next. Emil suggested that I take-on overall
responsibility for CARE Sudan’s growing rural development program. Thus, with the good financial
support available from many donors, my newly-hired Sudanese assistant (Isam Ghanim) and I were
able to get a large portfolio of innovative projects up and running. A food-aid program led by the
Deputy Director, Tom Alcedo, nicely complemented this work.
The astonishing thing about rural communities across most of Northern Sudan is their resilience and
ability to survive in an environment that appears to be without any productive possibilities. But
hundreds of years of experience in growing sorghum on the sand dunes surrounding their villages
makes it possible. The secret is in understanding and exploiting the sparse, annual rainfall patterns.
Building on this existing knowledge and working closely with the farmers, we developed a number of
strategies for making their lives and livelihoods more viable.
In community nurseries funded by the UK, for instance, Acacia seedlings were mass-produced and
made available at a cost anyone could afford. When planted in and around the farmers’ plots of
sorghum, the trees added nitrogen to the soil, naturally fertilizing it. In addition, when the trees
matured, they produced Gum Arabic, a valuable cash crop across much of the Sahel. Our other projects
focused on smallholder agriculture, potable water supply, hygiene and sanitation, primary health care,
literacy, women’s development, and full-efficient stoves.
Over time, what most endeared me to
the people of North Kordofan was their
open-heartedness and hospitality. For
them, to receive visitors without
offering food and lodging was
unthinkable. I remember one of my
drives out to a distant project village.
When it got late and we had to stop for
the night at a tiny encampment along
with way, we were welcomed with open
arms by the chief and offered his best
beds.
Early the next morning we
recommenced our journey. There were
no clearly marked roads. So we drove
cross-country, not really sure where we
were going and getting stuck many
times in the deep sand (as shown
photos #6 and 7). Towards dusk, we finally saw a village ahead that appeared to be our intended
destination. When we arrived, to our dismay, it was the same encampment we had left that morning!
In fact, we had driven in an immense circle. Though we were embarrassed, the community was thrilled
to be able to welcome us a second time.
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In my fourth year in Sudan, I received a
communication from Rudy Ramp at
CARE Headquarters in New York, asking
if I’d be interested to serve as his deputy
in the East Africa Regional Management
Unit. The answer, of course, was yes.
USA/NEW YORK (EAST AFRICA
REGIONAL MANAGEMENT UNIT)
The three years I spent at CARE USA
Headquarters, under Phil Johnston,
Beryl Levinger, Rudy von Bernuth, and
Rudy Ramp, comprised my next big
learning experience. It was so different
from my prior assignments overseas,
that I almost felt I had left one
organization and joined another. Gone,
for instance, was the autonomy I had enjoyed as an overseas manager, as well as the ability to be
physically near to the poor communities CARE was helping and personally involved in their lives.
But what I had to give up was more than compensated-for by what I was able to learn about the larger
organization, its culture, and how it operated. Serving as the Headquarters Desk Officer for East Africa,
I came to understand what the different units and departments in New York were responsible for, how
they fit together and interacted with each other, who managed them, how they operated and made
decisions, how I could communicate with them most effectively, and how I could best draw on their
expertise, networks, and resources. This learning enabled me to be considerably more effective in all
my future overseas jobs. Also, I believe it was good for Headquarters staff to work side-by-side for a
few years with someone whose prior experience was at the Country Office level. As I gained an
appreciation for my colleagues’ priorities and perspectives, so did they learn about mine.
One other benefit of the assignment was the opportunity to get experience in conducting Operations
Research. The research initiative I coordinated was the East Africa Community Management
Enhancement Program, one of CARE’s earliest attempts to study village-level interaction between staff
and project participants. Specifically, we wanted to find out what would happen when communities
told us (instead of we telling them) what a project’s objectives, work schedules, evaluation criteria, and
other variables should be. This struck a chord with me, relating to what I had learned several years
earlier in Egypt.
Our virtual laboratory for the study was
the ongoing work of a collection of CARE
projects in Sudan (health and water),
Egypt (credit & savings), and Ethiopia
(agriculture). We hired a young CARE
Kenya educator, Geoffrey Chege, to link
and train the staff of these projects. He
brought to the job an excellent
understanding of traditional, communitylevel systems for reaching consensus and
taking collective action. Towards the end
of the initiative’s second year, we all met
together at a workshop in Egypt. (See
photo #8 for a shot of the participants.)
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During those discussions, we were able to identify how and why, when poor communities are more incharge of managing a project, the benefits will be greater and longer lasting.
On the personal side, living and working in Manhattan for three years opened doors for me to the
world’s greatest theatrical events, concerts, museums and art galleries, sporting events, restaurants,
cultural festivals, parks and streetscapes. Some of the highlights were: attending a Mets game with
CARE friends during a real Atlantic hurricane, in seats way up in the highest tier at Shea Stadium where
the heavy winds almost blew us over the edge; jiving to the live music of the greatest African pop stars
and jazz artists in the world, like Zaiko Langa Langa at the Kilimanjaro and Sonny Rollins the Blue Note;
seeing a fantastic story-book production at the Met of the four operas of Wagner’s Ring of the
Nibelungen cycle, comprising 18 hours on four successive nights; spending a steamy, mid-summer
afternoon with the pulsing throngs at the annual Pan-Caribbean arts, food, and music festival in
Brooklyn.
While still attached to the Regional Management Unit in New York, I was promoted to the status of
Country Director and began to think about heading back to Africa. Then, towards the end of my
assigned time in New York, the Director position in CARE Rwanda opened up and I was asked to take it
on.
RWANDA
Rwanda was not unknown to me, as,
several years earlier, I had helped the
first CARE director there, Chris
Scheiffele, to set up the Country Office
and recruit the first team of national
staff. Since then, it had grown and was
considered to be healthy and stable. My
first two and a half years on the job
went well, as I got to know this
beautiful country and learned the ins
and outs of being in charge of all aspects
of a CARE operation. Good donor
support was available for our work,
enabling us to secure funding for new
projects and improve our basic systems
for administration and finance. On the
weekends, Rwandan friends took me
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out hiking, from the heights of the African
Continental Divide to lowland savannas
where I had the painful misfortune of
being bitten by a Tsetse fly. (Afterwards,
I carefully monitored my sleeping
patterns, but luckily there were no
changes.) Twice we were able to visit the
Mountain Gorillas in fog-shrouded rain
forests high above the densely cultivated
farms of western Rwanda. (See photos
#9, and 10)
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Our flagship project (funded by the
World Bank) focused on bringing
potable water to hillside communities
that did not have wells or springs
nearby. In such villages, women and
children wasted many hours of precious
time, climbing up and down the steep
hills to fetch water for drinking, cooking,
bathing, and washing clothes.
The
project worked with the communities
before any construction took place, to
clarify both what CARE would
contribute (financial resources and
technical know-how) and what the
villagers would contribute (unskilled
labor, raw materials, and later-on,
maintenance & repair the pumps).
When construction began, the natural springs in the valleys below the villages were capped and the
water pumped to tanks at the tops of the hills. Gravity-flow piping systems then delivered clean water
to faraway distribution points in each of the participating villages (as shown in photo #11). Some
systems required miles of pipelines, serving tens of thousands of people. Well into my third year in
Rwanda, I felt good about what we were accomplishing and expected to stay much longer.
Then, late one night around 2 AM, everything changed. It was the week before Easter, 1994, and the
President of Rwanda was killed when his plane was shot down while landing at the Kigali Airport. I
remember being woken-up by the sound of those blasts. Almost immediately thereafter, my closest
colleague from the office, Jean-Marie Kabera, called, his voice trembling, to say that he was afraid for
what it would mean for the future of his country.
And he was right. This terrible event set a genocidal killing spree into motion that changed the history
of Central Africa forever. To this day, the persons responsible for shooting down the plane have not
been identified. The reasons behind the genocide, however, have been well documented. In short, the
Hutu majority, though holding most of the political power in the country, was fearful that the Tutsi
minority, via a well-trained rebel army advancing on Kigali from refugee camps in Uganda, was
determined to regain its once-held power.
Thus, when the President Habyarimana was assassinated, his people had the excuse they needed to go
after all Tutsi’s, no matter their age, sex, occupation, or political affiliation. That same night, roadblocks
went up throughout the country, and anyone trying to cross who could be identified as a Tutsi was
stopped and killed on the spot. The next morning, from the balcony of my residence, I could see Hutu
militias methodically going house to house, seeking out Tutsis and killing them.
I had a Hutu neighbor, Faustin Twagiramungu who was the outspoken leader of the political opposition
to the Government. This made him suspect as a Tutsi sympathizer, so he too was targeted. About 9:00
AM the morning after the plane went down, he climbed over the fence between our two houses, came to
my door, and asked if he could stay with me until someone could rescue him. After taking him in, I
called the US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission. She was badly shaken as we talked. Hutu soldiers had
beat her that morning, accusing her of harboring a Tutsi leader. Saying that my life was in danger, she
advised that I ask my neighbor leave my house at once and seek help elsewhere.
Instead, I called the US Ambassador to get his opinion. His advice was different: allow Faustin to stay a
while longer, which would give the UN enough time to come and rescue him. The next hour or so, as we
waited silently together, was one of the scariest of my life. Then we saw a man in civilian clothes
walking purposefully down driveway towards my front door. Whether he was an agent of the militias
or of the UN would, I thought, determine my neighbor’s fate (and maybe my own as well). But the
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stranger was from UN, and my neighbor’s life was saved. Shortly thereafter, the militias roared up our
street with machine guns blazing, to find and kill him. But he was already gone. (Interestingly, after the
war, he was elected to serve as Prime Minister in the new Tutsi-led government.)
Throughout the next day and night, the city remained an apparent battlefield. The nights were
especially scary, as I could hear the sound of rockets whooshing over and around my house. It seemed
that the Hutu Government Forces and their militias were battling it out with the Tutsi rebels. But
eventually, the shooting subsided, and it became clear that the final battle for the city was not yet
underway. This made it possible to venture into the street and walk cautiously to the CARE Office, with
two soldiers to keep me company. From there I was able to contact our national and international staff
around the country, get an update on their well-being, and put together an initial list of those
accounted-for and those missing or feared dead.
As for our international staff, some were away on vacation because it was Easter week. Others were at
various locations in Rwanda. My Assistant Country Director, Martha Campbell, was traveling with her
sister in the northwest of the country. When I was able to reach Martha on the phone, she said they had
been harassed by the militias, but were okay and driving slowly towards the border with Burundi. In
addition, we had two international consultants and a CARE New York technical advisor on assignment
at our Muhura field office, several hours’ drive north of Kigali. When I finally got in touch with them by
radio, they were doing okay, but unsure what to do next. I assured them we’d get them out one way or
another.
In the meantime in Kigali, the US Ambassador was organizing a convoy of vehicles to evacuate
Americans and other foreigners. Those of CARE’s international staff still in Kigali were able to join the
convoy and leave with the Ambassador. I, of course, was unable to go with them, still unsure how to
reach and evacuate our people stuck in Muhura.
A day later, I made my way to the US Embassy to try to get whatever information I could about security
on the road between Kigali and Muhura. Those of the American diplomatic corps who had not already
departed with the Ambassador were in the last stages of closing the Embassy. The atmosphere there
was chaotic and panicky. One woman was sobbing uncontrollably as she described her powerlessness
to save the lives of the Tutsi men, women, and children hiding in the tall grass behind her house. And in
the parking lot, I ran into Embassy staff, energetically smashing piles of computers with
sledgehammers.
Eventually I was able to find the American Security Officer and asked his advice on getting our people
out of Muhura. He said he had no reliable information on what was happening between there and
Kigali, but thought it likely that I would encounter combat between the opposing military forces at some
point along the way. Nevertheless, he did not tell me not to go, providing a full tank of gas and assuring
me he would remain there until he heard back from me by phone that evening. He also gave me the big,
shiny American flag from the Embassy reception area, suggesting that if I trailed it out the window of
my car as I drove along, the men at the checkpoints might be more inclined to let me pass.
So after returning home to pack a small bag and make sure that my cook and dog, Beaux-yeux, would be
okay in my absence, and not knowing when or if I would return, I took-off for Muhura. At the first
roadblock outside of town, I was indeed stopped by about 20 drunken, blood-spattered militiamen.
They had had been killing for two days and had the dazed look of death in their eyes. But when they
saw the American flag and found no Tutsi’s hiding in the car, their leader said I could go. Driving off, I
saw a young man running after me and considered accelerating, but then thought it prudent to stop. He
came up to my window and handed me the denim jacket he had lifted out of the back of my car, saying
his uncle had told him to give it back.
Continuing on to Muhura, I was confronted by the sight of hundreds corpses (mainly women and
children), laid-out side-by-side along the road. Then it struck me that the consultants I was going to try
to evacuate were in even more danger I. One, an African-American woman, was tall and could have
been mistaken for a Tutsi. The other was Belgian, and Belgians were targeted by the Hutu militias for
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reasons too complicated to explain here. Both were vulnerable to interrogation and possible summary
execution by the militias that we were sure to meet during the next couple days, as we drove toward the
border.
After several hours on the road, I reached Muhura and found all our people assembled there in the
CARE office. We hugged, shared our experiences, and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of
each option for getting the three internationals out of the country. (Sadly, there was no way I could
evacuate our Tutsi staff, as they would have been pulled from the car at the first checkpoint and killed.)
Our existing Evacuation Plan had specified Burundi as the destination for such an operation. But that
would have required us to go back through Kigali, which was now too dangerous. The Tanzanian
border, on the other hand, was closer, and we had not heard about much fighting on that side of the
country. So we tentatively agreed to head in that direction.
Right about then, a convoy of Belgians passed by the CARE office, accompanied by a Rwandan military
escort. They told us they were on their way to an unidentified staging point, for eventual evacuation by
the Belgian Armed Forces and invited us to join them, which we did. That evening, after having driven
for several hours, we stopped for the night at a Catholic convent known to the group. But most of the
nuns there were ethnic Tutsis, and I feared that the Hutu militias would come for them before too long.
I didn’t want to be there when that happened.
So the next morning at dawn, we decided to split from the Belgians and recommence our original
evacuation plan. This angered them, as they thought they would be safer with Americans in their midst.
Before departing, I went to say thanks and good-bye, but they refused even to see me. Heading towards
the border with Tanzania, at the first available public telephone, I called the US Embassy to check-in
with the Security Officer and get his advice. But the place had already closed, and all I got was a
recorded message. I then phoned Marc Lindenberg, Vice President for Program at CARE Headquarters,
giving him an update on the situation and our proposed route out of Rwanda. That was the only real
security-related discussion I had during the evacuation, as there were no safety & security advisors in
CARE in those days.
As we continued through the next town, I noticed an army command post and stopped to ask for
information about the road ahead. The Commandant there saw the American flag trailing out the
window of my car and offered his services. He said there was very little fighting between where we
were and the border. But in case of trouble, he assigned us one of his men, armed with a grenade
launcher. The soldier sat beside me in the front seat of the car for the rest of the journey.
Continuing on towards the border, we successfully got through several roadblocks. Then we were
stopped by a militia that was scarier than those we had met before. Their cocky young leader smiled at
us with hard eyes and, twirling his AK47 like a baton, said they would not allow us continue to the
border until the next day. Given my concerns about the safety of our group, there was no way we would
be spending the night there. So after a while I strolled over to the militiamen and invited them for a
drink at the little open-air bar across the street. One beer led to another, and before too long, they were
all in very good spirits. Then with the wave of his hand, our captor indicated that we could go.
Approaching the border at dusk, we were stopped by a stone-faced Rwandan official who took our
passports. After examining them, he said sternly that the Americans were free to leave the country, but
not the Belgian. After a moment’s reflection, I collected the last of our Rwandan currency, handed it to
the man and said we wouldn’t be leaving without the Belgian. The Rwandan understood immediately
my objective, flashed a quick smile, and signaled for us all to proceed.
It was dark by then, and our hearts were pounding as we moved toward the actual border crossing – a
narrow bridge over a deep ravine. But there was no one there. Setting foot in Tanzania, we shook
hands and relaxed for the first time since the Rwandan President’s plane had been shot down. Then out
of the darkness, someone called my name. He turned out to be a UN employee who had gotten a call
from Marc Lindenberg, saying that a group of CARE Rwanda staff might cross the border that night and
asking if someone could be there to assist us.
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Once we had gotten a good night’s rest
at the UN Guest House, I began to think
about the next stage of our journey and
what should be our destination. Nairobi
seemed to be the most logical
alternative, but the region of Tanzania
where we found ourselves was
extremely isolated, and there was no
easy way to drive or fly commercially
from there to Nairobi or any major city.
So the next day, I asked our UN hosts if
there were any air charter services
available locally. Luckily MAS (Mission
Aviation Services) did have a tiny office
nearby, and they agreed to accept my
MasterCard for the cost of a charter
flight to Nairobi. (See photo #12 for a
shot of our little group, before
boarding the plane.)
The day after arriving in Nairobi, I obtained some space at CARE’s regional office and tacked the sign
“CARE Rwanda in Exile” on the door. From there, I went right to work with one of the CARE Rwanda
international staff who had been on vacation in Nairobi (Phil Vernon), monitoring what was happening
inside Rwanda, and providing regular updates to the rest of CARE. Telephone service between Nairobi
and Kigali was good, so it was possible to speak with our Rwandan staff on a daily basis and receive
firsthand updates on the terrible reality of the genocide. I am especially indebted to Agnes
Mujawamariya, my Admin Assistant, for providing such good information during those days.
We also did our best to keep the organization aware of what was happening on Rwanda’s borders with
Uganda, Congo, Burundi, and Tanzania. Most observers expected that hundreds of thousands of Hutus
would eventually seek refuge in a neighboring country, in order to escape the Tutsi military advance.
But no one knew when or where that would happen. So during the next months, I spent considerable
time in those four countries, investigating rumors on the movement of large numbers of Hutus inside
Rwanda and scouting-out the sites where refugee camps would likely be established. Simultaneously,
the members of CARE International began contingency planning for a major humanitarian emergency in
the countries surrounding Rwanda.
Then all of a sudden, in a day and a half, over 200,000 panicked Hutus rushed across the border into
Tanzania. (Interestingly, they all crossed the same bridge where my little group of expats had
evacuated less than a month earlier.) Eventually their numbers reached 400,000. Several months later,
an exodus of even larger scale took place on the border with Congo, with the number of refugees there
approaching 600,000. Much smaller numbers of Hutus were also escaping into Burundi and Uganda
around this same time. During those days, I provided day-by-day updates to CARE International on
what was happening at each key border crossing. These reports were instrumental in enabling the
organization to launch huge, multi-sectoral disaster responses in all four countries relatively early-on in
the emergency.
When the Tutsi’s forces had finally won the war and the fighting was largely over, Phil and I were
among the first expats to return to Kigali. We drove-in slowly from Uganda on a deserted road, praying
that it had not been mined. The city was eerily quiet, with soldiers here and there and few other people
on the streets. The stench of decaying bodies was overpowering, and clouds of flies were everywhere.
We first went to the CARE office and found that it had been well protected by our guards during the war
and had not been looted, unlike most other NGO offices.
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The next day, we went to my residence and found that, in my absence, it had been occupied – initially by
the Hutu militias and then, later, by the Tutsi rebels. There were several half-buried corpses in the
yard, but the house had not been damaged or looted. Beaux-yeux and my cook had survived and were in
good shape. Though the soldiers had helped themselves to my clothes and were wearing them, most of
my personal effects were still intact. (A good share of the space in my living room was also occupied by
the furniture and electronic equipment of my former neighbors, which was now claimed by the
soldiers.) I introduced myself to the group’s commander and told him that I was ready to move back
into my house. He was very surprised to see me, as almost no other foreigners had yet ventured back
into the city. But he responded politely, promising that his troops would go the next day.
The next morning, after spending another night at the CARE office, we returned to my house at the
crack of dawn. Like many buildings in the mountainous city of Kigali, it was situated down the hill from
the street; and to reach it, you had to go down a steep driveway. As we pulled-up in front, it looked as
though my piano bench was coming up the driveway. Then I saw that it was perched on the head of a
soldier. As soon as he noticed me, he halted for a moment, turned around, and carried it back down to
my house. Our early arrival that day had in fact interrupted the process of carting-off my piano and
other personal effects. A heated discussion with the Commandant eventually resolved the matter; and
that night, I had my house back to myself.
During the next few weeks, Phil and I reopened the CARE office in Kigali and resumed operations. Each
day, a few more national staff returned, some with happy stories of miraculous survivals and others
with tragic stories of the loss of friends and family. This enabled us to do a final accounting of all staff,
including the 15 who had been killed.
At some point within that period, I received a call from Andy Pugh in CARE Headquarters regarding my
next posting. The country that was proposed, Mali, was a place I had visited years earlier and loved. So
the answer was an immediate “yes”.
What can I say, retroactively, about what happened in Rwanda in 1994? Many times, I have asked
myself how the people I worked and socialized with for three enjoyable and productive years could
have done this. But I have never been able to come up with a completely satisfactory answer. The
Hutus’ deep fear of and anger toward the historically proud and privileged Tutsis played a role, of
course. But even such powerful reasons as these are insufficient to explain entirely what happened.
Now, when my mind wanders back to that chapter in my life, there is no clarity, no resolution.
MALI
Still reeling from the Rwanda
experience, I arrived in Bamako with
the hope that things would be easier
this time around, which turned out to be
very true.
Everyone who has the
opportunity to visit or work in Mali
comes to love the country for the
dignity, warmth, and authenticity of its
people and the richness and color of its
music, handicrafts, architecture, and
folklore. CARE’s projects were located
in some of the most exotic and
historically important regions of Mali,
making these remote places accessible
to us as we routinely carried out our
work. Of all our project sites, the most
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digging activities had been providing drinking water to thousands of Tuaregs and their livestock for a
number of years (as shown in photo #13).
I remember one particular field trip we organized for Peter Bell, President and CEO of CARE USA, to
show him our office in the ancient city of Djénné. This World Heritage Site is situated on a semi-island
above seasonal tributaries of the Niger River. All the buildings are of multi-story, mub-brick
construction, with elaborately detailed window grills and rooftop parapets. Along the road into town,
we observed festive crowds moving in the same direction and wondered what was happening. Finally,
upon arriving, we saw a number of long, brightly painted dugout canoes, skimming fast through the
river. Each was propelled by a team of a couple dozen men, rowing all-out as if their lives depended on
it. It was, in fact, a once-a-year racing spectacle that has been taking place in Djénné for as long as
people could remember.
One of our staff there invited us up onto
his roof to get a better picture of
everything that was going on. (See
photo #14.) On the banks of the river
were crowds of spectators in their best
traditional attire (see photos #15 and
16), cheering for their favorite teams of
oarsmen.
In the background was
Djénné’s soaring 13th century mosque,
its rocket-like pilasters and sawtoothed parapets exquisitely sculpted
in mud (as shown in photo #17). In
the open space in front of the mosque
were market stalls, selling the jewelry
and fabrics that people were wearing,
plus hardened globules of gum Arabic,
piles of purple kola nuts, and slabs of
rock salt the size of surfboards. When Mr. Bell asked if we had arranged his trip to coincide with this
occasion, I had to admit that our being there on that particular day was just a happy coincidence. Mali
was like that.
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My assignment in Mali overlapped with an important period in the life of the organization, when every
Country Office was rethinking our
proper role in the rapidly changing
field of relief and development. Up
until then, it had been taken for
granted in CARE that working totally
in-house was the best way to ensure
high quality and cost effectiveness in
our projects. But in the 1990s, in many
poor countries, it began to be clear that
national,
non-governmental
organizations
could
implement
projects equally well (or better) than
CARE, and at less cost.
To adapt such experience to the
specifics of CARE Mali, we sought
advice
from
an
expert
on
Organizational Development, Hubert
Leblanc. His final report was a real eye-opener, indicating that people in the villages where CARE was
implementing projects did not see a clear connection between that work and their own plans and
programs for development. Moreover, when “our” projects were completed, villagers considered the
routine maintenance of key processes (like refrigeration of drugs for controlling Malaria) as primarily
CARE’s responsibility.
To turn this situation around, Hubert advised that we stop trying to control every aspect of project
design and implementation. Instead, he said, we should delegate responsibility for carrying this work
to local “beneficiary-owned organizations”. His advice echoed in many ways what we had learned back
in 1989/90 from the East Africa Community Management Enhancement Program (described on P. 10).
It was clear that changing all our existing programming procedures to reflect Hubert’s ideas would be a
complex and risky process. But after analyzing the potential costs and benefits, we chose to give it a try.
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During the following years, we were able to carry out many of Hubert’s recommendations and were
much stronger for it. We entered into partnerships with a number of beneficiary-owned-organizations
that had good management structures. We adapted our systems and procedures so that these
organizations could understand and
practice them. And we found ways of
delivering on our accountabilities to the
donors, while at the same time
delegating
considerable
project
responsibility to our Malian partners.
As
a
result,
the
participating
communities developed a greater sense
of ownership of the CARE projects
underway in their villages.
This
increased their willingness and ability to
maintain cold chains for vaccines, for
instance, or to ensure the financial
viability of small-scale savings & credit
programs, or to share costs of repairs
and maintenance of water management
systems. All this experience was shared
with the public at a festive Open House in Bamako, planned and carried out with our partners. (See
photo #18)
One CARE Mali project that greatly benefitted from our shift to a partnership approach was a massive
flood control & irrigation scheme, funded by the US Government. It was situated in a region of the
country where, in the rainy season, the Niger River swells to become a vast interior delta. Working
closely with a large network of local, beneficiary-owned organizations (co-ops, trade unions,
neighborhood associations, etc.) the project was able to take-on bigger objectives than would have been
possible when CARE managed everything itself. Using low-tech, labor-intensive approaches, the
network constructed many kilometers of earthen dikes and canals with sluicegates, making it possible
to store huge quantities of seasonal rainwater that would otherwise have drained into the delta and
evaporated. This water was then channeled to farmer’s fields when and as needed. Thus, about 40,000
hectares of farmland was made vastly more productive, enabling thousands of the poorest subsistence
farmers in the country to double their rice production. A whole new dynamic was generated, leading
the farmers to see and treat this work as theirs, rather than CARE’s. That’s why it succeeded, and that’s
why it is still operational.
Another satisfying memory of my time in CARE Mali was our experience in opening-up management
level jobs to Malians. In those days the
common practice in CARE was to hire
international staff for most senior
positions (Project Managers, Assistant
Directors, etc.). This was the case even for
jobs based in very remote regions, where
communications with the outside world
and creature comforts were limited. Some
of our foreign staff were struggling in
those assignments. In fact, just prior to my
arrival, there had been a grisly suicide by
one of our American Project Managers.
At the same time, there was plenty of
evidence available that Malians could be
strong managers, as least as effective as foreigners (if not more so). So we stopped requesting CARE
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Headquarters to hire internationals for our senior positions and commenced recruiting qualified
nationals on our own, attracting the best people out there by paying them commensurately with their
skills and experience. From then on, most of our Project Managers were Malians (Maiga, Tangara,
Sangaré, Touré, etc.), as well as our Assistant Country Director for Admin & Finance (Bréhima Diop),
Natural Resources Coordinator (Aly Djiga), Partnership Coordinator (Diawary Bouaré), Head of IT
(Aissata), and Head of Finance (Seydou Dia). (Some of these and a few other senior staff are shown in
photo #19.) With leaders who knew the language and culture of the country, the quality of our work,
overall, improved significantly. And many of these individuals went-on to assume high-level
international staff positions in CARE and elsewhere.
Well into my fifth year in Mali, I received a phone call from CARE’s Regional Director for Asia (Isam
Ghanim, my former Sudanese colleague, who had been promoted a number of times since we had
worked together in the 1980s), asking me to transfer to Bangladesh, where, he said, CARE’s operations
needed tighter management and an injection of new thinking.
BANGLADESH
Among all my learning experiences in CARE, that of Bangladesh was the most intense, the most drawnout, the most exhausting, and, in the end, the most satisfying. The focus of that learning was how to
manage a top-to-bottom makeover of a huge,
time-honored Country Office that was no
longer in top form. This turned out to be a
daunting task, not unlike that (in the
proverbial metaphor) of reversing the course
of an ocean liner. But we did indeed turn
around the ocean liner of CARE Bangladesh
and get it headed in a new direction. The
process took eight years, significantly longer
than I stayed in any of my other assignments.
I arrived in Dhaka, having never visited Asia
and knowing very little about that continent.
It took the entire first year to get a sense for
the country - its personality, its culture, and
its history. Over time, what impressed me
most was the spirit and resilience of the
people: 155 million strong, squeezed into a geographic area about half the size of the State of Arizona, a
third of which was flooded for much of the monsoon season each year. This is a nation of survivors.
Everybody is out there, trying to make it, or
at least to get by. (See photo #20.) And tens
of millions of families with almost no
material assets are still able, somehow, to
find sustenance and pleasure in life.
It took another year to really get to know
CARE Bangladesh, the largest CARE Country
Office in the world at that time, in continuous
operation since 1949, with well over 3,000
staff, working out of at least 150 field offices,
with an annual budget of around $50 million
(provided by the US and a number of
European governments), implementing
scores of highly regarded projects at huge
scale in every major sector of relief and development. Our massive flood response activities kicked-in
every year, like clockwork, during the monsoon. (As shown in photo #21.)
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It was during this second year of the assignment that I came to understand clearly what needed to be
corrected at CARE Bangladesh: the Country Office was no longer operating as a single, integrated
organization. Too large and complex to manage easily as a whole, it had broken into a collection of
individual, semi-autonomous, sub-units, each having its own identity. This had led to entrenched
hierarchies, inter-unit rivalries, inefficiencies in processes and procedures, and redundancies in
staffing. Likewise, some of CARE Bangladesh’s flagship projects had lost their edge. Though well
managed, they lacked the spark of innovation. Too often, the successes of the past were being
reproduced over and over again, at ever-larger scale, to the point of staleness. The donors were not
unhappy with this work, but we were clearly being outflanked by other, smaller aid organizations,
whose programming was more imaginative and forward thinking. There didn’t seem to be anyone in
particular to blame for this series of anomalies; it was just business as usual.
Solving such deep-seated problems piecemeal – unit by unit and project by project – was not a
promising option. We needed a wave of change that would reach and shake-up every part of the
organization at once. The vehicle we identified for creating and sustaining this wave of change was
CARE’s multi-year strategic planning process. Thus, my 3rd and 4th years there were largely focused
on that plan: conceptualizing and writing it, building the team that would/could implement it, “selling”
it to our staff and stakeholders, and getting the implementation process underway. The Introduction to
the document went like this:
“The central argument of the new strategic plan is that, while CARE Bangladesh has been hugely successful
of the last half-century, ongoing changes in the context of our work now demand new ways of thinking and
taking action. In other words, the satisfaction we feel when reflecting on past successes should not weaken
our resolve to operate quite differently in the future. We invite all our partners and stakeholders to join us
in looking at this plan as a major turning point in the life of our organization. We firmly expect that, years
from now, when anyone reviews the history of CARE Bangladesh, it will be evident that something
momentous began to take place within the organization in 2002.”
When drafting the plan, we had anticipated that its unusually broad scope for change would generate
some resistance, both inside and outside the organization. But when the document was finally made
public, there was significantly more resistance than expected, and it was intense and persistent.
Looking back at those days, I now see what caused the outcry. The majority of staff had been doing
good work in the same jobs for fifteen or twenty years and didn’t see the need for big organizational
changes. Thus when the depth and
breadth of what we were proposing
became apparent, people’s innate fear of
change took hold, especially in regard to
the issue of job security. It’s a curious
phenomenon of human nature that,
during periods of uncertainty and
instability, we always imagine the worst
possible outcomes. And “the worst” for
most staff was that they might somehow
lose their jobs.
These feelings were communicated
most graphically one morning to me and
my right-hand-man, Deputy Director
Hasan Mazumdar, when we both
received anonymous envelopes in the
mail, containing cuttings of Bangladeshi
burial shrouds. That was just one of many attempts – some very purposeful; other probably
unconscious – to derail implementation of the plan. But the determination to stay on-track was strong,
and we did not lose our focus.
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Looking back, I can identify a handful of factors that kept us moving forward with the change process.
First, the political will was there at the top to make it happen, taking useful advantage of Annual General
Meetings and other high-profile events. (See photos #22 and 23.) Second, we had a marvelous
Strategic Plan as our guide, with a clear and compelling description of the changes we were seeking.
Third, the team responsible for
implementing the plan was fearlessly
committed to the change process.
Fourth, we were willing and able to
invest a considerable funding to bring
about the desired changes. Fifth, we
blitzed the staff for years with a
constant barrage of communication on
the need for change, with messaging
that was imaginative in substance and
style and reassuring to doubters. And
finally, each time we faced an impasse
or setback in moving forward (and there
were many), we changed tactics,
exploiting many unexpected moments of
opportunity.
One such opportunity was the crosstown move of our giant headquarters office, which had grown over the years to occupy ten adjacent
apartment buildings in Dhaka. Initially, the objective for moving had simply been to put all of us (about
300) under one roof. So we rented seven floors of open, unpartitioned space in a big new office tower.
Then, in planning for the move, it occurred to us that the manner in which he new office space was
organized might actually help to bring about the changes in staff attitudes and behaviors that we
sought.
And so, we designed a floor plan that mixed-up the offices of different projects and admin departments,
in order to break down the separate identities of each unit. And lots of common spaces were included
in the design, so staff would be encouraged to mingle on the way to and from their offices. (We even
hired a rickshaw artist to paint Bangladeshi street scenes in the stairwells.) And we positioned the
offices of the Director and other senior staff up-front on each floor, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, to
demystify their workspace. When construction was done and staff moved into their new offices, we did
in fact see changes in how they interacted, validating a famous architect’s observation: “First we shape
our dwellings, and then they shape us”. (We paid for the move by obtaining a donation of grain and
soybean oil from the US Gov’t and selling it on the Bangladeshi commodities market. The $700,000
operation was almost sabotaged by collusion among the buyers, but we intervened in time to get good,
fair prices.)
Over the next five years, the wave of change that we had anticipated in the beginning did indeed
materialize, affecting virtually every aspect of our work. Most importantly, staff overcame their fear of
organizational change, finding their place within it and becoming vocal advocates for it. In fact, several
years into the process, at one of our Annual General Meetings, the staff put-on an elaborate pageant,
with costumes, props, and music, acting-out the 5 major objectives of the Strategic Plan. At last, they
had internalized it! As a result, CARE Bangladesh became more able to think and function as a single
organization; more effective in fighting the underlying causes of poverty; more self-critical as an
institution; more comfortable with innovation and responsible risk-taking; and leaner and more costeffective in structure and procedures.
Some of the staff who were instrumental in the above processes were Hasan Mazumdar (Deputy
Director), Andrea Rodericks and Navaraj Gyawali (Assistant Country Directors), Shaheen Anam and
Alka Pathak (Food Security Program Directors), Shameem Siddiqi (Rights Programs Coordinator),
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Mahbub Khan (Governance Programs Coordinator), Anna Minj (Gender Advisor), Prashanta Tripura
(Regional Team Leader, and Muhsine Siddiquey (Reproductive Health Coordinator). Nor could we have
done what we did without the constant, unwavering support of John Ambler and Muhammad Musa of
CARE’s Asia Regional Management Unit in Bangkok.
One standout example of what we were able to do as a result of the Strategic Plan was to change how
women were treated by the Country Office. In Bangladesh, about 95% of the population is Muslim, and
deeply patriarchal in its understanding of gender relations. And in spite of the fact that the leaders of
the nation’s two most powerful political movements since independence are women, women are
routinely discriminated against at every level of society. Within CARE Bangladesh, there had been
considerable discussion and debate about gender equality over the years, but women staff were still
marginalized too often; and the beneficiaries of our projects were still mainly men.
These issues had been raised repeatedly by our best women staff (Munmun Chowdry, Shourovi Ara,
Sajeda Begum, Nusrat Nigar, and others) in Senior Team meetings and other forums. So, when putting
together the Strategic Plan, we made sure that it included clear objectives around gender relations and
women’s empowerment. Over the next five years, with the advice and support of CARE International
across the world, many of the desired changes did in fact occur. Good funding was budgeted for
processes and tools to enable us to become a more gender-sensitive organization. New senior staff
positions focusing on gender were created. More women were hired for managerial and leadership
positions. A much more serious and transparent process for dealing with sexual harassment was put in
place. More progressive policies around childcare and “flextime” were introduced.
One activity that was especially effective in promoting the process was building awareness of and
support for gender equality among our male staff. Gender awareness forums, led by a male gender
advisor (Habib), were offered to all male staff and had a powerful effect on how they viewed gender in
the workplace and at home. As a result, many of the men of CARE Bangladesh became strong and vocal
advocates for gender equality. One senior male staff member told us that, following a week of gender
sensitivity training, he sat down with his wife of 25 years and had the most honest conversation of their
entire marriage.
Concurrently, we changed how we
designed, implemented, and evaluated
all of our projects, so as to be more
responsive to women’s needs and more
solicitous of their ideas and opinions.
These shifts piloted most vigorously by
the cutting-edge food security program,
known as SHOUHARDO. Our success in
this area was demonstrated most
clearly in a series of discussions I had
with women’s credit & savings groups
in some of the most remote and
disadvantaged districts of the country.
What the members of these groups told
us over and over in quiet but intense
voices was that participating in such
activities had given them more selfconfidence and enabled them to provide better education and health-care to their children. (One such
group is shown in photo #24.) And when we talked separately to the men of the village, they too
expressed support for projects with a focus on women, especially when the activities brought more
income into the household.
In my last year in Bangladesh, I was approached by a person from the French Embassy, asking if CARE
would be interested to work with them on a benefit show, featuring French and Bangladeshi fashions.
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It was to be called “Paris Comes to Dhaka”. The objectives were to promote French haut couture and
the role of the woman in Bangladeshi society. I was to have a chance to speak about CARE at the start of
the show, and the proceeds were to be donated to CARE’s women’s empowerment programs. Even
CARE France was involved. Thus it seemed to be a no-brainer to say “yes”.
As we learned more about how the embassy intended to handle the event, it became clear that the
emphasis was shifting toward the Paris-side of the program and away from the Dhaka-side. But by
then, we were committed. The show was going to be extremely flashy and hi-tech in conception; a
dozen of France’s most elite fashion houses (Galliano, Chanel, etc.) with their best super models were to
be flown-in from Paris; and the costs were going to be so high that the proceeds would be negligible.
The venue was the grand ballroom of Dhaka’s best hotel, and the media were saturated with advance
publicity. About 600 tickets were available, and they sold out immediately.
In order to be effective in delivering my big speech, I spent a lot of time on it. Here’s what I said:
“Ladies & gentlemen, good evening. Tonight is a night for beautiful visions, and I would like to share one
with you – a vision for women in Bangladesh.
This vision is not new, nor does it belong to any particular person or organization. Rather, it is the shared
dream, of everyone in this country who anticipates the day, when women of all social classes, all ages, all
occupations, all religions and all ethnicities, whether married, single, divorced or widowed … when all
women are sufficiently free, confidant, and capacitated, to be valued, contributing members of Bangladeshi
society.
In this future state, women will have significantly more freedom and control over their lives than today,
ensuring the same for their daughters. Women & girls will be free to pursue and realize their educational
aspirations, moving about freely in public, without having to face harassment; and no woman or girl,
regardless of her social status, will be subject to trafficking.
All women will be treated with dignity – both inside and outside the home. School curricula will be gender
sensitive and mindful of the dignity of women, and markets, bus stations, and police stations will be places
where women are respectfully attended-to when they shop, buy a ticket, or file a case.
Everyone will understand the importance of equality for women. The gender gap in literacy, nutrition, and
life expectancy will have disappeared. The justice system will routinely provide equal protection to
women, and discrimination in wages and working conditions will be a thing of the past.
Women will exercise power in governance and decision-making at all levels of society. Gender-biased laws
that open the door to discrimination will have been reversed, and laws that enshrine women’s rights and
security will be rigorously enforced.
Could this vision become a reality in Bangladesh? … Indeed, tens of thousands of ordinary men and women
are living their lives everyday, as if it were so. And the sum-total of these lives is a powerful force for
development in this country.
So tonight, as we celebrate women’s beauty and loveliness, let’s also celebrate the freedom, the dignity, the
equality, and the empowerment of women.
In just a moment, you will see a short film entitled “I Am Powerful”. It portrays the many roles that women
play in their communities, in their homes, and in society at large. At the same time, it shows how CARE
International promotes women’s empowerment in Bangladesh and around the world.
CARE is honored to have been asked to participate in, and receive the proceeds from this event. What you
see in this film is what you are supporting by being here tonight.”
Immediately after I finished speaking, CARE’s poetic video on women’s empowerment was shown,
generating a warm and enthusiastic response from the crowd. The room then darkened; the jazz and
rap soundtrack rose in volume; and fog machines started billowing. When the spotlights came-up on
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the runway, what we saw was a tableau of five or six French models, posing provocatively in what
appeared to be men’s underwear!
Bangladesh, of course, is a very conservative nation, where women (even liberated women) routinely
wear headscarves and ankle-length saris in public. My concern was that some members of the audience
might be offended, but that didn’t seem to be the case. As the show continued, and the more traditional
outfits filled the runway, it was clear that people were having a good time. In the end, the show was a
success on most counts, increasing our visibility among the Bangladeshi elites, but generating very little
funding for CARE’s work with women.
Among the most rewarding experiences of my time in Bangladesh (as in Sudan and Mali) was that of
enabling promising national staff to move-up in the organization. I constantly had my eyes and ears
open during staff meetings, field trips to project sites, job interviews, coaching discussions, and hallway
banter, in order to catch the signs that a particular person had the values, the energy, the critical
thinking, and the reliability to become a leader in CARE. As soon as such a person was identified, I
began to give her or him special attention, in terms of challenging assignments, coaching exercises on
things like writing skills, and always being available to provide support and encouragement. I never
treated this as an add-on to my other responsibilities, but rather as something that happened naturally
in the course of my daily routines.
It was great to see how such attention bore fruit in the lives of young Bangladeshis (as in the other
countries where I worked). As a result, some of these colleagues went-on to become Country Directors
and Assistant Directors in CARE, as well as Chief Executives of other organizations like the Asia
Foundation (Hasan Mazumdar) and Manusher Jonno (Shaheen Anam).
Finally, my eight years in Bangladesh provided many chances to visit and spend time in the neighboring
countries of Nepal, India, Thailand, Viet Nam, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and East Timor. What most
impressed me about these ancient Asian societies was their sense of history and how the events of the
long-ago past are still so alive in people’s minds. I also loved seeing the architecture of so many
different periods of history, from a thousand years ago to today, all merged seamlessly into a
magnificent urban fabric. Experiencing Asia, after being in Africa so long, was an enlightening and eyeopening opportunity, deepening my appreciation for the differences and the similarities among us all.
Approaching the middle of my eighth year in Bangladesh, it was time for a change. And that change did
come, but in the worst possible way. My friend and colleague of 20 years, Geoffrey Chege (who had
managed our East Africa Community Management Enhancement Program and was later promoted in
CARE to the position of Regional Director for East Africa) had been tragically killed in a car-jacking in
Kenya. Shortly after his death, I was asked to fill-in for him in Nairobi until a long-term replacement
could be found. For the next three months, I shuttled back and forth between Bangladesh and Kenya,
trying to keep both CARE Bangladesh and the Regional Management Unit on the right track. Then,
when Chege’s position was officially advertised, I expressed an interest in it and was selected.
KENYA (EAST AFRICA REGIONAL MANAGEMENT UNIT)
Given Chege’s many strengths – his inspiring leadership skills, deep understanding community
development processes, and wonderful sense of humor – I knew it would not be easy to assume the role
that he had played so well in the East Africa Regional Unit, while also soothing the grief of his devoted
team. That proved to be very, very true, and the next months were full of challenges. Not the least of
these was coming to terms with how much the Unit had changed since I had been a part of it in the late
80’s and early 90’s.
In the intervening years, it had moved from the USA to Nairobi, and its roles and responsibilities had
mushroomed, to include: providing guidance, oversight, financial support, and management support to
CARE’s Country Directors in Sudan (North and South), Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda, Rwanda,
Burundi, Congo, and Tanzania; promoting a sense of “family” across the region – a sort-of regional social
network – by boosting the morale of Country Office staff; facilitating collaboration between Country
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Offices and the Headquarters of the nine members of CARE International (USA, Canada, Denmark,
Germany, France, Japan, Norway, Austria, and the UK); and representing the region on the CARE USA
Management Team.
This was a more multi-faceted and political role than I had played previously in CARE. What I especially
liked about it was the opportunity to participate in senior management discussions on CARE’s strategic
objectives and major priorities. In these discussions, it was interesting to discover how hungry our
leaders were for – and how seriously they took – the information provided by the Regional Units on
what frontline staff around the world were saying and thinking about our work.
I remember one important, objective-setting exercise in the conference room at CARE Atlanta, chaired
by our President and CEO, Helene Gayle. Headquarters staff occupied most of the seats around the big
U-shaped table. But five Regional Directors were in attendance as well. As the discussion progressed, it
was clear that what the larger group really wanted to hear were the perspectives of the regional people
– not because our comments were especially cogent, but because they were representative of and
informed by the best thinking at Country Office level. During that meeting, each time a Regional
Director had the floor, the room seemed to get a little quieter.
One of the advantages of the Regional Director position was the opportunity it afforded to visit and
learn from CARE’s most successful and innovative projects in the region. In East Africa, the one that
most stood out for me was a Norwegian-funded women’s empowerment initiative in Burundi. On my
first visit to the project, I spent a day with a large group of very poor women; most were widowed,
divorced or abandoned. As we approached the clearing where they had assembled, they were already
dancing and singing joyfully. There was electricity in the air, and there was fire in their eyes. I
wondered what was behind it all, and then in our discussions with them, I found out. Working with
CARE had given many of them, for the first time in their lives, a sense of self-worth that made it possible
to interact confidently with men. We learned that they were now more able to defend themselves
against domestic and street violence, to get access to health care, to ensure their children’s education,
and to start-up small income-earning activities. The authenticity of their testimonials could not be
denied, and I went to bed that night still seeing the fire in their eyes.
Probably the most unexpected process I participated in as Regional Director was responding to the
forced closure of CARE Sudan. The President of Sudan, Omar Al Bashir, had recently been indicted for
war crimes in Darfur by the International Court of Human Rights in the Hague. His government was
irate about this and accused CARE and several other international organizations – those having had a
long presence in Darfur – with providing information to the Court in support of the indictment. As a
result, our Country Agreement was terminated, forcing us to phase out all projects and leave the
country. Our Country Director in Khartoum, Navaraj Gyawali, tried to convince the Sudanese that CARE
had not had any contact with the Court, but to no avail. So he commenced the shutdown processes.
At the same time, working with the US Embassy and Michael Rewald of CARE USA, I began informally to
explore what options might exist for CARE to reopen in Sudan. During the next 10 days, there were
nonstop meetings in Khartoum with the Sudanese Government and US Embassy officials, including an
emissary sent directly from Washington by President Obama. At some point, it became clear that the
Sudanese were seeking a face-saving way to allow us to recommence our work there. What eventually
emerged was the proposition that the CARE “organization” that had been expelled was CARE USA;
therefore, if another branch of CARE International were to apply to operate there, it might be accepted.
And this is what happened. Several weeks later, CARE Switzerland opened in Khartoum, with a new
logo and a new team of international staff.
This action was not universally smiled upon within CARE, as some staff felt that it was unprincipled and
did not signal enough disapproval of President Bashir’s terrible atrocities in Darfur. But in our
business, there are always difficult tradeoffs to be made. And the leadership of CARE USA believed that
the benefits of this decision, enabling us to continue to address human suffering in one of Africa’s most
needy countries, greatly outweighed the liabilities.
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I’ll close this chapter with very brief
descriptions four other memorable
experiences from my time as Regional
Director, starting in Tanzania: on a tour
of CARE’s projects with Country
Director Paul Barker, we visited the
remote Tanzania-Congo border crossing
where in 1871, the New York Times
reporter H.M. Stanley “found” Dr. David
Livingston, the missionary doctor who
had not been heard-from in years. It
was there that Stanley was purported to
have said: “Dr. Livingston, I presume!”
With the help of the museum at the site,
featuring plaster statues of the two men
tipping their hats to one another (as
shown in photo #25), it was possible to
picture how the famous encounter took place.
In Kenya: arriving in my inbox one day was a message from Patrick Solomon at CARE Headquarters,
encouraging the Regional Unit to provide support to a Kenyan woman who was organizing soccer
leagues for girls in the urban shantytowns of Nairobi. The woman in question turned out to be Auma
Obama, the energetic and committed half-sister of Barack. We did take-on the project, and it did indeed
become a life-changing experience for many poor and disadvantaged girls.
In Somalia: one of my hardest experiences was assisting the Country Director of CARE Somalia, David
Gilmore, to close his huge (and hugely important) feeding program in the most drought-affected areas
of the country. We made that decision, with deep regret, after the kidnapping (and probable killing) of
two CARE staff by the Islamists of Al Shabab, followed by an announcement on the extremists’ website
that CARE was “forbidden” to operate any longer in Somalia. Seeing us as a arm of the US Gov’t, they
wanted us out, and the threat was too deadly to ignore.
And in Rwanda: during my first trip back to that country since 1994, I visited the Genocide Memorial in
Kigali and was deeply moved by its somber and evocative collection of documents, artifacts, and photos
of the countless children, women, and men who had not survived. Afterwards, observing the city’s
veneer of goodwill and prosperity on my way back to the hotel, I was haunted by doubt that the social
forces behind the events of 15 years earlier were gone for good.
When the time came for my next posting, Steve Hollingworth, my line manager at CARE USA, proposed
the Director position in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), and I jumped at the chance to go. What made this
offer so appealing was that my very first overseas experience had been in that same country almost 40
years earlier, where I had served as a Peace Corps volunteer (as an architect, of course). And from my
first week in Abidjan in 1972, I had felt a connection with Côte d’Ivoire that has lasted to this day. Why?
Perhaps it’s because everything about the land and the people was so startlingly new and exciting at
that point in my life. At the same time, I was fascinated by the incongruities and contradictions of the
place: ultramodern skyscrapers guarded by traditional hunters with magic amulets and poison-tipped
arrows, for example. There was charm in all of this, but with an undercurrent of menace. I was thrilled
to be able to return after such a long time.
COTE D’IVOIRE
As had been explained before I got there, CARE Côte d’Ivoire was a young Country Office. In the prior
five years, it had grown fast, probably too fast, as a result of some very large donor funding contracts
(totaling over $100 million). That work had achieved many good results, especially in HIV/AIDS and
Malaria prevention, promotion of women’s savings & credit associations, cross-ethnic social cohesion,
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and community sanitation. But the management of the funding had been weak. There had been a series
of bad audits; CARE USA Headquarters had put the Country Office “on probation”, limiting its ability to
seek new funding; and our largest donor, the Geneva-based Global Fund for Malaria, HIV/AIDS, and
Tuberculosis, had expressed concerns about our financial management systems.
Clearly, CARE Côte d’Ivoire needed to improve its performance in all areas of management, and its
leaders needed to practice what they preached about CARE’s Core Values. And that was what my two
talented Assistant Country Directors (Balla Sidibé and Francis Kuawu) and I tried to do, signaling to
staff, donors, and partners that we saw the problems, took them very seriously, and were committed to
addressing them. A campaign was launched to bring more discipline to the management culture,
establish rigorous performance standards for finance and contract management, and intensify financial
oversight and internal auditing. The young, newly motivated staff supported what we were trying to
do, and our audits began to improve.
But that good work was tragically interrupted after just a few months. A presidential election had taken
place peacefully, with the Opposition candidate declared the winner. But the Incumbent chose not to
accept that result, inciting tremendous acrimony across the society. Before too long, the ethnic and
territorial rivalries that had plagued the country since before its independence came back to life, and
more intensely than ever. This led to a nightmarish civil war, tipping Abidjan and much of the south of
the country into anarchy. The impact of the war on CARE’s operations was catastrophic. All
international staff and their families were evacuated on two occasions; our main office was closed for
five weeks; and project activities were suspended for nearly three months.
Disruption of the country’s civil and economic institutions was equally calamitous, most significantly in
the shutdown of the entire banking system for nine weeks. The afternoon our bank closed, we received
a call from our agent there, urging us to come right over. In a rush, just before the doors were locked,
he handed us a canvas bag containing about $25,000 in local currency, expressing rather dubiously his
hope that this sum would tide us over until the bank reopened. Of course that did not happen, requiring
us to improvise a whole new set of accounting procedures (based on IOUs) during the following
months.
During both evacuations, I managed CARE Côte d’Ivoire from the offices of CARE Mali in Bamako, where
the sign on the door read “CARE Côte d’Ivoire en Exile”. Luckily I was able to communicate by phone
with quite a few of the staff in Abidjan and am especially indebted Yssouf Ouattara (Acting Director)
and Hortense Agnimel (Admin Assistant) for keeping me informed. Most alarming was the news that
our people were trapped in their homes and running out of food and water. Eventually, many of them
had to venture out into the sniper-infested streets, risking their lives to seek provisions for their
families. Once, when I called the Abidjan office, the guard whispered that at that very moment, bandits
with Kalashnikovs were looting the house next door. Luckily they didn’t see the six LandCruisers in our
driveway, hidden behind a high wall. Later, he and many others told us that the prayers of CARE staff
worldwide had enabled them to survive the ordeal.
Prior to the breakdown of law and order, we had been in the beginning stages of implementing a huge,
logistically ambitious Malaria prevention project. Funded by the Global Fund, it was planned to cover
the entire country, distributing 7.4 million medically treated mosquito nets to 15 million people. The
number of preventable deaths from Malaria in Ivory Coast, especially among children, was very high.
So the objective of saving 150,000 lives was enormously important for the country’s future.
As the war wound down, international staff were able to return, and we reopened our offices, there was
a big question about what to do in regard to the millions of mosquito nets that had been positioned
before the war in heavy-duty containers in 75 districts all over the country. Towards the end of the
fighting, looters and rogue soldiers had begun to break the seals on the containers and make-off with
their contents. Rather than lose all those nets, we decided to distribute them throughout the county as
soon as possible. To wait any longer would have been to put the entire consignment at risk, as well as
the lives that could be saved by them. There was some disagreement with the donor around this
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decision, largely because of the lengthy, complex process it had established for pre-approving the
project’s operational costs during the war. But there is no doubt in my mind that our action at that time
was the right and ethical thing to do.
In spite of the unstable and disorderly post-war
situation,
the
distribution
exercise,
implemented largely by the project’s many
committed partners, went reasonably smoothly,
and most Ivorian families did indeed receive
their allocation of nets. I participated in our
follow-up monitoring activities (see photo
#26), observing that most people were using
the nets correctly. As a result, tens of thousands
of lives would eventually be saved. For this we
received considerable recognition and praise
from the Government of Cote d’Ivoire and the
Ivorian public-at-large.
One especially inspiring story from the conflict that I
personally documented during a postwar visit to the
far west of the country, near Liberia, relates to Peace
Committees that CARE had formed, trained, and
supported between 2006 and 2010.
Careful
attention had been paid to their diversity and
legitimacy, such that the membership included all
ethnic groups, both men and women, and people of
all ages and walks of life. When hostilities broke out
in that region in 2011 and the risk of an ethnic
bloodbath was high, many of the committees sprang
back to life.
They brought likely adversaries
together, mediated disputes and rivalries, and
quelled calls for acts of hatred and revenge. In my discussions with the local authorities, they credited
the Peace Committees with having forestalled much of the violence that broke out elsewhere in the
region. Tales of such experiences were celebrated in many festive events during my visit (see photo
#27).
In Abidjan, when all staff were safe and accounted for at the end of the war, we met together for a day of
reflection and sharing on what we had all been through. It was a truly cathartic occasion, starting
haltingly with a few generic observations on the war, but then building emotional resonance as each
person opened-up and spoke honestly from personal experience. Some of the individuals had been
through harrowing, close calls with death as they attempted to escape the violence. Others had
witnessed acts of unspeakable cruelty that would scar them for life. But in that atmosphere of warmth
and mutual support, as people recounted what had happened, a sense of tenderness and healing filled
the room.
Early in 2012, I received news of the deteriorating health of my father. As a result, I decided to retire
and return to California to help take care of him and my mother. It was one of the best decisions of my
life.
Shortly before my final departure for Los Angeles, I attended the daylong wedding festivities of the
niece of an old Ivorian friend from my Peace Corps days. It began in the morning with a formal civil
ceremony at the Hôtel de Ville in the center of Abidjan. The men were in tuxes. The bride and her
attendants were in French couture, with orchids in their hair. Then we moved to the cathedral in
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Trieichville for a 2-hour high mass, with ethereal choral music by Bach in the background. That
evening, the 200 guests converged on the banks of Abidjan’s dreamy, palm-lined lagoon for a 6-course
dinner, with sophisticated stand-up comedy and bare-chested fire-dancers as entertainment.
The celebration was classy and stylish from start to finish. And yet, I couldn’t help remembering that
just a few months earlier, in those same neighborhoods, a brutal civil war had been raging. People were
being burned alive in the streets and the French Army was pounding the former President’s
subterranean bunker with the heaviest firepower in its arsenal. Truly, I thought, this extraordinary
country – where I began my overseas work as a youthful volunteer in 1972 and ended it in 2012 as a
seasoned professional – was still struggling to resolve the contradictions I had first observed there 40
years earlier.
To some extent, this could probably be said about most of the places where CARE operates today. Of
course nothing is simple or straightforward in our business. But in a way, that is the attraction of it.
For those of us who have gladly done our best to advance this work, we thrive on difficulty,
unpredictability, shocks and surprises, unexpected victories, wrenching disappointments, and the
parting of the clouds at a particularly dark moment, allowing a gleam of sunlight to filter down.
A Final Thought
The quote at the beginning of this paper, from Desmond Tutu’s speech at the CARE World Conference in
Johannesburg in 2008, has stayed with me ever
since. What did he mean when he said “nothing is
lost”?
I think he was speaking to those in the audience
who, after giving everything they’ve got, day after
day, to make the world a fairer place, are tempted
to question whether it was worth it.
I think he wanted us to know that the effort invested
in serving our fellow human beings is never wasted,
even if the value of that work goes unrecognized
and its impact is not immediately evident.
I think he was asking us to consider the possibility
that our efforts over the years – over the centuries – to promote hope and social justice will, ”in the fullness
of time”, enrich the world in ways we can never know.
I think the Reverend was challenging us to live everyday as if nothing good is lost. If we can do that, as he
said at the end of the speech, “we will be serene, when the world is falling apart around us”.
Steve Wallace
[email protected]
February 2014 --- Edited/Expanded, October 2014
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62
Md. Anwar Hossain
CARE Bangladesh
February 14, 2000 – October 6, 2008
Tenure : 8.5 years
After completing my Master Degree in Accounting from Dhaka University in 1993 (student of 1989-90
session) and having the experience from BSCIC/SERWTCI (1993-1995), NAF/ILO/IPEC (1995-1997)
and ACTIONAID (1997-2000) in the area of micro-finance, child rights program, finance and
administration, training, I joined CARE Bangladesh taking this as the golden opportunity of my life for
learning and building my career.
To me, CARE-Bangladesh was not only a development organization but it was also, in true sense, a
human building institute in a family environment.
I started my job with CARE-Bangladesh as SSM (Section Support Manager) under Budget Section of
Finance Department at Dhanmondi office in Dhaka on February 14, 2000 under the supervision of
Mohd. Ali Neaz, who was the Manager-Budget at that time. During the very first interview with CARE
Bangladesh, I was selected for PDO position under the GO-INTERFISH project and offered to join at the
district level. Due to some constraints, I could not accept the first offer. As I was intermetently searching
a scope to work with CARE, few months later, I got the greater opportunity to face 2nd interview for the
SSM position under Budget Section, become successfull, joined and worked for long 8.5 years in a
complete learning environment and thus I am blessed by CARE-Bangladesh to become a specialist of
Grants & Contracts Management, Cost Proposal Development, Fund Flow Management, Sub-Award
Management, Budgeting and Financial Management in the development world and in the international
working environment that help me play a key role in other organizations.
I enjoyned the premises of different set of colourful buildings of CARE-Bangladesh in area of
Dhanmondi lake side, where I took the opportunity to visit those buildings, departments and projects
frequently during lunch time or for the official business though it was also time consuming as the
locations of other buildings were almost 100 yards from each other. This indeed refreshed my mind by
the movements here and there. After the re-structuring and shifting the office from Dhanmondi to
Karwan Bazar area in 2003, we all staff were sitting in the same building /umbrella at different floors.
The whole building was so fancy and splendid looking, any one will appreciate this. I saw Mr. Steve
Wallace, Country Director and Mr. Hasan Mazumdar, ACD paid their special attention to make this office
a fabulous one. I was sitting on 11th floor. My most attractive floor was dyning space at 13th floor of the
building where we enjoyed different types of food during lunch time though I did not enjoy the smoking
zone because I was a non-smoker. I observed smokers (both the seniors and juniors) had a good space
to come closer to each other and had a group of friends alike. They were very cooperative and friendly
to each other, which I really missed due to non-smoking character. But I should not advise others to be
a smoker to take that advantage, which I did not do. I still miss this most attractive office.
At the beginning of my joining, I worked for the large projects such as CAGES, GO-INTERFISH and IFSP.
During 2003-04, I have dealt with 60 million US Dollars budget for the whole CARE country office in
Bangladesh and there were about 25 projects during the SIDR period (November, 2007 and thereafter)
funded by different donors including private donors. I remember I had to stay at office up to 10 pm
(night time) almost on a regularly basis during this SIDR period for project development, planning for
spending, reporting to management and donors, etc. During my last year with CARE-Bangladesh (in
2008), I remember there were projects running such as SHOUHARDO, FOSHOL, Flood Risk Reduction
Activities at Sunamganj (FRRAS), HAPP (HIV/AIDs program), Climate Forecast Application in
Bangladesh (CFAB) and many others.
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Most busy time I have spent with Budget Section during the Cost Proposal Development, Pipeline
Budgeting on a quarterly basis and Country Office Budgeting on a semi-annual basis. Timely donor
reporting and fund request, BES (budget Vs. expenses summary) reporting, fund release to partner
NGOs, sub-grant management, PNGO expense certification, forecasting, updating information for
NGOAB approval, AJEs (adjusting journal engries) at the end of each month, providing monthly charging
instructions to projects/departments/field, facing annual audits, day to day communication with
Regional Office and Head Quarter was my regular part of job. I was also performing some additional
assignments such as treasury management of employee Provident Fund, playing a key role as the
gender focal person of Finance Department, facilitating MDP courses on call by HR, investigations,
facilitating financial management and budget training to project, departmental and field staff, analysing
fund status before issuing annual COLA (cost of living adjustment) to employees, contributing policy
development and revision such as partnership policy, financial and HR policy, etc.
I became an expert of the Budget software named “BUDGETMATE” as I was the first fortunate man who
received hands on training at CARE New Delhi, India on 10-16 December, 2000 from Jeff Yaschik, staff
of CARE Atlanta. After receiving the training, I imparted this knowledge of budgeting to CAREBangladesh first to install and introduce to each and every project and departments including field
offices. So, I had to arrange series of training to implement this objective and successfully introduced
the budget software to every where in CARE-Bangladesh. I really miss this facility of using budget
software during the budget preparation as it was only customized for a particular organizaitn. Different
organization has different template for the preparation of budget. That was unique software I still can
remember very clearly, which made our life easy to consolidate the whole country budget annually and
semi-annually, then upload this budget information into quarterly pipeline. I am grateful to Yaschik for
his tremendous contribution to make this budgeting mission successful and to make my job interesting.
Based on my performance and requirement of the department, I was promoted to Budget Analyst –
Finance on May 1, 2005, then again was promoted to Section Manager –Budget on November 1, 2007. In
this position, I was also playing the important role of Manager –PECT (PNGO expense certification
team) as this was additionally assigned to my job description. So, basically I had to play a double
manager’s role sitting in a single chair. So far as I remember, this was very stressful and there were
more than 200 partners running under all the projects. I had to review MOUs (Memorandum of
Understanding) of new and revised contracts and budget with PNGOs (partner NGO) almost every
week. Settling day to day observations of PECT team’s visit reports was a prime job under this position.
I really enjoyned dealing with the PNGOs and the PECT team, they were very cooperative and efficient
in pointing out day to day issues. I remember I preserved all the original stamps of MOUs of all PNGOs
very carefully and handed over to Budget Section colleagues during my departure from CARE as those
were not only the official documents but also the legal documents for any legal action in future.
During my tenure of 8.5 years service, CARE-Bangladesh management had spent a lot of time, energy
and resources to develop my professional skills through providing number of training such as TOT on
Competency Based People Management Program and SCALA Accounting Software, which are
mentionable out of many others. Having all of above experience and expertise, I was invited by Navaraja
Gyawali, Country Director of CARE-Pakistan in November 2006 to provide training to Finance and
Project staff on Budgeting /Pipeline preparation using the “BUDGETMATE” and uploading this into the
SCALA accounting system. I am indebted to Navaraja for appraising me with a value to my technical
knowledge and expertise. He was such a nice man, who also took me to his residence and entertained
with delicious food. I am also indebted to CARE-Pakistan colleagues who were very cooperative and
also entertained me as a family member. I really feel to meet them again some time some where though
it may or may not happen during my rest of life time.
I left CARE-Bangladesh on October 6, 2008 and joined IUCN Bangladesh (International Union for
Conservation of Nature) on October 07, 2008 as Manager –Finance (Head of the Finance Department).
During this tenure, I had a scope to know more about the nature and natural resources. I have visited
the remote areas of Sunamganj, Tanguar Haor, Hatirgata, etc where I found how people lead their
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measurable life below the water level. I worked there for 3 years with honour and dignity while I was
leading both the Finance and Administration team. My supervisor was Professor Ainun Nishat, Ph.D, the
Country Representative of IUCN Bangladesh. Presently, he is working with BRAC University as the Vice
Chancellor. I feel myself fortunate to get the opportunity to work with such a great and knowledgeable
person. I appreciate IUCN for their tremendous contribution to work for climate change world wide.
I left IUCN Bangladesh on August 31, 2010 and joined The Asia Foundation Bangladesh (TAF BG) on
September 1, 2010 where I am still continuing. I joined TAF BG as Grants Manager and oversee all the
Projects Finance, Core Finance, Grants /Contracts, Sub-Grants, Audit, Donor Financial Reporting, Fund
Flow Management, Capacity Assessment, Policy Development, etc. The major program TAF BG is
running: Books for Asia, PRODIP/Promoting Democracy, Women and Islam, Community Based Policing,
Economic Development, etc.
Over and above my whole life experience of 20 years that includes 8.5 years with CARE, I must
aknowledge and express my sincere gratitude to CARE-Bangladesh for its high institutional capacity,
excellent environment and contribution to upgrade my career, based on which the vehicle of my life
time carer is still running with efficiency, social honour and sustainability. I really feel proud that I had a
chance to work with CARE and had a golden time of my life with CARE-Bangladesh. Some time I feel I
can not replace this belief or compare this feeling with any other organization though different
organization has its own style of learning and working environment. While I visit remote fields I still see
the evidences left here and there by CARE in BRIDGES, CULVERTS, UPZILLA COMPLEX, ROADS, etc.
These are the signs of real developments. CARE’s learnings, love and feelings has been turned into my
rhythm of the heart and a history of dignity. I salute CARE for its tremendous contributions throughout
the world.
Anwar in Budget Section of CARE Bangladesh-2007
Md. Anwar Hossain
Phone: +88 01731 649225
Gmail > [email protected]
Skype > anwarhossain597
February 5, 2014
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63
Martin Schwarz
CARE USA
1976-1978, Bangladesh
1978-1982, Bolivia
1982-1984, India
1985-1988, Honduras
1988-1990, Peru
CARE Memories
Marty and Irma Schwarz
February 2014
Our CARE memories start and end (for now) in a wonderfully coincidental manner in Bangladesh. It
was our first CARE posting, for two years starting in July 1976. Thirty seven years later, our son
Jonathan, who works for an international development company, has travelled to Bangladesh to
monitor a USAID-funded protected areas project. His descriptions and photos of the country and its
people bring back once again the fond memories and recollections of wacky moments during our time
there. He even met, for the first time, our dear friend Maryknoll Father Bob McCahill, who has been in
Bangladesh for 38 years helping people in need of medical assistance. Seeing their photo together in
Dhaka warmed our hearts and brought tears to our eyes. (Really did.)
I was recruited by Don Sanders back when CARE HQ was in the “brewery” at 660 First Avenue, NYC. (No
one forgets that address.) Irma and I, just a year out of Peace Corps, were living with my parents on
Long Island. So the trip to Manhattan for the interview was easy. The position was for a cooperative
development specialist in CARE’s “krishi somabhai somity” farmer cooperative project. We received the
offer, accepted and were soon off to Dhaka.
Irma and I always believe that we were blessed with that first assignment, and then the others that
followed: Bolivia (where daughter Alison was born), India, Honduras and Peru. We had opportunities to
live in beautiful towns and cities and travel extensively to the field, and work in agricultural
development, water resources, environmental and food assistance projects that had real and tangible
positive impact upon the lives of thousands of persons in rural, often remote areas. There were life-long
friendships made and maintained with host country staff and their families, neighbours, and of course
many CARE ex-pats. (We have lost track of many.) We experienced fascinating and interesting
geographical and cultural settings. We are happy that our parents and best friends could visit us in most
of our posts. Alison was a CARE kid for the first 10 years of her life. Thanks to Cheenu, we are
reconnecting and expanding our network.
The good fortune started with our meeting and working with the CARE Bangladesh staff and thousands
of Bangladeshi project participants. Ron Burkard was Director, Dale Harrison ACD, and Frank Sullivan
the project head. There were many other ex-pat colleagues over the next 2 years: Mike Krajniak, Rick
Scott, Bob Dukes, Rick LaRoche, Lou Ziskind, Bob Coberly, Bob McCullam, “Bangla Bill” Woudenberg,
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P.T. Hargrove, Dennis Brown (the “Eat my Wheat” t-shirts), Jane Rosser, Ann Pharr, Joe Wambach, Mr.
Francisco and wife Beena, and on and on.
At first we were to be posted to Bhola Island but that changed and we found ourselves establishing
(from scratch) a project sub-office in Tangail district capital and another in Gopalpur. Our staff included
Shajahan Mia, Aktar Hossain, Sultan Mahmud, Raja Sayed….within two years we had 75 employees.
Mike Krajniak was south of us in Mirzapur and we received great orientation from him and Frank. Bob
Dukes was to the north in Mymensingh. In Tangail CARE rented the then one floor house of the famous
magician P.C. Sorkar. That floor became the office, and while CARE was building a second level where
we would live, Frank had the good sense to enrol us in a 2 week intensive Bengali conversational
language course. Irma and I learned basic grammatical structure and essential vocabulary, and after
two years in country we could understand and speak at a mid-level of proficiency. Irma was always
better.
Male domestic employees were the norm in Bangladesh, but Irma was adamant that our domestic
employee should be a woman. Very quickly we found “Saida”, a young woman of 19 and already the
mother of three, who was married to a man three times her age. Irma and Saida were almost
inseparable, and that is how Irma learned spoken Bengali so quickly. They even shopped together at the
local open-air market. At that time they were nearly the only women in the market, where male vendors
often refused to sell to them. Saida was later widowed and then remarried with the head cook at the
American Club and became the head household employee for a top U.S. Embassy officer. We long to reestablish contact with her. Irma says that this profound and enlightening Bangladesh experience
significantly changed her understanding and viewpoints of human culture, religion and lifestyles –
especially of women in other countries - coming herself from a small town in Guatemala. More than any
other of the countries in which we subsequently lived, Bangladesh most positively changed her life.
The Tangail farmer cooperative project was established and rolling along and then we started working
with the “mohila somobhai somity”, women’s rural cooperative societies interested in participating in
income-generating projects. The Korotia MSS was the very first. This provided us with the opening to
hire female field extension workers and build a staff and network that soon were reaching three dozen
women’s co-ops. With some talent and daring Mike and I simultaneously began silk (a coarse type)
production projects right on the office compounds. The compounds were soon alive with the daily
activity of dozens of CARE female trainers and village women raising/feeding the worms, caring for the
cocoons and reeling the silk strands.
I should also mention the occasional cobra found under my desk and in the horticulture plots. We had a
cat named Chittagong that slept in the correspondence inbox. Two geese named George and Gracie in
the front fish pond. A street mutt named Toto that sadly became ill and died.
We never lacked for visitors, and enjoyed the stops by CARE staff travelling through and having a bottle
of San Miguel beer. Bob McCahill and the other Maryknoll friends (some now departed) Jake, Doug, John
and others, would often be at the house. Jake taught Irma how to make sauerkraut.
Then it was on to other CARE countries and positions, and the memories again are of colleagues, too
many to mention all, but here are just some: Emil and Chris Steinkrauss, Alfredo Leon and Adel Aguirre
in Bolivia; Monroe Gilmour and Fern Martin, Doug Atwood, Bill Huth, Rudy Von Bernuth, Bob Coberly
(again), Cheenu (of course!), plus Walter Middleton, Mrinal Sengupta, P.K. Mohapatra and their families
and also Ilaben Dave of the Gujarat Crime Prevention Trust in India; the Rolls, Mainas, Kesslers,
Menegays, and Gloria Manzanares in Honduras; the Tartaglias, Karen Cavanaugh, Marco Campos,
Carmela, and Luisa Luna in Peru.
Of course the CARE work (lest I forget) memories are equally important to us, as were the
tremendously satisfying projects and responsibilities: potable water in distant and isolated areas of
Bolivia; PL 480 MCH and school feeding (one million persons in 10,000 villages) and the Integrated
Child Development Scheme in Gujarat; mission administration and project innovation with PL 480
programs in Honduras; finally, financial management in Peru in the era of Sendero Luminoso, frequent
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power outages and drought, and 6,000% annual inflation rate and currency fluctuation….wonderfully
stressful times!
Special mentions: I cannot recall if Buck Northrup was at HQ when I was recruited but he was Head of
Overseas Operations later on, and always a professional and personal favorite of ours’. And as a great
coincidence, I took over positions from John Chudy in Bangladesh and then Bolivia, and now years later
we keep in contact with John and spouse Mary Ann Anderson, who are living in Guatemala. Our children
attended the same school together in Guatemala. And a note of recognition and appreciation to the
attentive, efficient and congenial human resources department folks at NYC HQ, who were there for us
in times of need. Margaret O’Rourke, Lina Lett and Lela Barlow come immediately to mind. And also
Rosalia Taormina in Overseas Ops.
And after CARE….there is always CARE. With USAID and then the Escuela Agricola
Panamericana/Zamorano in Central America, I have been privileged to be associated with CARE in
several sustainable rural development and natural resources management projects. This is happening
right up to the current day.
Finally, back here in Honduras, the CARE alumni have started their own network, and I am pleased to be
on the list. (Buck, who served twice in CARE Honduras and is much beloved, is also on the list.) Life is
good, we have been blessed.
Martin Schwarz
[email protected]
February 2014
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64
CARE India
1991 – 2003, Rajasthan
2003 – 2005, Gujarat
2005 – 2010, Rajasthan
I still remember the month of November 1991, when I was interviewed by T R Sadasivan (TRS),
Administrator, for the position of Field Offer under the Partnership Nutrition Programme (PNP). He
kept the conversation short and to the point. I was also pleasantly surprised to see him correct my
English, during the interview. I was offered the job and was asked to join on 10 th December 1991. TRS
categorically told me that I have to demonstrate not only the ability to learn fast but most importantly,
being honest in all my professional transactions, be it money, reports or behaviour.
During my 19 years of association with CARE, I was fortunate to have good mentors and supervisors
who nurtured my skills, professional abilities and made me a matured person. While R N Jha taught me
to be meticulous in work, Onkar Singh taught me to be always hard working. R C Mahajan taught me the
negotiations skills and how to be a benevolent supervisor and Ginny Ubik gave me the lesson to be
professional and overcome the emotions while at work. I must admit that I could not fully master this
skill, sorry Ginny. There were many occasions when my behaviour, decisions and actions, demonstrated
my emotional side.
I must have shared this with hundreds of people within and outside CARE, that CARE is one of the best
organizations in the world, be it the work environment, commitment towards the objectives or the
opportunity to learn and grow.
During the prestigious CARE –WFP collaborative Nutrition Health education Project (NHED), I was
fortunate to be recognized with good management skills by Dr. Renu Suri and V R Babu and was offered
to work as the Project Officer. They were also instrumental in counselling me to move to programme
support after 8 years of working in different development programmes and emergency relief projects.
September 1999 was the major turning point in my career with CARE. I got promoted as Head of
Programme Support Unit in Rajasthan. I now had the huge task of dealing with HR issues, evaluating the
budgets, negotiating with services providers and vendors and ensuring effective use of IT in the state of
Rajasthan. I must admit that I could not have done this significantly huge and critical task without the
guidance and support of my seniors and colleagues. I would like to mention the names of N
Radhakrishnan and Mithilesh Sharma (Accountants), Vasanthi V Ramaiah and M Srinivasan (HR), V S
Gurumani (ACD), Harish Bhutani (Finance), who supported me and provided guidance as and when
needed.
My journey in CARE has been extremely significant, with a lot of challenges and opportunities. I got the
opportunity to work in food and non food programmes, development and emergency response projects,
programme and programme support. I was extremely fortunate to work with highly motivated and
committed seniors and colleagues – Capt K S Pannu, P E Haridasan, C S Ravi, Arjun Hariramani, Rakesh
Katal, Jeet Singh, Manish Mathur, Jayendra Rathore, Akashdeep, Utpal Moitra, Rajeev Nambiar, Vikas
Sharma, Kanchan Mittal, and many more.
I feel quite satisfied that I was able to contribute at the level of systems strengthening, NGO partnership,
coordination between programme & PSU.
I would like to highlight some of my significant engagements in CARE: Winning the 3rd prize for International Human Interest Story writing Competition – 1994.
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
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CARE Board members visit to India in 1999 – Appreciated for Logistics support.
Visit of representatives of US Congress in 2000 – Acknowledged for coordination with
government counterparts.
Rajasthan Drought Relief Project in 2001 & 2002- Multi-tasking in the form of NGO
identification and their skills building, Procurement of relief material, field monitoring, hiring of
a large number of consultants with varied skills sets.
Gujarat Earthquake in 2001 – Camp Management, Logistics Support, Coordination with
Government and NGOs.
Gujarat Floods in 2004 – Field Assessment and collaboration with local NGOs for better
coordination among Government and NGOs.
Tsunami in 2005 (Andaman & Nicobar Islands) – Realized that even a big name like CARE
means very little to the local people, vendors and service providers. My 50 days there
rigorously tested my negotiation skills, NGO assessment skills, staff coordination skills,
Government and NGO liaison skills and above all patience and diplomatic abilities.
Programme closure and exit of CARE from Rajasthan in 2010 – The closure of INHP – 3 brought
the closure of the state of Rajasthan for CARE. Everything was completed as per the timeline and
without legal issues. However, it is one of the most painful and challenging experiences of my
life. I cannot express in words how it felt when I put lock on the office door and handed over the
keys to the Landlord.
I have always felt and I have always shared with my family, friends and colleagues that CARE has been a
strict Administrator to me, it has been a supportive colleague to me, it has been a lovely companion to
me. I salute all my team members and seniors with whom I have worked and thank all the officials,
associates, partners and vendors who had shown respect for CARE’s values and who trusted in CARE’s
mission. Last but not the least I thank my entire family for always being there with me and
understanding me while I was away on CARE’s mission.
I now own a company which provides Event Management Services and Travel Solutions – DESH RAGA. I
am based in Jaipur (INDIA) and am happy as I move forward in my journey of Life.
[email protected]
+91-9828060972, 9828147101
February 2014
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65
Reju Dileep
CARE India – Gujarat
May 2007 – December 2011
I joined this amazing organization - CARE India, Gujarat, as an Administrative Assistant with SNEHAL
Program - Sustained Nutrition Education Health and Livelihood Program - in May 2007 and continued
till December 2011 by the closure of CARE Tribal Program (SAMRATH Project). During this long
interesting journey, I was fortunate enough to work with excellent supervisors i.e. Ms. Veena Padia,
Project Director, Ms. Rita Mishra, Program Specialist (Health) and Mr. Ritesh Koshik, Program Support
Manager (PSU).
Coming from a local NGO, things were interestingly and pleasantly different as I joined with one
month’s contract and completed 4.1/2 years in CARE. My sincere thanks to Veenaji, Riteshji and Ritaji
for giving me the space to exhibit my skills in the areas offered to me.
During my stint in SNEHAL Project, I got an opportunity to attend the Flood Response Program (The
Flood Rehabilitation Program was an expansion under SNEHAL) closure meeting in Lucknow, UP as
Veena Madam was heading the program in Bihar, Orissa, U.P and WB. That was the first time when I got
a chance to travel by flight. I can never forget the excitement I experienced at that moment. Thanks to
Veenaji for giving me this opportunity.
With the closure of SNEHAL Program in February 2009, I was appointed as Program Assistant for the
Gujarat Tribal Project. Here, I assisted Ms. Rita Mishra, Program Manager. I thoroughly enjoyed working
with her as she gave me the space to involve myself in the programmatic areas and encouraged me to
make field visits to district offices (Dahod & Vadodara) for review meetings. This increased my
knowledge in understanding the status of the program. I was a part of the exposure trip to STEP
Program areas in Vishakapatnam (AP), where I extended administrative and logistic arrangements for
the team. This was a wonderful experience.
I feel very blessed for having been able to work with CARE India, the sweet memories of which will stay
with me forever. I am still in touch with most of my friends whom I met in CARE and would love to work
with them if I get a chance in future.
Reju Dileep
J-11 Sanskrit Flats
Opp. Amrita Vidyalayam
Ghatlodia
Ahmedabad-380061, Gujarat
Mobile: 09173842772
Email: [email protected]
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66
Rienzzie Kern
CARE USA
Srilanka : 1986 - 1996
Precious Memories – Reflection on 10 years in CARE International in Sri Lanka
I joined CARE in 1986 just when it was graduating from supplementary feeding programs and making
the transition to sustainable development under the leadership of Mr. Timothy Lavelle, the Country
Director. At that time there was a yard full of trucks that carried fortified milk powder ‘THRIPOSHA’ to
some of the most remote parts of Sri Lanka to supplement the diet of pregnant and breast feeding
women. To the best of my knowledge, “not much at that time”, this program had an effect on the lives of
these women and their children.
One of the tasks of these early days was a talent search to expedite the transition from feeding
programs to sustainable programs and in this process CARE took a chance on me, employing me as a
Field Officer. The transition was filled with several needs assessments that enabled CARE to look at the
country through a different lens at the end of which a new set of highly focused programs sprung and
was implemented in several parts of the country. I was very much blessed to be part of these new
interventions.
In my first job with CARE, I was instrumental in helping design and implement one of the first projects
in the plantation sector that was home to a large population of Indian labor brought into the country by
the British to plant tea in Sri Lanka’s salubrious mountains. It was heartening to see change in the
second generation of those working on the plantations that always begins with sending children to
school. CARE’s work at this time centered on organizing the workers and their families into self-help
groups to begin savings, sharing labor, establish home gardens and begin small enterprises.
Eventually I had the opportunity to work on a rural development project, called the Change Agents
Project in the South of Sri Lanka. I had the very rewarding experience of being part of the design and
implementation of the very first small enterprise development project implemented by CARE. This was
a project that brought together the department of cooperatives, cooperative banks and the community.
By 1989 I became the Regional (Area) Director for the South of Sri Lanka responsible for the
implementation of three large projects. The transition was soon over and the project portfolio of CARE
Sri Lanka expanded through most of the country with a wide range of interventions that included, tank
(reservoir) rehabilitation or also called minor irrigation projects meant to help cultivate dry land in the
Northern and Western Provinces of Sri Lanka, Integrated Pest Management, Small Enterprise and with
work in the plantation sector continuing.
In 1991, I became the Director of the Plantation Sector program, and shortly after that in 1994 I became
Director of Program Support.
CARE in Sri Lanka was a household name due to the supplementary feeding programs, through the
sustainable development programs CARE contributed even more to the development of the country by
improving livelihoods. CARE also played a significant role in humanitarian assistance during the 30 year
conflict.
My 10 years in CARE was both professionally and personally a very rewarding period that was filled
with opportunities to make a difference and for growth professionally. Starting my career as a Field
Officer to rise to the level of Director Program Support gave me the opportunity to make a contribution
to the organization’s mission. I always remember CARE as the cradle of my career and it prepared me to
do greater things in my profession. During these 10 years I had the privilege of working with some
experts from whom I learned much and serving CARE with some leaders who had a significant influence
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on my profession and life. These were, Timothy Lavelle, Lee Moncaster, Kevin Henry and Gordy Molitor.
These were all leaders who served CARE in some of the most difficult circumstance and did some
meaningful work that created an impact.
One of my most memorable moments in CARE was cycling seven miles up hill with all financial
documents during the uprising in the South when there were indefinite curfews. Given the disciplined
organization CARE’s settlement of accounts had to be done by the due date monthly. Even though the
curfew was on, one could cycle. I cycled to the home of a friend of mine who had a curfew pass and was
traveling to the Capital City and he agreed to take the packet of documents to the CARE head office in
Colombo.
I left CARE in 1996 and took up a consulting job which had its rewards and challenges. One of the
rewards of consulting is that one has closure while in a NGO job closure takes so long and often tends to
resolving issues tend to drag on. I am currently the Senior Director for Planning Monitoring and
Evaluation at Heifer International based in Little Rock Arkansas, in the USA. This job gives me the
opportunity to apply most of my experiences from my time in CARE and certainly gathered new
experiences.
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Regards,
Rienzzie Kern
[email protected]
January, 2014
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67
Gayatri Kaul
CARE India Solutions for Sustainable Development (CISSD) – Gujarat
March 2009 – December 2011
I introduce myself as a development professional who always wanted to be in an organization that
delivered what it is commited to in terms of Mission. CARE is one such organization that not only gives
you freedom of expression but also shapes your outlook towards a more professional way in
development. My experience with CARE not only changed my attitude towards government systems
and functioning but also gave an insight to my own personal growth and development in terms of
negotiation skills.
Before CARE, my experience was varied in terms of grassroot level to national level NGO’s alongwith
Social marketing organizations, focus of my work was more on project based and selected issues. My
husband was fortunate to enter CARE in 2003 till 2007 in the Rachana project (HIV/AIDS) and he was
the NGO coordinator and Capacity building officer (Udaipur). During that time itself, I was quite
impressed with the kind of environment and learning platform that CRE provides to its employees.
Later, due to the Rachana project being closed in Udaipur, my husband got employment in Population
Foundation of India.
I was living in Jaipur when the advertisement of Government Liason officer, Gujarat in Tribal Program
(SAMRATH Project) came on devnetjobs site. I wanted to apply but was not comfortable with the
position offered in Gujarat and not Rajasthan. My husband encouraged me to apply and atleast attend
the interview. I had a small kid and was also undergoing EMBA exams during the interview dates
shared with me. I very much wanted to work with CARE and so agreed to the interview. I still can’t
forget in what situation my interview was conducted. CARE gave me two dates and I agreed to one.
Then, a call came from Ahmedabad CARE office to shift it to a previous date. I booked my ticket and had
already boarded the train from Jaipur to Ahmedabad when again a call came from office that my
interview date had ben postponed. I simply informed that I had boarded the train and would be able to
give interview tomorrow itself. But the HR person was very helpful and shared that everything will be
arranged accordingly. My interview was conducted by Ms. Veena Padia Project Director and Ms. Rita
Mishra, Program Manager (SAMRATH Project). Both of them made me comfortable and interviewed me
for nearly 45mins.
I was thrilled when I received a job offer from CARE Ahmedabad. I immediately accepted the offer and
made arrangements to shift to Ahmedabad with my small kid of 4yrs. During my small association with
CARE, I went through a learning experience of my life. I was fortunate enough to do liasioning at State
government level as well as district level. This really changed my whole orientation of working style.
Under the direct supervision of Ms. Rita Mishra, I gained insight into effective project management and
convincing skills. All my colleagues in CARE also helped me get adapted to the working style in CARE.
But unfortumately, there was a change in leadership in the State government Tribal department and
Closure of our SAMRATH project took place.
The whole experience of empowerement of Tribals and participating in Gram Sabhas, conducting
capacity building for Talatis and other frontline functionaries was overwhelming and long term.
Presently, I am heading the Gujarat State office of Handicap International for an Advocacy project for
DPO run by people with disabilities. I am able to utilize knowledge and skills gained during my
association with CARE for successful implementation of the project with meaningful impact.
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I feel very lucky to have worked with CARE India which chaged my life forever. I would love to work
with CARE in Gujarat if I get a chance in future.
Gayatri Kaul
(Project Manager – Handicap International), Gujarat
Mobile: 09724799228
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68
Sujan Sarkar
Program Officer, CARE India
10th March 2008 – 31st Dec.2009
Bhilwara Dist. Rajasthan
Prior to join in CARE India as Program Officer, Bhilwara Rajasthan, I was working in the development
sector associated with Project Concern International, Warangal. Later, at a time, I have received two call
letters – one from the State Bank of India to join in microfinance sector and another from CARE India.
In such a situation, I opted to join in CARE India because of my strong aspirations from the studenthood
that I have developed. During my tenure in CARE India, I have learnt lot of things by observing my
seniors especially from Mr. Rajan Kapoor and Mr. Manish Mathur. I have tried my best to learn quickly
to get adapted, accepted among seniors and colleagues, government counterparts and partnering
organization as well.
Love towards the CARE India went on growing over the years because it was the only international
organization that has been working in India when the people need it and delivered in the field. So, I can
say that “A friend in need is a frined indeed”. It fulfills the purpose for which the organization has meant
for.
CARE India has demonstrated its commitments towards the people, government counters and
partnering organizations throughout the project implementation phases by setting high standards by
the CARE employees in the field, motivated the governmnet staff in performing at their highest
potential and giving recognition and respect that they deserve at different forums.
CARE is pioneer in evolving the systems as per the requirments of the program, framed policies and
procedures and developed mechanism to monitor the progress and took strategic decisions to yield
results. In addition, CARE had always successfully advocated based upon the evidences from the field
and provided need based techno-managerial support in the development sector especially to the
Government Counterpart.
CARE is an integral part of my professional development. My learning happened due to my association
with CARE senior employees and colleagues, training programmes for gaining technical knowledge, and
skills while working with Government Officials and Partner NGOs.
My field visits and interaction with diversified groups of people have gave insights towards the issues,
developing understanding about the challenges and even widen the scope of available options to take
think and act upon as per the requirements of the people, program and personnels.
I will be indebted to CARE India that has instilled in me the confidence, courage, creativity, calibrity and
credibility at the highest level besides enhancing the skills in communicating with people, coordinating
with departments or institutions and in converging with programs to explore the unexplored portion in
the forefont. It is not only limited to my professional development but also helped in in the personal life
as well.
Recent association with the ex-employees and even when while working in other UN organizations, I
have realized the importance of CARE family. Even I have always recall the days that I have spent in
CARE and share the feelings and emotions with the current colleagues whoever come across in my life.
Moreover, CARE has produced number of professional who are currently serving in various
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organizations including in United Nations agencies. Whenever I come across with ex-emloyee of CARE
any where, I never stop myself to share my emotions and feelings.
CARE play the similar role as of “atma” to the human body, in my entire personality development. I
admire the values, ethics and professional code of conducts that CARE has demonstrated through its
employees in the field. I will always recall, remember, re-energize myself to remain active and alert in
my action.
Sujan Sarkar
[email protected]
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69
Arunangsu Chowdhury
CARE India – West Bengal & Rajasthan
Field Co-ordinator, Regional Manager
13th June 1988 – 30th Sept.2010
Way back, on 25th May,1988 , I entered CARE West Bengal office in Kolkata for an interview for the
position of PNP Field officer, which I applied one week back, seeing the box office advertisement in
“The statesman”. I didn’t have an idea about the job as the content of the advertisement was “
Require field officer, who will be hired for spending 21 days in field work, driving jeep for commodity
monitoring and logistic support to ICDS department. By then I was already been disgusted with my
sales job and often ridiculed by the sales manager for not achieving the sales target ,to me which was
very unrealistic. I was desperate to change the job and waiting for a proper breakthrough.
With such a negative frame of mind and pensive mood, I entered in CARE office and waited in a
conference room. I was tensed but the atmosphere and friendly behavior of the staff around was eased
out my tension a bit and I was called inside a room for a personal interview. Initially I became very
nervous on finding a huge foreigner (late Mr Pat Carey), as I thought the Interviewer would be some
Indians. However I became very comfortable with his gesture, approach and conversations went on for
an hour in which I got enough information about CARE and its program from him. Pat asked some key
questions related to my back ground, experience and some related to my comprehension, problem
solving abilities etc. Subsequently I met Administrator Mr A R Banerjee and Administrative officer Mr
Arun David and left CARE office after almost one and half an hour. Within a week time I got my offer
letter by post and my CARE Journey began. In CARE for me the self development was enormous. I
transformed from a Rooky, raw young person to a matured individual and acquired many skills
during my long journey like vehicle driving , Human resource management , training, capacity
building .
With CARE experiences and leanings were so many, which are difficult to recollect and collate properly.
I came across so many program transition with CARE like from food provisioning organization to
switch over as major development player in India , major player in Health and Nutrition sector , from
US to International , then national entity and 25 CC company etc . I was fortunate to be part of the
longest and largest CARE project (INHP for 13 years) and all three phases.
Due to my association with CARE, the recognition and respect obtained from externals agencies,
government officials were enormous. The prestigious circuit house at the district HQs were always
available and at time enjoyed hospitality as special guest of district collector and Zilla Sabhadhipati in
some of districts. At times faced very challenging situations like road blockade, vehicle breakdown,
non responsive and corrupted government officials and stood always firm and managed crisis
appropriately through my leanings from experience and with proper handholding support by seniors.
Now also whenever I came across any ex–CARE colleague, the majority of conversation evolved on
CARE only. We used to cherish the nostalgic moments … the golden days with CARE.
I sincerely render my thanks and tribute to my the-then Colleagues / Seniors , who made my
Journey with CARE so meaningful and productive , some are late Mr Pat Carry, Mrs Patricia Buckley,
Dr Anand Chowdhury, Ms Nirmala Gupta, Mr Manohar Shenoy, Mrs Usha Kiran, Mr S B Saha, Mrs Gita
Pillai, Mr Manish Mathur, Dr Asish Sen, Mr S Banerjee, Mr Mohan Singh to name a few …. From my
exhaustive list
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I am presently working with TCI Foundation as its National Manager in Gurgaon
Arunangsu Chowdhury
[email protected]
March 2014
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70
G V Rao
CARE India – New Delhi
Former Regional Manager,
Primary Health Care Unit
January 1989 – Sept.1990
I joined as its Regional Manager, Primary Health Unit at CARE India in 1989. Prior to joining CARE India
I was working in the development sector in Mumbai for 8 years with NGOs and later with the
Maharastha Housing Board on health, sanitation, housing and economic devleopment programs. I
wanted to associate with CARE in Mumbai for its newly emerging health programs, however, Dr. Steven
Atwood encouraged me to assume a greater responsibility of managing health programs of Andhra
Pradesh and Maharastra from Delhi. Cheenu was the acting State Administrator at Hyderabad, who
communicated the offer and made initial communications on the matter. CARE gives you freedom of
expression and provides intense professional outlook to implement developmental projects.
As I moved from Mumbai to Delhi, it was my first experience in working in Delhi. I was quite impressed
with the kind of support extended to me by the PHCU & CARE team. I tried my best to adust, learn,
share and to get accepted among the team members and state offices. It was encouraging and
rewarding experience that I have. I had wonderful interactions with the state teams, helped them in
expanding the health programs in both the states.
I was assigned two states initially and later one additional one namely Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra
and Madhya Pradesh. It was quite a learning experience in devleoping and Managing health and
nutritional projects focused on children and women, training the ICDS teams. With program
monitoring and evaluation unit’s support we had to design and carry out baseline surveys for ORS, ARI
and community participation projects. It was very intesive and quite a learning experience for both the
teams. I liked the way Dr. Atwood use to focus and direct us on minute details of the project cycle
including project conceptualization, project design and development, monitoring, evaluation, and
report writing. He was very particular about the training curriculums and its development, various IEC
materials, training plans and training evaluation. He encouraged me to participate in the training of
trainers course at PRIA, which I really enjoyed and acquired good training methodology and skills. I am
able to use those learnings in my subsequent job assignments too. My first experience of getting a
laptop to work was memorable and I had to use of lot of softwares for data analysis.
My first experience in the CARE retreat at Agra was fascinating and gave a professional outlook to think
strategically for program development. During that meeting, we analysed the past and suggested
course of actions for further improvement. It was really taken very positively by the management and
team members, and all was done with lots of fun and fair. We could also discuss the new systems that
were required, suggested policies and procedures and how monitoring can be further intensified and
helped to improve the program etc were discussed.
CARE is an integral part of my professional development. My learning happened due to my association
with CARE senior employees and colleagues, training programmes for gaining technical knowledge, and
skills while working with Government Officials and Partner NGOs.
My responsibilities were included to strengthen health and nutrition interventions through detailed
planning processes across the 3 states. My efforts were towards improving the health care delivery
system with active participation of representation of women from the poorest and convergence of
health and ICDS services. It was challenging but very rewarding to see the devidents of such replicable
strategies adopted by CARE.
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The overall strategy adopted by CARE under the primary eye care initiative is to enhance
understanding and acceptance of the health approach in the ICDS program run by the government. It
had lots of innovations such as incorporating community participation, increasing the consistent
availability of cost-effective family health interventions, improving the quality of services and delivery
processes and promoting health seeking behaviour.
It was enriching experience to gain insight and enhanced knowledge on importance of detailed
documentation of effectiveness of strategies, use of M & E tools and program innovations that can
benefit family health throughout.
When I think about the best experiences I've had working in CARE team, what comes to mind is the
feeling of satisfaction and the sense of accomplishment that comes out of hard work, stress, and lots of
laughter.
The group experiences that are most memorable are the ones in which I feel that I had made significant
contributions. In many ways, it's up to the individual whether or not s/he has a positive or negative
team experience. We often think too highly of how others relate to us, but with a conscious effort, we as
individuals can make the ultimate difference in how we affect the group process and outcomes. This
means that we have to make a commitment, to ourselves and to the members of the team, to do our part
best.
I will be indebted to CARE India that has instilled in me the confidence, courage, creativity, calibrity and
credibility at the highest level besides enhancing the skills in communicating with people, coordinating
with departments or institutions and in converging with programs to explore the unexplored portion in
the forefont. It is not only limited to my professional development but also helped in the personal life as
well.
Presently, I also actively participate in the CARE alumi meetings / dinners in Delhi and thanks to
Cheenu for getting everyone together on the common platform.
Presently, I am working with the Hans Foundation, New Delhi as its Executive Director. It focuses and
supports programs on education, health and disabilities in India. I am happy to say that I am able to
utilize knowledge and skills gained during my association with CARE and other job assignments for
successful implementation of the project with meaningful impact.
I am proud of my working in CARE India which changed my life forever including shifting to Delhi. I
would love to work with CARE in future if I get a chance again. I sincerely thank my team at CARE, to
my the-then Colleagues / Seniors , who made my Journey with CARE so meaningful and productive,
some are late Mr Pat Carry, Dr. Steven Atwood, Mr. Gopalan, Mr. Cheenu, Mrs. Sneh R, Dr. Indrani, Ms.
Jyoti Dingra, Dr. Sanjay Sinho, Dr. Rajeeva Sardana, Mr. C S Reddy, Dr. Vaseer, Ms. Madhuri, Ms. Meeta
Lal, Ms. Jyoshna Roy, Mr. Boss Mr. Balaji, Ms. Mourine, and many many others to name a few …. from my
exhaustive list.
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GV Rao
Mobile: 09811150158
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71
Padmapriya T S
CARE India – TRP – TamilNadu
Program Support Manager
April 2005 – October 2006
Over my career of twenty years, I have been associated with several international brands, but none of
them would ever be close to my heart as CARE. So it is indeed a privilege to share my memories about
my experience as the Program Support Manager- Tsunami Response. My sincere thanks to KTS
(Cheenu) for his constant follow up over several months, that made me take a conscious effort to do
this.
I was one of the earliest to join the CARE India Tsunami Response Program (TRP) when CARE
reestablished its presence in Tamil Nadu after several years. The first few weeks of my employment
saw several staff from other locations come and go on secondment. Simultaneously, the new staff
members were also joining – Chandrika, Meera Sundararajan, Salma, and Shobhaa Iyer apart from
Murugan who had moved from the Girls Education project into Chennai.
I spent hours understanding the complex nature of the Tsunami Program which had over fourteen
donors and close to 20 million USD funding in the first year. It was a robust program that focused at
holistic rehabilitation through Watsan, Shelter, Psycho Social Care, Community Micro Projects and
Community Based Disaser Preparedness.
One of the early pictures of Tsunami Response taken at a hotel in Karaikal which was CARE’s temporary office
We then started recruiting for the district offices and I will never forget the joy I experienced when each
position of the organogram got filled, some taking more time than the other. When I think of this, I
remember with fondness (and sorrow) two stars of the Tsunami Program JVSSathyanarayana (Sathya
as he was popularly known) and Bhaskar Machani who are no longer in our midst.
Palaiyar – this village in Nagapattinam district is closely associated with the Cholas and occupies a
prominent position in the history of Tamil Nadu. Palaiyar held a very important place in the CARE India
Tsunami Response Program as well. It was here that we built 520 plus temporary shelters initially and
permanent houses subsequently. Palaiyar haunted us even in our dreams as we demystified the shelter
project. I can never forget the times when Meera, Deepa Di (Dipashree Mukherjee) and I had to closet
ourselves for hours (sometimes munching namkeens in Liberty Park) to get the various donor reports
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done. This even stretched to the time when the massive SED retreat happened at Gurgaon where we
had to fly in a day late thanks to donor reporting. Paramasivan, our Watsan advisor had to wave a wet
green cloth in front of Kumar, our finance officer’s eyes every now and then to rid of “figure sickness”
on Excel!
The first partners meet that was organised in the TRP. A symbolic souvenir was made with handprints of all those who
participated which adorned the walls of the TRP office for many years.
The four hundred odd microprojects in the districts and the Project Monitoring Team meetings through
which they were chosen were a crash course on successful post disaster program management. Most
importantly, I had the rare opportunity to work with so many wonderful people like Steve
Hollingworth, Daniel Sinnathamby, V S Gurumani, Malvika Varma and R N Mohanty not to mention my
very knowledgeable peers – the PSMs. I was the sole representative of my gender among them and
hence enjoyed being pampered and protected. They were always available at the other end of a
telephone line to answer my questions or help with a solution.
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The Program Support Managers Meet at Bhuvaneshwar – 2005-06
I learnt a lot from my supervisors Guruji and RNM as I participated in many a difficult decision taken,
and several creative solutions being found. My own team comprising of Murugan, Dipadi, Kumar,
Dinesh Deo, Santhosh, Shobhaa, Chandrika was wonderful and we celebrated every milestone in the
programme together. Audits proved to be opportunities to bond closer and prove our mettle.
Paramasivan sir was like a walking encyclopedia on the tsunami districts and NGO partners and I learnt
a lot from him too. Lunch times in Murugan’s room were a laugh riot thanks to “Shelter” Pavan.
With “The Boss” during his farewell
It has been close to eight years since I moved from CARE, but I still feel so much a part of the CARE
family. Dev never forgets to include me in the list of invitees for any event involving alumni and I am
greeted exactly the same way as I was when I worked there by everyone, including driver Parthiban.
This can only happen in CARE and I am so proud to be a part of the CARE family!
Padmapriya T S
[email protected]
March 2014
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72
Prem Shukla
CARE India – UP, AP, MP
Bihar, WB, TamilNadu & Sudan
October 1972 – February 1987
My journey to CARE began on 18 October 1972 out of sear coincidence. While working with
Government of India based in Lucknow, I met a staff from CARE - UP who informed me that CARE is
looking for a Statistician. After a few days of interaction with senior staff and Administrator (Gopal
Sarup), I started getting a sense of working for children especially in Education sector that eventually
transformed me to work in NGO sector than aspiring for higher bureaucratic job in Government. That
was beginning of a journey that I cherish even today.
While working with CARE, I came across some wonderful people, notably Romesh Mahajan, Sneh
Rewal, Mohatny and Srinivasan (fondly known as Cheenu) and several others.
I was one of the first staff from UP to go on TDY to Madhya Pradesh to assist in MDM evaluation, that
was the beginning of my professional work as evaluator and got inspired by a wonderful man known as
T R Sadasivan, the then Administrator of CARE MP.
Then there was no stoppage of spreading my wings across India, working on TDY assignments in CARETamil Nadu (evaluation of ICHS), CARE- W B (Health/Nurtition survey). While in Calcutta, interactions
with Viginia Ubik (Administrator CARE -WB) was a stimulating experience besides she being a fine
human being (still remember her cat chewing the hair of Saha while seated in her house). I had a
pleasure of working with CARE Bihar to conduct socio-economic survey to give a start to CARE Bihar
eventually.This did not stop here and I had several assignments and visits to several CARE programs
and finally landing at CARE AP as Systems Officer.
My posting in Hyderabad provided a wide range of new things in life among them; my children learned
Telgu and wife became expert in cooking Rasam and Idly besides Sambhar and Dosa (from North to
South cultural adaptation).
Then the real turning point came in life with a significant risk that eventually paid of well in the later
part of life in terms of professional deliberations.While working in Plan-Sudan for Refugee programs
under CARE/UNHCR, I was involved in food management in several refugee camps including one of the
world’s biggest (Wadsarife).
Life was not easy but professional challanges very satisfying but children were growing, so I started
looking for a change for more stable professional work and returned to India in February 1987 to join
Plan International as Program Development Executive at the Regional Office in Delhi. However, I still
maintained my contacts with CARE India. The experience of working with CARE brought in a
commitment to work for children’s development. A forceful urge to accept challanges to bring change in
the lives of the most deprived, vulnerabl and marginalised population made me to travel across the
continents in different capacities. Credit goes to CARE.
I would like recapitulate some of the events that followed after leaving CARE. While workingwith Plan
International in Delhi, I accepted international positions that took me to almost 73 countries across the
world either as work, seminars, fund raising events, crisis management, emergency support etc in some
of the world’s hot spots including Myanmar. I worked as Country Director of Plan International in 7
countries across Africa, Asia, and South America. One of the biggest achievements was that of attaining
proficiency in Sanish, French and Portuguse languages.
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My personal and profession achievements can be largly attributed to CARE experiences as a foundation
that lead to acquiring positions of advantage leading to personal and professional work experience,
inner satisfaction to make a differnce in the the life of children and population a alike. It all helped me to
become adaptable to differnect cultures and traditions and above all to understand and appreciate
intricacies of human touch/life.
Finally, while a significant progress was registered on personal note, we are a happy family; my son
Sachin Shukla (Dircetor of Quality Managemen at Intel World Hqs based in USA) and Daughter Sanju
Shukla (Director of her own Company Swadha Constructions). My wife (Chanda Shukla) and I live in
Accra, Ghana.
Life would not have been the same if I had not worked with CARE.
Lunch @ Saras, Bangkok, Thailand August 2010
Prem Shukla
[email protected]
March 2014
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73
Amiya Shanker
CARE India, UP : 2003 - 2008
My journey to CARE began on 23rd November 2003 at Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh. That was beginning of a
journey that I cherish even today. Prior to joining with CARE, I was part of Hindustan latex Limited
(Sukhi Sansar Project – SIFPSA / USAID funded) and an integrated project for community, industrial
worker and sex workers with social wing of PHD Chamber Of Commerce and Industries, New Delhi.
I was nervous at the time of interview held at Lucknow office; but at the end of interview; I realized
that I will be part of the CARE. There were Dr. Anupam Raizada; Ms. Shilpa Nair, Mr. Surojit Chatterji
etc. were in the plank. Joining the CARE of my career was like a dream come true. While working with
CARE, I came across some wonderful people, notably Dr. Anupam Raizada, Dr. D. S. Panwar, Mr. Surojit
Chatterji, Mr. Anuj Bhatia, Mr. Joby George, Mr. Jeet Singh, Mr. Simanta Mohanty and several others.
I was Social Marketing Officer in district Hardoi initially. The district is situated quite close to state
capital but far in rate of performing indicators viz. malnutrition is high, literacy rate is 68%. One of the
districts requires penetrative working to uplift the performing indicators. The district comprises 19
blocks. Education facilities are not very easily obtainable. There were a regional meet soon after my
joining, at Shajahanpur and got an opportunity to introduce with other districts team members viz. Mr.
Prabhat Sinha, Mr. Vijay Sharma etc. Our Regional Manager was Mr. Surojit Chatterji. I become skilled
by working with Mr. Surojit during the leading phase of journey. I found him as a good mentor as well
as supported me to grow as it was my first exposure in any international organization. After
overcoming the initial hiccups of understanding the CARE terminology; I geared up to work in Hardoi.
Working with district team members was a good exposure to understand team work having different
assigned role and responsibility.
Amongst many challenges that we faced engaging the social marketing organization was the biggest.
But I was able to establish cordial relation with Social Marketing organization and get the success in
ensuring socially marketed spacing contraceptives; especially oral pills and condom contraceptives, at
demonstration sites Aanganwari centres. I was able to ensure installation of 100 mechanical condom
vending machines and in the rural areas as well as 25 electronic vending machines of condom in the
urban areas of Hardoi district in close coordination with Hindustan Latex Limited, Lucknow. Later, I got
success in ensuring availability of socially marketed contraceptives at the replication sites also. During
the middle and later phase I was supervised and guided by Ms. Shilpa Nair & Dr. Anupam Raizada
(later). Sometimes the position of Training coordinator remains vacant; therefore with the support of
district team members especially Mr. Anuj Bhatia I was able to deliver tangible results in the district. He
guided me in the management of NGO partnerships. I always get inspiration to move ahead by Dr.
Anupam Raizada, as later he was our Regional Manager. I was able to learn meaning of the term
‘Supportive Supervision’ by the visit of Mr. Surojit Chatterji & Dr. Anupam Raizada. The way, they
imparted guidance during the field visit in our district was commendable. I was a member of ISOFI team
(thanks to Ms. Suniti) and represented our district team. In the pilot phase of study I could gear up
myself with the ‘Gender & Sexuality’ issues; it was the good learning for articulation the issue. I
attended workshops held for the same in coordination with ICRW.
Later I was part of OR study in Barabanki on the issue of articulation of gender & sexuality in the
program also. I held the post of training coordinator I/c from May 2006 to October 2006 as the position
was vacant; I organized training for AWW, ANMs, PRI members on the aspects of FP and HIV / AIDS
issues. I was part of team who was preparing CB module for the purpose of training of RHCAs; My real
learning in the development sector started with CARE. Mr. Joby George was Technical Project
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Coordinator, was an excellent mentor. Energetic and enthusiastic, He was full of new ideas. I learnt a lot
from him in particular technical aspects.
I did not have skill of driving light motor vehicle; it was the organization that provided me skill of the
same. There were a team of Program Support having fine members’ comprising Late Ms. Fareed Ji,
Ashish Auddy, Amit Srivastava, Shipra Lawrence, Shiji, Alpana, Saroj, Rajpreet Kaur etc headed by Mr.
Simanta Mohanty, who was always smiling & intellectual personality and Mr. Jeet Singh, who found to
be supportive & positive always.
I missed out capturing the memorable photos of our hard work and memorable moments.
Later, in October 2006, I had been provided opportunity by the organization for working in newly
awarded MNH project – “Sure Start Project”. The project was complementary to RCH II / NRHM. The
district has considerable NMR. & MMR, institutional delivery, receiving prenatal care and breastfeeding
practices. I got another excellent supervisor - Dr. D. S. Panwar; he has great mentoring and management
skills. He is exceptional on technical aspects of MNH, RH, and FP etc. I was able to learn operations in
planning phase for any project from the scratch level and later cast in the implementation phase.
Dr. Panwar remains cool and clams every time & always provide moral support to the team. I was based
at Barabanki and led by Mr. Ravi. Lal Das, who provided me admirable guidance in my field activities
during planning and implementation phase of Sure Start. During planning phase it has been observed
that still most of the deliveries happening in the village home by old traditional birth attendant. The use
of old system of cutting the cord with ‘USTURA’ has been observed well also. I got an opportunity to
meet few good people viz. Mr. Sanjay Sharma, Mr. Vikrant of PATH team during the Sure Start’ phase.
We had good relation with health and ICDS officials. One of health official Dr. R. Raman is now
Additional Director - Health at Manipuri; Dr. Raman sporadic remembering the period of working of
CARE in the district. Even today he appreciates & regards our good efforts in terms of development of
‘Village Health & Sanitation Committees’’ at the grass root level. He was ACMO – Administration at that
time in health department of BaraBanki.
It was the organization & members of organization associated, who provided me support in growing
continuously; as I have started my professional journey from the grass root level position. The role of
people and organizations; which provide me support & guidance to grow up at Regional level position
was splendid.
I got farewell from CARE in February 2008 and moved on to work with Naandi Foundation on a ‘Safe
Drinking Water’ issue - community based initiative & opportunity to work with state level officials &
opinion leaders. Currently, working as Program Officer –TI with ‘Futures Group International’ and
based at Allahabad regional HQ; along with small & happy family.
I wish I could write about more occasions and mention names of all the people I worked with and
received a lot of affection and respect however, even a 10 pager document may not do righteousness to
it. Apart from the few names mentioned earlier, I would like to acknowledge the support received from
Mr. Shiva K Kumar, Mr. Amit Baneerji, Mr. Alok Singh (GPEP team of Hardoi), Mr. Nadeem, Ms. Suniti
Neogi, Mr. Sanjeev Narrotam, Ms. Prachi, Ms. Junita, Mr. Rajesh Srivastava, Mr. Vijay Sharma, Ms.
Subhra, Mr. Dheeraj Padamwar, Mr. Vikas Singh (earlier with GPEP), and all the highly experienced staff
at CARE Uttar Pradesh and guidance received from Dr. Anupam Raizada, Dr. D. S. Panwar & Mr. Surojit
Chatterji and fine SMT members Mr. Daniel Sinnathamby, Dr. Lovleen Jouhari, Mr. Basanta Kar, Mr.
Cedric Finch & other members at CIHQ. I lug loving memories of days spent at CARE and distinguish
that the learning and experience gathered at CARE has been useful to me through all the work these
days.
Amiya Shanker
[email protected]
March 18, 2014
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74
Marcia Lang
CARE USA
India (67-70); Colombia (70-73); HQ (73-74); Sri Lanka (74-78);
Costa Rica (78-80); Honduras (80-85); Indonesia (85-88);
Egypt (88-91); Guatemala (91-96)
CARE MEMORIES - A Journey of Friendships
I COLOMBIA
It is fitting that I start my recollection of CARE memoirs at Thanksgiving time for I am truly grateful for
the experiences gained, friendships made, and wonderful travels throughout our unbelievable CARE
world.
Colombia was where it all began in 1973 in springtime when I was a new bride. My husband, Jay, was
my best friend from the Peace Corps, where we served in Guatemala from 1963 - 1965. He was a
volunteer in the City, but I worked in the countryside. We stayed in contact all these years after he
joined CARE.
We lived in Bogota, up the hill near the Catholic Church. Shortly after arriving, our friend Jim wanted to
introduce me to the Blind School which was operated by the nuns of the Sabiduria. Upon arriving there,
I was immediately captivated and taken in hand by Elsa, a precocious four year old imp, who proceeded
to introduce me to everyone.
Blind School, Bogota
It was almost like taking my vows, as I promised to return weekly and work with everyone. I thought
back to my childhood and remembered how I imagined I was destined for the nunnery. The light brown
birthmark on my left knee, a modern cross, was a discreet sign. It disturbed me because I was Lutheran
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and Sister Edith; the nun at my church, was definitely not appealing as a role model. I didn’t pursue that
vocation.
Suddenly I found myself swept up in a miraculous new world. Jim hoped this would happen. The nuns,
specifically Sor Lillia, became trusted friends and would celebrate holidays with our small family.
As a social worker, I helped the organization modernize their record keeping techniques. I quickly made
friends with other ex-patriot volunteers at the Institute, mainly Emma Allison. We founded LINC (Luz
Para el Instituto de Niño’s Ciegos) and raised money for the Institute by sponsoring operations for the
children. Many children were from poverty-stricken areas and couldn’t afford expensive medical
services.
To raise funds, the volunteers organized fun-loving cocktail parties in our homes. We believed it was for
an admirable cause that would gather support.
When I moved to Bogota, I inherited Morgan, a dark, velvety brown Doberman Pincher. Though known
as a ferocious breed, she was a sweet-heart and we soon became fast friends. About a year after my
arrival we decided to mate her and her paramour was brought to our back yard. She did not care for
him and bounded through our large plate-glass window shattering it into shreds. It was late in the
afternoon when I reported this mishap to the office, soliciting help for a glass replacement. I worried
about the possibilities of theft, but concentrated on calming Morgan down. Miraculously, she was
unscathed.
My husband often took me with him on field trips. One weekend we traveled to the Llanos to visit
school feeding programs. I stayed behind in the jeep because one had to wade through a river to get to
the school. Fortunately I wasn’t up to it. Poor Jay was bitten unmercifully by chiggers. What a disaster!
Shortly thereafter, back in Bogota, I called my friend Raymonde to tell her I was worried that I might be
having a miscarriage because I was hemorrhaging. I didn’t even know that I was pregnant. She came
from the office with a car, but Morgan had taken up vigil by my side and would let no one near me. I was
touched by Morgan’s loyalty, but escaped her vigilance to get to the hospital. Nothing could be done and
I lost that fetus.
Unfortunately Jay couldn’t help me because he was out welcoming his new boss.
Back to Elsa, who crept into my heart, I wanted to adopt her, but could not convince my husband. In the
long run, I’m sure it was best. Years later I discovered that she had been taken in by an American family
who helped handicapped children.
In this first setting in the mountains we made several life-long friends, Mark and Carmen Reilly and Ray
and Raymonde Rignall. Mark was with CRS; they were neighbors and we spent time together playing
cards and raising ruckuses. Ray and Raymonde were our first CARE acquaintances. Both couples have
been with us through everything and were present when our son, Randy, married Brooke.
Jay’s first boss was Larry Deliquadri. They both had problem in understanding each other but this never
affected their work. He had a charming wife, Sophie, who was a very talented artist; she made good
friends with us. One day Jay received notice from headquarters that he was being transferred to
Pakistan. Mr. Deliquadri was head of the Pakistan Mission, Jay discussed and questioned his transfer
with him, and he was transferred to the NYC office instead to write the Operations Manual.
By the time we left Colombia I was happily pregnant. On our way out we vacationed on the beaches of
Rio de Janiero and my husband scooped out spaces in the sand (under my belly) to make room for our
little treasure.
II. NEW YORK CITY
In 1973 Jay and I settled into our new assignment after finding an ample apartment on West 52nd
Street off First Avenue, an easy walk to Headquarters. Fortunately we lived around the corner from
Peter Reitz who also worked with CARE and his wife Hazel. It didn’t take long for us to forge a solid
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friendship. Living in the city afforded me the opportunity to meet many of the NY staff which brought
me into the organization I’d only glimpsed from afar.
Peter Reitz with baby Randy
I found an Obstetrician, started to set up a nursery at home, and later found Lamaze Classes led by the
renowned Elizabeth Bing. It was a God send to have these tasks as the City wasn’t an easy place to meet
people. Friends from all walks of life came through for very short visits, which was helpful.
Our son, Randy, made his entrance into our world on August 11th in the early evening. In spite of
previous notifications, our parents weren’t home when we called to share our excitement.
I think we made an unwise decision not to have his maternal grandmother visit immediately. We
wanted to do everything by ourselves – how naïve! I decided to nurse Randy, but occasionally needed to
leave him a bottle so sterilize the nipples. I’m positive my mother would have known how to boil water
correctly! New parents create mental stumbling blocks when it revolves around simple tasks.
Finally, after waiting a few weeks we were thrilled to welcome my mother for a visit to help us out. We
had frozen one of our favorite casseroles for her visit, Tijuana Torte, accompanied by black beans and
sour cream. What a lesson! How quickly I learned that I shouldn’t eat gassy foods when nursing a baby.
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Wanting mother to enjoy the City we bought a ticket to a Broadway play, starring Tommy Tune, to
thank her for her help. All she really wanted to do was spend time with her beautiful grandson. When
would we learn?
Friends from far and near came to visit. The first to arrive was Sor Teresa, the director of the Blind
School in Bogota. It was wonderful that we could give her pictures to share with our friends who lived
so far away.
Director, Colombian Blind School, with Randy
In the fall we rented a car for a trip to New England to enjoy the changing of the leaves. This was our
first opportunity to introduce Randy to the joys of dining out. He was an excellent participant and made
our lives easy since there were no babysitters available. During Thanksgiving we visited my family in
Erie, Pennsylvania and at Christmas we found our way to Eugene, Oregon so everyone could meet our
son.
Randy’s first Christmas
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One of Randy’s first phrases should have been “I love a parade” because we participated in them
monthly. Our short stateside sojourn ended quickly when Jay finished writing his Overseas Operations
Manual and we learned a transfer was in our future to the exotic isle of Sri Lanka.
One of the most difficult aspects of living overseas is shipping your personal effects; not all movers are
excellent. Fortunately, we never lost a shipment nor experienced extensive damages, but the wait on the
other end could be exasperating. Another ordeal was procuring all of the inoculations needed for
travelling in foreign countries.
It was mindboggling figuring out what a new baby would need and what would be available at the other
end.
We were allotted three suitcases per person. Yikes!
Now, as an experienced traveler I know what to expect, but then I was a novice. Flexibility is the key.
III SRI LANKA
Arriving in Colombo, the land of exotic spices, I realized the customs and people were intriguing but at
times overwhelming. While trying to settle in, we learned that it was customary to pass on houses and
servants for your replacements. However, our supposed home had been taken by the new couple who
worked for the pharmaceutical company Pfizer.
We became fast friends with the Behrenhausens who had two daughters, the youngest, Sarah, was the
same age as Randy. It was magical as we shared so much in our new worlds. Working for CARE, an NGO,
we didn’t have government privileges, like Commissary rights (shopping facilities) and health benefits.
It’s not impossible to live on the local market, but we were hindered by local health problems. The most
noticeable was inoculations; since Randy wasn’t vaccinated (no local vaccines were available) he came
down with the measles.
Our personal effects would take about three months to arrive from New York so we had ample time to
look for a new home. Initially we stayed at the Intercontinental, but soon moved to the Holiday Inn
where we settled in two large rooms, with no cooking facilities, for about three months. Eventually our
family moved to Charles Way into a charming bungalow equipped with high ceiling fans, Dutch doors,
screened in porches and fragrant Frangipani flowers.
My most difficult task was hiring a cadre of servants. We needed a cook, his helper, a gardener and a
nanny. Sri Lanka was a melting pot of religions and ethnic groups. Naïve and untrained, we made the
first mistake of hiring Tamils, Sinhalese, Buddhists, and Christians. It didn’t work! We eventually ended
up with a Buddhist/Christian household.
Our nanny, Maggie, a devout Buddhist, took Randy in his stroller to temple with her quite often; he
adored her and absorbed a peaceful serenity. She is unforgettable in her flowing white saris as she
holds blond Randy in his jaunty sailing cap.
A CARE employee introduced us to the Royal Colombo Yacht Club (RCYC) where we soon met a bevy of
new friends and started a new life-style. Neither one of us had seriously sailed before, but we soon
became fierce competitors and made fast friends with sailors who had children Randy’s age. It wasn’t
long before I learned to proverbially “walk on water” because I couldn’t tolerate being in the same boat
with my husband.
Our primary cohorts were the Abbots, a British couple with a daughter named Victoria; the
Wimaladharmas, (Sri Lankan father, German mother) and their son Jan; and the Henrikson’s, a Danish
couple and their son Mikkel. We socialized at the Yacht Club but also challenged ourselves to monthly
dinners. We cooked exotic recipes from scratch, using only local ingredients.
Naturally we joined in birthday celebrations of Randy’s friends. It’s hard to forget Mikkel’s chocolate
cake decorated with festive Danish flags. The red and white symbols were unforgettable.
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One day while in a race at the Yacht Club we were approached by the rescue boat and the helmsman
shouted, “He’s OK. Calm down, it’s OK . . . Don’t worry, they’ve taken Randy to the emergency room –
he’ll be fine.”
Startled and terror stricken, we rowed to shore. “How do they know he’ll be OK? They aren’t with him,”
I thought. Meanwhile we learned that Randy had fallen off the seesaw and sliced his forehead open. It
was the first of many head wounds. By the time we reached the emergency room he was sewn up and
Victoria was tenderly holding his hand. Had I been replaced so quickly?
The most sacred ceremony in the Buddhist world is the Kandy Perahera when the Sacred Tooth of the
Buddha is paraded through town on a jeweled bedecked elephant known as the Maligawa Tusker. The
festival lasts for fifteen nights and culminates on the night of the full moon. In Kandy, the elephant is
accompanied by whip-crackers, torch bearers, drummers, dancers and another group of bejeweled
pachyderms.
We attended the elaborate festival our first year in country with the Behrenhausen family and lodged in
quaint bungalows. The total experience was an excellent introduction to this exotic land.
A trip to the upcountry tea estates to observe the planting and harvesting of the world-famous Ceylon
tea was a frequent destination. Drinking tea at mid-day was customary in this Island paradise. Uniquely
packaged tea was certainly a favored gift to bring home, as were their legendary batiks.
Calling to the US was always very difficult. Once we placed a call to my brother who was scheduled for
prostate surgery. By the time the operator called us back, three weeks later, we’d forgotten who we
even called and why!
In spite of these difficulties, one day I received a call from my sister-in-law informing me that my
mother was in the hospital being operated on for Breast Cancer. Shattered, I told them I’d be there
before the week ended.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t leave before the moon rose again as I was stricken with the bone-breaking
disease, Dengue Fever. Literally, I couldn’t move. Our windows were covered by dark blinds because the
slightest bit of light was excruciating. I was unable to swallow a morsel. Never would I wish the Fever
on anyone. By the time I finally reached Erie a month later I could spend quality time with my mother.
Everyone who helped earlier had departed. It appeared that some unplanned distractions could be a
blessing in disguise.
That summer we enjoyed a delightful home-leave and travelled through Japan on our return. We
enjoyed their temples, visiting with the monks and delving into their culture. Randy was petrified when
we visited a Kabuki Drum ceremony and wouldn’t return. He was barely three and what seemed
interesting to us, terrified him.
On returning home to Colombo we were shocked to learn that Maggie left and traveled to Dubai to earn
her nest egg, a common practice for local employees. Randy was devastated and he never felt warmth
towards Josephine, the lovely Christian woman we hired for Maggie’s position. It helped somewhat that
Randy started pre-school and was gone part of the day.
Exotic flowers thrived in this land. Through the Women’s Club I joined a class for flower arranging and
studied Ikebana with a local master. Every week I purchased armfuls of exotic orchids, aromatic
displays graced our tables.
After we’d been in country over three years our landlord wanted his home back; we delayed moving
thinking we were due for a transfer soon. Our relationship deteriorated and the landlord threatened to
kill Randy if we didn’t vacate his home immediately. In fact, he’d written editorials in the local
newspaper with headlines: CARE employee doesn’t CARE!
We quickly found another home on the other side of Colombo. Fearful, we called on our sailing buddy,
as he ran a security watch organization. His agents watched our home and followed our son twenty-four
seven. What a crimp to enjoying our Island Paradise.
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When school ended I left Sri Lanka with Randy for a trip to England where I vacationed with one of our
sailing families -- an excellent respite from our stressful situation. A week after arriving Jay called with
the news that we were being transferred to Costa Rica. (We were correct after all, about an imminent
transfer!) Headquarters stipulated he report for duty in a month. Consequently, he wanted me to return
immediately to pack up the household.
I called my parents and asked them if they’d take care of their grandson for a month. They were
delighted so I made plans to fly to Pittsburgh where they’d pick up our son.
When I returned to Colombo, our life was a whirlwind. We had time for several farewell parties, while I
packed up the house and returned milk bottles and other life-sustaining products. After Jay departed, I
was in for a delightful treat at a going-away party held in my honor by the American Women’s
Association.
Suddenly, I was grabbed from behind by a woman from my past, Kirsten, a cherished high-school friend.
She was with her second husband who was slated to manage a tea estate. They were my guests of honor
at the rest of my festivities. It made parting so much easier.
IV. COSTA RICA
Looking for new living quarters was always the first thing that occupied our time. We had no hope for
an orientation because CARE had not worked in this country previously. Jay was sent to commercially
grow soybeans that would produce blended food products for the government’s school nutrition
program.
Everything seemed drab. How boring to have only Catholics or Evangelicals. I missed the Buddhist
temples and exotic dress – the graceful swish of a colorful sari. Nothing smelled fragrant like my
Frangipanis.
It was daunting not to have CARE friends. I felt alone, alienated. What a gift to have others familiarize
you with the customs of a new country’s culture. How I missed the religious diversity of Sri Lanka,
everything was sterile! No temples for Buddha or bejeweled elephants to dazzle my senses.
Meeting old friends along the way rescued me. Through my Peace Corps network I found an old
Guatemalan friend, Norma, who was married to a local man. Eureka. Was there hope? Soon other
connections surfaced through Pfizer – our friends the Beherenhausens paved the way for us to meet
Tom and Ellen Granger and their three daughters. Our dear friends, from Bogota presented another link
as Carmen’s sister had moved to San Jose. I began to feel better but missed the fragrant aromas of
Frangipanis.
We enrolled Randy in the Country Day School which determined the area of town where we would live.
Randy readily made friends with Spanish-speaking children of American parents. Having a knack for
languages, he quickly learned to speak Spanish flawlessly with an incredible intonation. He spent hours
playing with Henrik and Andrew Schouten, whose parents worked for USAID. They adored “Star Wars”
toys and played with them non-stop.
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House hunting led Jay to Santa Marta Montes de Oca, a remote area high up the hill. Our landlord left his
parrot, Lorito, to roam the lush patio but squawked at anyone who invaded his territory. He imitated
the whirring sounds of sirens. When Jay’s parents visited she stopped talking.
Jay's mother, Luna, commented, “Lorito, Como estas?”
Dead silence.
“Lorito, your orchids are beautiful.”
No comment. She didn’t even squawk at the sirens.
Lorito Costa Rica
The day my in-laws returned to America, Lorito went back to her old self, squawking and chattering.
Our house on the hill was a rambling, white, ranch-style abode with a double garage, three-bedrooms,
den, living room, dining room, plus a spacious porch and maid’s quarters. What made it unique was the
inside porch that housed Lorito. In spite of all this, I couldn’t shake my loneliness.
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I soon began volunteering my time with Isabell Romero, the Director of Delphi, the Woman’s Rights
Organization in Costa Rica. It gave me a sense of purpose. I was given a ticket to travel with Isabell to
Denmark in 1980 for the first International Women’s Conference as her translator.
The trip wasn’t a total delight. After calling my friends the Henricksons, our sailing friends from Sri
Lanka, I discovered that Peter was in the hospital, dying from Cancer. Fortunately I was there to
support his wife, Hanne, at this devastating time.
Costa Rica lured visitors to their rain forests and lush coastlines. My parents availed themselves of
another travel opportunity. We started out one weekend for the remote beaches of Joco. After bouncing
around for several hours Dad became impatient.
“Where the hell are we? I want to go back!”
“It’s only a little bit farther, Dad!”
“I’ve had enough!”
There was no convincing him, so we turned around for the long drive home to San Jose. Mom was game
for anything, but she kept her opinions to herself. My Dad liked his comforts and this road-trip didn’t fit
the bill.
One weekend Jay and I traveled to the beach for a mini R&R and upon returning discovered that our
home had been burglarized. Who knows where Morgan was? Everything seemed to be in order, except
our office and bedroom. A minimal amount of cash was missing, but all of my beloved personal jewelry
had vanished.
I wept uncontrollably. Not only treasured gifts from my husband, but everything bequeathed from my
mother were gone. It seemed to be an inside job. Our home had been scoured with a fine toothed comb.
After some deliberation we fired our maid. I never recovered anything but soon learned San Jose was
known for jewelry thefts. For months I didn’t feel safe and went to stay with our friends, the Grangers.
Our Thanksgiving of 1978 was shared with our friends from Bogota, the Rignalls, who were living in
Nicaragua. They were tense from the on-going political disturbances and needed a brief respite. Their
visit helped distract me from our recent burglary.
There were always exceptional entertaining moments: dressing up for Halloween Parties. I donned a
Spider-Woman costume and used it for years to come. I loved prancing around in her outfit and taking
on her persona. Jay bedazzled everyone as a holy monk. You could never tell about us and where our
inspirations would come from
Puntarenas was our destination on many weekends for sailing competitions in the “Streaker.” Jay was
delighted with the ability to continue his passion. This time he sailed solo. I’d tired of walking on water!
My culinary prowess was put to the test as the President of CARE, Wally Campbell, was coming for a
visit. We hosted a luncheon in his honor. I spent hours perfecting a scrumptious Chicken a la King recipe
served over flaky biscuits.
Sometimes we encountered old friends when we were transferred.
Jay’s replacement was John McCleod, an old Peace Corps friend. He and his family served with us in Sri
Lanka. We helped them settle in before we packed up for Honduras.
V. HONDURAS
One would think that living close by, in Costa Rica, the proximity would make a transfer easier. That
never happened. It always took a long time for our personal effects to catch up with us. We put a lot of
effort into choosing a shipping company, although the choice never seemed to be important.
I found a deeper part of myself that I’d previously been oblivious to. This conduit was first a new
adventure, but later became a passion and my outlet for creativity. Was it sheer coincidence or an
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intervention? I became involved in one of my favorite pastimes in Honduras that led me on an
incredible journey: Community Theatre.
One of the first organizations I joined was the English Speaking Women’s Club. The president, Sigga
wanted to offer plays as fundraisers and approached me to help. Enthused, I replied, “Great, I’ll sell the
tickets! No one can refuse me . . . I can sell ice to an Eskimo.”
This didn’t satisfy Sigga. “No, Marcia, I want you to act. There’s a terrific short play, Sorry Wrong
Number. I know you’d be fabulous!”
I’d never acted before but it sounded like fun, so I agreed. One of my close friends, Romaine, taught
drama at the American High School; I knew she would coach me. We worked tirelessly on a weekly
basis.
Sorry Wrong Number was a fabulous play to start out with. The part I played was an invalid, confined to
bed, so at least I wouldn’t have to worry about blocking (the actor’s movements on stage). I could just
change positions appropriately in my bed. When I appeared for my very first curtain call I was greeted
with thunderous applause. WOW! I couldn’t believe it – the curtain closed and opened again for three
repeat calls.
I spent time with amazing theater folk -- the total enjoyment hooked me and Community Theatre
became an integral part of my life!
Eventually we formed a theater group and produced semi-annual plays at the Kluck’s restaurant, The
Kloisters. The couple who owned the restaurant, Flor and Toya, was also founding members and their
venue was an excellent location. Our spouses helped us with many things like ushering and working out
financial issues.
Another passion was playing Duplicate Bridge. I learned the game in High School, played it through
college and took it up again when I traveled around the world with CARE. Many of my friends from the
theater group also enjoyed the game. We played at the Mayan Hotel and in private homes. “I can always
find challenging games wherever I live.”
Dinny Stache was one of my good friends. An American, she was married to Gunter, an enterprising
German business man who owned Cadeca which sold mouth-watering chickens. They were the proud
owners of a delightful island off the coast of Honduras, Jack Oneal’s Cay, the location of many Women’s
trips and family vacations. It was a favorite retreat called Maxi House on Mini Key.
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Snorkeling was another passion. On the Women’s Trips I became the in-house guide who taught others
to snorkel and use the equipment. Dinny had lots of extra masks and fins for guests to borrow. It was
important to be a strong, confident swimmer because some of the other islands were a great distance
from where we were staying.
I became adept at recognizing the colorful underwater life. Resplendent Angel fish were a delight to
float above and the tiny Sea Horse was a rarity.
One day a group of us swam to a near-by Cay and were treated to an incredible sight: a dozen Sting Rays
relaxing in the sand. “Beware,” I cautioned the group, “these sea creatures can immobilize you with a
whip of their tail. Fortunately, we all came back from our outing that day without encountering
problems.”
Another outing took us to a lovely cove. Danger lurked as I suddenly spotted a cluster of sharks. Quickly,
I backed the group up and headed for shore. Later, back at the Cay I told the group, “I think the sharks
must be digesting an incredibly tasty meal because we didn’t seem to be of interest. Perhaps they aren’t
man-eaters.”
We loved to fish and a line was always hung off the dock in hopes of catching a succulent dinner.
Trolling for grouper or other big game was also engaging fun but the tastiest was preparing fresh fish
for dinner. Yum-m-m!
It wasn’t long before I discovered that one of my good friends from the Peace Corps was living in
Honduras. Mike Schwartz had divorced his wife Betsy long ago and was living in Tegucigalpa with his
three sons and girlfriend.
We got together often for wonderful dinners and good times. Somehow I wondered about our
friendship because I became involved with a left-wing woman’s organization. I came with an
introduction to Naomi, the leader, from my friends in Delphi, the organization I worked for in Costa
Rica. I always suspected that Mike reported me to the Embassy because I was subtly forbidden to keep
an on-going relationship with the organization. I worried about the Embassy’s relationship to CARE and
could not jeopardize that. After all, I was a guest in this country. I have always resented this interference
from others in my life and still carry it within. Maybe that’s one reason I loved acting and could wear
other masks.
Occasionally the Embassy received high-ranking visitors, and CARE personnel were extended
invitations to meet them. During our stay we had the pleasure of greeting President and Mrs. George
Bush. Approximately one hundred citizens were invited to greet them. For safety precautions all
visitors were forbidden to carry anything, except their passport. As a result, we took advantage of the
meeting to have the President sign our passports. The President was quite familiar with CARE’s work
but cautioned us “I don’t know if this will put you in jail, or keep you out!” We might not have voted for
him, but he certainly had a sense of humor.
Living overseas we always had dogs. Honduras was a disaster. Somehow we got a Salukie and we mated
her with an Afghan. Don’t even ask why. She had a litter of ten puppies! Unfortunately I had to travel
home at that time because my mother was ill, but I gave strict instructions to the boys to place the
puppies with others! When I returned home, all the critters were still in the garden and they’d
destroyed our wicker patio furniture -- the excuse? They were all too adorable. Within a week I had all
of them placed, except the favorite, “Taun Taun” who obviously got his name from the “Star Wars”
movie. He was ours.
This dog was always a problem, mainly because of his size and girth. He’d jump up on Randy when he
came home from school and lick his face and ears in friendly torment. At the end of our stay we decided
he was impossible to travel with and gave him to a farmer who answered our friendly ad.
Our home, in central Tegucigalpa, shared a back wall with the Embassy Guest House. One week a
friendly family, Tom and Chris Zepeda, moved in. We became fast friends as they had four children and
the youngest, Craig, was Randy’s age and they went to school together. Tom worked for the DEA (Drug
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Enforcement Agency) and packed a gun. He fortunately taught his family well about the proper use of
guns. Nonetheless, our kids easily scrambled over the wall to play with each other -- so much for
security.
We shared a common group of friends and often vacationed in other areas in the Northern part of the
country, San Pedro Sula. This was an amazing location where there were rambling homes on the beach
great to share with several families.
We had a visit wonderful visit from Judy and Lee, my husband’s sister and brother-in-law. They got to
meet all of our theater friends because I was in another play and they traveled with us to San Pedro
Sula. It was there that Jay showed his mixology talent and in one of the local bars had a Bloody Mary
making contest. He won of course because his secret ingredient was horseradish, no tabasco!
Regards,
Marcia Lang (Spouse of Jay Jackson)
[email protected]
February, 2014
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75
Trudy E Bower
CARE USA
CARE India : 1978 – 1979
CARE Bangladesh : 1980 - 1982
Amidst the colonial splendor of the Imperial Hotel in Delhi, I enjoy my first ice-cold Kingfisher beer accompanied by roasted cashew nuts - and, like Proust with his madeleine, it evoked memories of South
Asia, my first job and the life-long friendships I made with CARE.
CARE and I found each other quite by accident; I arrived via degrees in French and International Affairs,
an internship with the UN, and a mailing list of 100 non-profit organizations that interested me. CARE
replied first, offering me a paid internship in Chile which was subsequently changed to India (some
disappointment there but also fascination). I then had to choose between a job teaching in Japan, a midlevel position in the US Civil Service monitoring anti-dumping policies at the Dept. of Commerce and the
CARE internship. Intuition, I think, led me to CARE and it changed my life forever.
I arrived at CARE-India HQ in Delhi with a suitcase and a sleeping bag and was thrilled to be lodged in
the Lodi Hotel with a bed. The first thing I learned about CARE is that they always want you to come
right away even though you’re not necessarily needed. I was told to arrive on 20 December, right
before the holidays, and spent Christmas learning to prepare chapattis with Terry and Char’s servant,
Lalu.
I enjoyed working with CARE's best: Pat Carey, Terry Jeggle, Larry Holzman and Allan Turnbull in Delhi
and Ginny Ubik, Stafford Clarry and Bill Huth in the state offices. I was assigned to Program under Pat,
sharing an office with KT Srinivasan (Cheenu) and Ravina Chadda, both of whom graciously took on the
task of breaking in a new intern (I was "green" the managers said).
To learn about CARE programs firsthand, I was sent on my first field trip for 4 months to Karnataka,
Andra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala (see picture). I kept pinching myself, thinking, "I can't believe I
am being paid to do this!" I felt like a journalist for National Geographic, entering the lives of poor
communities to understand the impact of CARE's food aid programs.
There were many adventures: the first morning of my trip at the Rocky Castle Hotel, I got out of bed and
heard a ssst. . . ssst ; a big black snake shot out from underneath my bed. I wrapped my sheet around
me and stood up on the bed - like the proverbial damsel in distress - and screamed for the chowkidar,
who promptly came and killed it with his stick.
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CARE-India was the best posting of my career, particularly after Ginny Ubik arrived to liven things up
and offset the testosterone in the male-dominated country office. She was my partner in crime: we
traveled together to Kashmir and Darjeeling; in Calcutta, where she was the State Administrator, she
arranged for me to meet Mother Teresa at the Sisters of Charity, an oasis of light, singing and joy in the
bowels of the Calcutta slums. My last Christmas in India was spent with Ginny, just after the Americans
had been taken hostage in Iran. Calcutta was burning in protest, but I went anyway. Ginny met me at the
airport, waving her arms and chanting, “down with the Shah . . . down with the Shah” to blend in with
the protesters around her.
After my one-year internship, I was hired for a two-year assignment in a sub-office in Bangladesh!
There I said to myself, "they're not paying me enough to do this job; measuring earthwork roads, canals
and tanks for 12 hours/day in the hot sun! As a 26 year-old, I was the Unit Administrator for CARESyhlet with 20 staff to supervise. My living quarters were in the office, so there was no pretence of
work-life balance; life was work and work was my life, 24/7. Despite the hardship and isolation, I
enjoyed visiting the remote villages that were cut off by flood waters for most of the year. I had a great
team of engineers: Mr. Mozumder, Mr. Khan, Mr. Haque.
After one year in the beautiful region of tea estates, I graduated to CARE-Rajshahi with 3 programs and
40 staff. I loved the Deep-tube well irrigation and credit program which was a model of real
development; giving loans to enable poor farmers to grow a higher yielding rice through cooperation in
the use of water in the irrigation scheme. I seemed to thrive in the job, despite the challenges. When I
asked my supervisors, Rudy and Lizette, “how did they know I was doing well, being so far away in
Dhaka?” They replied, “we don’t hear any rumblings of discontent from the staff.”
The national staff were talented and soon began serving in international posts: the two Lutfuls (Kabir
and Gofur) and Ashraf Ahmed, who was my neighbor in Mozambique where Terry Jeggle served as
Director and I started out with WFP.
These were interesting times for women in the aid business: women were being tested in hardship duty
stations after CARE was sued in the early 1970's to allow women equal opportunity to serve in field
posts. Out of 8 sub-offices in Bangladesh, 5 were “manned” by women in the most isolated and difficult
locations.
Our group of CARE women on the sub-continent was exceptional; Ginny Ubik, Lizette Echols, Peggy Ong,
Sandra Laumark to name a few: they were smart, dedicated, tough! Ginny was being groomed to be one
of the first female Country Representatives, with her winning combination of toughness, diplomacy and
humor. Lizette had single-minded dedication, buttressed by intellectual stamina that was unparalleled;
I can see her now - with her bottle of scotch - writing up program documents into the wee hours of the
morning. During her tenure, the landmark study, “Women in Food-for-Work” was published with
Elizabeth Marum, leading CARE in the direction of prioritizing assistance to women and girls (In 2012,
30 years to the month after I had left Bangladesh, I was staying at Ginny’s place in Atlanta when the
phone rang and a familiar voice asked for Ginny. I replied, “Is this Syhlet Echols?” “Is this Tru-Tru?” she
asked. We met and talked for hours as if we had just seen each other the day before!). Peggy Ong, well,
she set the bar for both men and women with her mental and physical stamina, and earned many death
threats for her insight into corruption.
In Bangladesh, Lizette, Peggy and I became the CARE triumvirate in Food-for-Work - Amazonian
warriors combatting corruption. After a devastating Wall St. Journal article was published criticizing
CARE and skewering our female colleague for serving duck to the journalist, another reporter - Jack
Anderson the muckraker - came snooping around. They sent him to me in Rajshahi, but when the article
came out, they said I overdid it; our AID colleagues would say sarcastically, ”There goes CARE with the
halos over their heads!”
The men in CARE-Bangladesh were interesting characters too; John Dupree with his homemade Italian
cooking; Bill Gusen with his dry humor, and my personal favorite, Peter Hefron. After drinking one too
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many at the monthly TGIF, he and I would take a bicycle rickshaw back to the staff-house, calling out to
the other drivers passing by, “Hey, rickshaw-wallah bhai!”
I am grateful to CARE for taking a chance on me and for giving me so much responsibility at such a
young age, thereby preparing me for a 27- year career with the World Food Programme. Most
important of all, I am grateful to be part of the CARE family where I found lifelong friends, mentors and
soul mates; Ginny, Pat, Terry and Char, Lizette!
Ginny and I maintained regular contact over the years; on my 50th birthday in 2003, 20 years since I
had last seen Ginny and Pat, I treated myself to a visit to Atlanta for a reunion with them. Less than a
year later, in June 2004, I felt the impulse to call Ginny from Accra, Ghana to Atlanta, which I had never
done before. She sounded shocked to hear my voice and asked, “Did you hear the news?”
“No, what news?” I asked, bewildered.
“Pat died yesterday.”
How did I know? We, the CARE family, are connected in spirit.
Trudy Bower
[email protected]
March 21, 2014
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76
Ashfaqul Wahab
CARE Bangladesh
July 15, 1991 – Dec.2004
July 2013 – March 31, 2014
CARE Sudan : Jan.2009 – June 13, 2013
On 17th June 1991, there was an interview letter received at my residence. That was an invitation for an
interview in CARE Bangladesh scheduled for 19th June. At that time I had started my career with an
audit firm after completion of my Masters in late 1990. I went to CARE office and the lone interviewer
was David Little (Director Finance & Admin). I was offered the position of Administrative Officer
(Finance and Admin) in project office at Sleet. I joined on 15th July which coincides with my birthday;
after two weeks of orientation at CARE Bangladesh HQ I was flown to my project office. It was
beginning of a new journey. My first supervisor was Project Administrator Musharrof Hossain, who is
now Director HR in ICDDR, Bangladesh.
Frankly speaking, I did not have much experience on NGOs activities; just started learning on
development issues. Though my job was mainly office based, I always tried to visit field area, Monzu
Morshed, who was PIC (now DCOP at CARE BD) helped me to get field orientation. In July’92 the project
office was re structured as Sub office after inclusion few more projects where Donald Lees joined as
Administrator. In November I was transferred to Camilla Sub office; two major programs of USAID
funded IFFW and CIDA funded RMP program were implemented through this sub office. Daniel Plus
was the Administrator. He is one of the best supervisors I worked in CARE. He was living in the top floor
of sub office with his wife and two kids. We often had gettogether at his resident and his Japanese wife
offered some delicious Japanese food. I remember a lot of good staff and some are still working with
CARE like, Zubaidur Rahman now RMC with Shouhardo-II program. Also, have good friend like Project
Manager Sohel Khan now living in Canada.
I was transferred to CBHQ Finance department where I worked until November 1994. Ed Brand was
then CD and Teri Rattigan was Director Finance and Administration. I worked in several Sub offices as
Support Manager until I re joined in Program Finance in Health Sector, where I worked with Dr
Mohammad Musa ( Now CD CARE India) , Dr. Rezaul Hoque , Dr. Jahangir Hossain, Dr. Monica Beg,
Irina Baumgartner, Dr. Najmul Hussain, Vaidanathan Krisnamurthy and Dr. Smarajit Jana. I found Steve
Wallace, new CD who brought lot of organizations structure changes with very positive outcome.
During his tenure CARE delivery model shifted from direct to partner approach and remarkably
downsized of direct staff and offices. In December 2004 I left CARE Bangladesh
During 2005-2008 I worked in Sri Lanka with Nonviolent Peace force and Malteser International
Germany for Tsunami response and in Bangladesh with Christian Aid. I have learned the world outside
CARE and the experiences were meaningful.
In January 2009 I have been selected as Finance and Admin Manager for CARE Sudan based in Darfur. I
went to Pakistan to collect Sudan visa where Daw Mohammad, current CD of CARE Yemen helped me a
lot in getting the visa. On January 11th I reached Khartoum. After few days I travelled to Nayala Field
office in Darfur and then moved to my place of posting at a Village in Geredia where CARE operate WFP
program for IDPs. After two days of arrival we were caught under heavy fire exchange between Sudan
Army and rebels. We were at office and our office also hitted by several live bullets. We were lucky
enough to remain unhurt. CARE continued its operations and we stayed until first week of March until
Sudan government expelled 13 INGOs including CARE.
We were moved to Khartoum office and stayed at guest house located at top floor of CARE office. We
were confined there, our passport were seized. After few days of ordeal most of expatriate staffs were
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moved to Nairobi. The CARE Sudan close out activities was continuing from Khartoum and Nairobi. I
was based in Nairobi with a small team and looking after donor reporting issues. Navaraj Gaywali was
leading the whole close out activities from Khartoum. After almost one year of our team efforts and
support from ECARMU team especially great support from Regional Director Steve Wallace, DRD PS
David Little and Regional Controller Joyce Ngugi. We have concluded close out activities under the
leadership of Navaraj.
CARE Sudan got registration again in the name of CIS. I have again joined after geting the visa from
Sudan government, which was a rare case to get re entry. I worked around three months and found few
experienced CARE staff like Marge Tsitouris, Brain Cavanaugh along with few local staff I have worked
with before in Khartoum. I went to Darfur and met new Team leader Balbir Chuduhury, also worked
with Prabu, Mohsin, Ismail Mansur and my supervisor Sabir and many more. After few weeks of my
arrival, Howard Bell from CI joined as new CD. Eventually, Sudan immigration found that I was one of
them who were expelled in March 2009, so they have asked me to leave Sudan. I went back to Nairobi
and continued Sudan close related work until March 2010.
In April 2010 I have joined as interim ACD-PS position in CARE Yemen and worked with then CD Gareth
Richards, now RD, and then Marta Colburn. Socio economic context in Middle East is different from
Africa and I have seen lot of cultural differences too. It was my brief stay until August 2010. I was
involved in the transition of CARE Yemen from CI Australia to USA.
In September 2010 I have joined in CARE Haiti. I have seen earthquake destruction which was beyond
my imagination. Though there were lot of crisis I found Haitian were coping the situation with courage.
They still keeps smile in their usual life despite such a huge tragedy. I worked with many experienced
CARE Intl staff like CD Virginal Ubik, ACD PS John Solomon, and Greg Brady. I have also got opportunity
to work with Peter Buijs then Regional Director and current CFO. In April 2011 my contract was ended
and I returned to Bangladesh.
During Jun-Dec’11 I worked as CFO in Habitat for Humanity International, Bangladesh branch.
In January 2012 I returned to CARE and Joined in South Sudan as Grants and Contracts Manager. I
worked until June 2013 based in Juba and sometime home based too. I worked with then CD Claudia
Futterknecht and Controller Biniam Haile along with ACDP Jacqueline George and ACDPS Hassane
Hamudu and Benson Wakoli. Jacqueline and Benson worked with me in CARE Sudan and then Nairobi
for CARE Sudan closes out. In South Sudan challenges were immense, since it was a newly established
independent office (before it was joint office with CARE Somalia based in Nairobi). I have ended my
contract in June’13 due to family urgency.
After few weeks I returned from South Sudan, re joined CARE Bangladesh as a Financial Specialist in a
temporary position. I found few former colleagues like Nick Weber, Yasir Deafalla etc In fact I have
returned to my old working place after eight and half years. I have found lot of changes in CARE
Bangladesh and found only few staff that I left in 2004.
I have concluded my contract on 31 March 2014 and from 01 April I become CARE Almuni again.
I have been successful of my career with CARE and I hope to continue to contribute in CARE work. CARE
is not only working place but a place of learning and it is become my passion to remain with CARE.
Attached are two photographs, one with CD (Gareth Richards) in a non formal occasions and
another with my colleagues in CARE Sudan.
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Ashfaqul Wahab
[email protected]
April 01, 2014
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77
Ginger Sanders
(Spouse of Donald Sanders)
CARE USA 1967 – 1980
Dominican Republic 1967-69,
Honduras 1969-1972,
India 1972-1976
& Care NY 1976-1980
Don's work with CARE afforded us with rich and rewarding experiences in the Dominican Republic,
Honduras and Ahmedabad and New Delhi, India.
But best of all, we were able to continue our friendships with most of his co-workers and many of their
wives. First, Charles Zumbro entertained us at his apartment in Brooklyn. NY. Then Charles and Anya
Sykes hosted me and my daughters in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. We saw Buck and Nellie
Northrup at Ron and Stefanie Burkards's home in Scarsdale, NY.
Ron and Rudiy Ramp joined us for Don's surprise birthday party in Pompano Beach FL. John and Mary
Rutten called from North Dakota to wish him well.
We visited Jim and Patti Puccetti at their home in San Diego, CA and still keep in touch with Patti. Our
memories of Bill and Abby Rayman remain in tact with our regular contact with Abby as well as a gettogether with their older son in New York City. Abby has since remarried and we all shared a dinner
together at their home in Oakland, CA.
Moving to The Woodlands around 2003 enabled us to sustain and further build our close relationship
with Dale and Montserrat Harrison. Hardly a day goes by without them or us making contact. Also, the
Burkard's move to Oklahoma City, OK has allowed us all to remain in touch with several visits
exchanged.
Most importantly, our ongoing relationship with Cheenu Sriinnviasan all of these years has kept us in
the loop with the international as well as the local staffs of CARE-India people. Our gratitude also goes
to his lovely daughter Usha and her husband Ravi for their warm hospitality on various
occasions. Cheenu has shown eager responsiveness and persuasive persistence with his talents as
ringmaster.
Thank you Cheenu for keeping so much of our CARE network alive.
Ginger Sanders
Spouse of Donald Sanders
[email protected]
April 10, 2014
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Photograph taken at Usha & Ravi Vasu’s residence, Houston, Texas - 2009
Back Row standing : Usha Vasu, Ginger Sanders, Varsha Vasu, Montserrat Harrison, Tyna Ellenbogen
Sitting: Donald Sanders, Cheenu, Dale Harrison
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78
Onkar Singh
CARE India
Feb.1983 – June 2005
It was a delighted moment in my life when I was called for an interview in CARE-Rajasthan office.
In the beginning, I would like to share my struggle for existence. My father’s dream was that I should
devote myself in helping my Country, i.e. serve the defence services. To fulfil his dream, I joined Sainik
School Chittorgarh in 1969. After completing higher secondary, I attempted to join NDA/IMA but could
not get success. I joined Aligarh Muslim University and completed Gratuation in Social Science. After
that I returned to Jaipur, trid for various government/bank jobs but was unsuccessful. However, I got an
opportunity to work in several banks on a temporary basis. Later being unemployed, elected to help my
ex-Chittorian in operating his school. Very soon I got a job with a garment exporting Company. I was
not satisified with this job. And God blessed me with a job opportunity in CARE. I applied immediately
and got selected.
I joined CARE-Rajasthan office in Jaipur on 1st Feb., 1983. The journey of my prestigious employment
begins here.
I started my career with CARE as an Office assistant (Vehicles & General Administation) handling all
routine matters. Very first day my supervisor gave me the organization chart for typing. I was delighted
to see my name in the chart. This way my journey of CARE started. Three months later, I was confirmed
and in Nov. 1983, transferred to food section as Office Assistant (PNP).
With the grace of God and on joining an American organization with good salary, on 27th June, 1983, I
got married to Sushma Singh.
On 27th July, 1985 my family added up a new family member Neeraj Singh (He is married now to Jannvi
and working with RAK [Ras Al Kalima] Bank in Dubai for last four years). One more member added on
14th April, 1990 Neha Singh (She got married to Gaurav Chohan this year only. They live in Jaipur.
Gaurav is working in SBI, Sanganeri Gate Branch).
In 1983, CARE-Rajasthan was providing food assistance to the State government through.Mid-Day-Meal
Programme (MDM), Supplementary Nutrition Program (SNP) and Integrated Child Development
Scheme (ICDS) projects. I got first chance to attend a CARE workshop in 1985 – Food & Field Workshop
at Calcutta (now Kolkata). This was my first chance to see the sea & a ship for which I have not ever
thought of. Soon after CARE started Staff Development Program (SDP); and I learned jeep driving. This
helped me in adding more experience by going to field. My first field exposure was in Kota district and
my Guruji was Mr. I.S. Sharma. I salute him for his dedication to work. He is my Guruji for ever. I will
also not forget that trip also because I was in a jail where no one would like to go (visited a SNP
program in Bundi district Jail, where food was cooked and supplied to centres in the city). Later, in nonfood project, I conducted a survey on Smokeless Chula, constructed by CARE in Kherwara block of
Udaipur district. I also particpated in Story Writing Competition of CARE and was awarded with an
apprication certificate.
In 22 years & 6 months, I got the opportunity to work with M. Markos, K.N. Datta, G.S. Raghavan, Jimy
Rodrigues, T.R.Sadasivan, K.S. Pannu, S.K. Kapoor, A.T.Hariramani, I.S. Sharma, O.A. Vickers, V.K. Nagpal,
B.R. Poonia, Mrs. A. Abraham, Radhakrishnan N, B.Vaidyanathan, Dr. Renu Suri, R.C. Mahajan, Subrata
Das, V. Ramesh Babu, Suresh Babu, Deepmala Mahla, Devashish Bhattacharya, Rakesh Katal, Peter
Joseph Trinidad, Manoj K Naresh, Rajan Kapoor, Dhananjay Dighe, Manish Mathur, Sreela Das Gupta,
Abraham George, Adesh Chaturvedi, Gouri Shankar Mishra, Jitendra Awale, Sonali Choudhary, Tripti
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Jha, R.K. Sain, Mohan Singh, Bhanwar Singh, Bhawani Singh, Tushar Kundu and many others. List is too
long. I would say sorry to colleagues whose names could not be mentioned.
While working with CARE-Rajasthan, I remember a few memorable moments, incidents as listed below:
First incident– my life would have ended that day. I was in Rajgarh ICDS office. I got a message from
Jaipur office to book rooms in Sariska RTDC hotel. After 5.00 PM, I rushed to the hotel which was almost
20 Km away and pass through dence forest. After booking the required rooms, in a hurry, I forgot to fill
fuel and on the way the jeep stopped in the dence forest. I was sweating in the month of December.
However, did not panic and boldly turned the jeep and reached back to the hotel. By that time it was 9
P.M. Hotel staff was also upset when I told them the story. They informed that lion had attacked a
vehicle a day before on the same spot.
Anoter incident: All Field Officers were in Umrain block of Alwar district for a non-food workshop. The
whole team was divided in groups and my group was to discuss the seasoning activities with the
villagers. I was talking with them in their local language. One among them was energetic and opted that
he would donate a piece of land and I can do farming till I learn the seasoning activities. Later all team
members appreciated for the gratitude given by villagers.
I attended various workshops related to food & field, Port Operations, and also for non-food activities
such as Drought management & water harvesting, Gender and A.R.I. & other health related topics.
31 January, 1993 & 31 January, 2003
These were remarkable days for me. Every one in CARE visualized for completing 10 & 20 years with
CARE. I too was very happy to accomplish 10 & 20 years with CARE. I received 10 & 20 years Pins and
Certificates.
I worked on various positions and all around Rajasthan. In the beginning, all field officers use to operate
from Jaipur to the allocated field area and return after a trip of 15 – 20 days. From 1996, there was a
change. Field staff was shifted to Block/District HQs. In 1999, I was placed in Mundwa block of Nagaur
district. Next year I was shifted to Nagaur and served there for three years. In 2003, I was transferred to
Bharatpur district famous for its Bird Sanctuary. In addition to this, I was also allocated Jhunjhunu
district. This way I got an opportunity to work in almost all districts of Rajasthan.
In 2005, I was transferred to Biharshariff (Nalanda District) in Bihar. I worked in two districts namely
Nalanda & Nawada there for 10 months. Due to family problems, I had to quit and return to Jaipur.
Presently, I am working with M/s. Techno-Centre (India) Pvt. Ltd., Jhotwara Industrial Area, Jaipur as
Senior Manager. This is a SSI unit involved in manufacturing of various metal fittings for doors &
furniture, trading of toughened laminated glasses and “DORMA” & “OZONE” make door fittings
Recently, my CMD received an e-mail from CARE for donation. As he is aware that CARE is not working
in Rajasthan, after confirming the factual working of CARE with me, he gave donation for education
program in CARE U.P.
I get delighted whenever we talk & remember the olden days with CARE and ruminate I could have
served CARE a little more.
Here are a few memorable photographs:
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Port Operation & Food inventory Operation Workshop in 1985
Gender sensitization workshop at Manesar
Disaster management training at the Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi
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Family photo during marriage of my daughter Neha with Gaurav
Onkar Singh
[email protected]
April 13, 2014
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79
Balbir Chaudhary
CARE USA
India – Somalia – Ethiopia
Sudan – Atlanta, USA
1975 - 2009
Memories of my days with CARE
CARE International
Field Officer
Food For Work
Rajasthan, India
April ’75 - March ‘77
In 1975, while I was waiting for my Master’s degree results to be announced by the Udaipur University,
I learned about a vacancy for a field officer’s position with CARE Rajasthan in Jaipur. Like most people
my age, I had never heard about CARE before and wasn’t aware of all the good it was doing around the
world. I nervously applied for the position thanks to some encouragement from one of my university
professors. He reminded me that there was nothing to worry about as I met most of the criteria for the
requirements. After an initial meeting with the program coordinator, I was short listed and advised to
come to Jaipur for my final interview with Charles Zumbro, the state administrator. Thankfully, I was
selected for the job for a short term assignment of six months and started working immediately. At the
time, I could never have imagined that a six month assignment would turn out to be a 34 year long
association - first working as a national staff member in India, then as an International staff member in
Africa and finally at the CARE USA headquarters in Atlanta.
My initial assignment was in a Food for Work program working with small and marginal farmers. Our
team consisted of six field officers and it was our responsibility to oversee the digging of new wells and
deepening of existing wells for irrigation purposes in thousands of villages across the Udaipur district of
Rajasthan, India. After three days of extensive training and orientation, we set out in the field for 20
days a month for the next two years. The wide spread nature of the program required supervision and
monitoring of thousands of worksites, many which were not accessible by vehicles. The work also
involved effective coordination between various government institutions such as Small Farmers
Development Agency (SFDA), various banks, underground water boards, and the block development
offices of the Rajasthan government.
So much responsibility so soon, not to mention a dramatic change in lifestyle, was slightly nervewracking, but the excitement and opportunity to interact with a vast spectrum of people was
motivational factor like no other. Time flew by in the blink of an eye and I became a regular staff
changing from this six months assignment.
CARE International
Field Officer
Partner Nutrition Program (PNP),
Rajasthan, India
April ’77 -June ‘81
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Following the completion of the Udaipur wells project, I was transferred to CARE India’s flagship
program, the Partnership Nutrition Program (PNP). Under this initiative, I was given the responsibility
of supervising and monitoring the Mid-Day-Meal and the Special Nutrition Program for primary and
pre-school children respectively. This program was also wide spread as it focused on children living in
both urban and rural areas. Other major activities involved evaluating the program’s efficiency by
collecting data for the Recipient Status Report (RSR). This also required extensive and regular field
visits to observe distribution and auditing of records, conducting several training sessions to train the
local counterparts on storage practices, commodity tracking and recording the distribution data. It was
normal practice to take physical counts of CARE commodities at the school, block, and district levels
every June. This enabled us to know the exact status and condition of the commodities every 30th of
June.
During these six years, I was able to visit thousands of villages across the state. What an incredible
experience! This enhanced my knowledge and understanding of the difficulties encountered by the
people in the rural and remote parts of the state, which in turn helped me, improve at my job as I could
bring more to the table. During this period I was one of the few field officers in India selected under a
field officers exchange program. I was assigned to the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Main
focus of this assignment was to learn some of the best practices state was undertaking in implementing
this program as well as recommend some of the program implantation intricacies that has been
practiced in Rajasthan that could enhance the program implementation standard in Madhya Pradesh.
CARE International
Regional Field Coordinator ELU/CARE
Somalia
July ’81 - March ‘88
After having worked with CARE Rajasthan for 6 fascinating and immensely educational years, I was
planning to leave this wonderful organization in 1981. While everyday was an adventure, extended
periods on the road away from my family was starting to take its toll. There was little that would change
my mind. I’m sure most of us have experienced this in some form or another. Little do we know that
our best laid plans sometime never materialize. It was obvious that this would be the turning point in
my career, but what happened next caught me off guard.
One June day when I returned to the office after an extensive filed trip, I was called into the Assistant
Administrator’s room and was informed that I had been selected for a six months TDY in Somalia. The
operation in Somalia was huge and perhaps the biggest emergency response program CARE has ever
engaged in. Including me, there were several other personnel from CARE India and Bangladesh selected
to be deployed in this operation.
My Assistant Administrator encouraged me to take up this assignment despite challenging living and
working conditions. My wife and I had detailed discussions weighing all the pros and cons and I finally
decided to accept this TDY - the right decision, in retrospect. After hurried preparations were made, I
finally boarded my flight on July 12th, 1981. Ironically, this new opportunity would keep me further
away from my family for much longer periods.
My new colleagues and I spent a month in Mogadishu undergoing some intensive training and learning
the intricacies of the operations. Everyone was divided into teams of two to four people and assigned to
various regions. I was assigned to the Quorioly region to start the program from scratch. This region
was about 120 kilometers on the way to Kismayu, a border town and port near the Kenyan border.
From July 1981 to March 1988, I was transferred from time to time to several other regions across the
country from the Kenyan to the Djibouti borders. These included Quorioly, Burdhubo, Boco (Gerciani),
Jalalaqsi, Beltweyne, Lugh and Hargeisa in the North Western part of the country where I directed the
ELU/CARE programs and operations. My average stay in each of the seven regions was about a year and
main responsibilities included supervising hundreds of personnel for coordinating and carrying out
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various responsibilities to distribute food and non-food items to refugees settled in various camps.
Given the nature of work, I was closely associated with various other players (representatives of
UNHCR, WFP, NRC, and government agencies) who were directly or indirectly engaged in the refugee
program. I also supervised and monitored transportation, storage, and distribution of food in the
refugee camps and at the supplementary feeding centers. For further improvement of the program,
ration shops were constructed. These shops streamlined the distribution system and resulted in better
commodity management and quality. The work also involved preparation and submission of financial
and commodity distribution and various other reports to the country office headquarters in Mogadishu.
Once radio network was established between the regions and headquarters in Mogadishu, we carried
out radio communications with the headquarters and other agencies as needed. This continued until the
national staffs in the areas were trained. Technology was starting to make its presence felt. In those
days, the radios were an amazing piece of technology. Long before cell phones came around; these
radios enabled instant communication from unimaginably remote locations.
After completing the first six months of my TDY in Somalia, my contract was further extended for
another for the same duration. Later, CARE India took up the issue that I, and for that matter lots of
other CARE India personnel on TDY, should return to India as our positions were being kept vacate for
us back home. This was when CARE USA decided to offer a two years International contract to 6-7 of us
working in Somalia. It was a difficult decision to take as it meant staying away from my family even
longer. After a lot of thought and consultation with other colleagues, I resigned from CARE India to take
up this TCN contract with CARE USA for two years. That again was extend or renewed every year for
couple of more years before several of us were put on the CARE USA payroll as regular full time
employees with full benefits. This also allowed us to bring our families. There were several people who,
combined with our own efforts, made this possible. However, it was mainly the Team Leader/Country
Director, Marge Tsitouris, who took up this issue with CARE USA and made this happen. Thanks, Marge!
After spending about a year in Quorioly, I moved to Burdhubo in the Gedo region where the Military
dictator, President Mohamed Siyad Barre, was from. Hence, this region was dominated by his Marihan
tribe. Incidentally, most of my senior national staff members were staying in ELU/CARE compound.
Early one morning, a senior national staff woke me up and informed me that president was arriving at
Burdhubo that day. However, no one knew if he was flying or coming by road due to security reasons.
After few hours of confusion we saw a convoy of more than hundred vehicles coming into Burdhubo.
This is not a sight one forgets easily. All the NGO representatives and UN agency heads in Burdhubo
met at our compound for an audience with the president. What unfolded next was surreal beyond my
wildest imagination! Here I was, a young man from India in the middle of the African bush completely
mesmerized with the commotion one moment, and sitting next to the president of the country and
talking to him the next.
Surrounded by dozens of heavily armed guards (a lot of people fit in a convoy of 100 vehicles!), sipping
his black coffee and smoking a Benson and Hedges cigarette, he explained that Somalia had buried all its
tribal differences. He further explained to us what the five pronged star on the Somali national flag
represents -the five regions of greater Somalia (including the Southern region encompassing
Mogadishu) North West, Djibouti, Ogaden, and areas bordering Kenya. After lots of interaction and
talking/listening to the president, he thanked all the NGOs and UN agencies for helping his country in
dealing with the refugee crisis. From our conversation, he made it seem like Somalia was on the up.
Several years later, we now know that the North West region has become an independent country.
Somali land and rest of the country is fragmented beyond recognition, leaving no sense of Somalia
anymore. This is especially true without a government that has a credible sense of control over
proceedings. It is such a pity that this strategically located country with several hundred kilometers of
pristine coast line stretching from Indian Ocean and Red Sea has totally ruined herself. Tribal wars led
by ruthless war lords and a significant Islamic insurgency currently leave it in tatters. Entire
generations have been lost.
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On a more personal note, my story will be left incomplete if I don’t mention the incident where I was
stabbed by people who were trying to steal refugee commodities. Some time we have to pay a heavy
price for doing a good job. Yet, that shouldn’t deter us from our goals to carry out our mandates with
full courage, confidence and commitment. I was so fortunate that a team of MSF medical doctors who
were providing health and medical services in Hilamarer refugee camp gave me preliminary first aid
and then within hours I was evacuated by a UN flight to Mogadishu. I remained in the military hospital
in Mogadishu for more than two weeks and was back to work in Burdhubo after a month or so.
While working at various posts in Somalia, I had some interesting experiences. When I was assigned to
the Boco region, I lived in the CARE compound in Gerciani, which was about 8 kilometers from the Boco
camps on the main highway between Mogadishu and Beltweyne. ELU/CARE staff house, office
buildings and warehouses were all accommodated in one compound. This was a bit of an isolated place
and there was nothing nearby except a police checkpoint and couple of tea shops. Bewilderingly for me,
however, there were thousands of birds in the bush with no availability of water close by! Working for
CARE, I figured I should extend some relief to the local birds and promptly constructed a bird bath next
to the staff house. In no time thousands of birds, mostly doves, came for water and would finish off
about 100 liters of water in a few minutes! The appearance of so many small birds meant it was feast
time for two falcons that would perch on a small tree next to the bird bath. They would prey on at least
two doves at will every day. I tried but couldn’t prevent this from happening. After much deliberation, I
had an idea and I approached the police personnel at the check point. I requested them to shoot down
both the falcons and save the remaining birds from their daily dose of terror. They expressed their
inability to do so, as the falcon was the national bird of the country. I obviously had no knowledge and
wasn’t aware of this until I was told by the police personnel. What had I been doing in Somalia for so
many years and not know their national bird! They also gave their argument that there are hundreds of
thousands of doves and other birds in the area. If two birds are taken every day, it’s not going to deplete
the population of birds. I resigned to their reasoning and could do nothing after hearing their response!
So the falcons continued to have great time every day when birds flew into the bird bath! It later
dawned on me that in my attempt to help the birds, I had inadvertently constructed an irresistible trap!
Another interesting experience I had was in Beltweyne. Snakes and Camel spiders were a pretty
common sight in that area. We had half drum shaped prefabricated houses erected for all the
International staff in most of the regions. However, the units didn’t have proper kitchens inside, which
were built separately about 50-60 feet away from the prefab house. To make matters worse, it was not
connected with the electric power supplied by our generator. One night, my wife and I went to the
kitchen to collect some food items using a flashlight. After collecting the food, we closed the kitchen
door behind us. The next morning when my wife went to make our morning tea, she found a dead snake
hanging at the door that had been squeezed between the door and door panel! Those were the glorious
days of our life!
CARE USA and SCF (Save the Children) USA headquarters signed an agreement where I was sent for a
two month assignment to help SCF at their Addis Ababa headquarters and, more importantly, in their
field operations at Effeson in Northern Ethiopia in 1985. Since Somalia and Ethiopia had fought a war
over Ogaden Region and had no diplomatic relationship with each other during that time, I was a bit
concerned about going to Ethiopia and coming back to Somalia in two months time. This assignment
could be perceived in a different way by both governments due to their animosity and mistrust in each
other. A gentleman by the name of Mr. Abdi Adar was the NRC regional commissioner and was a
parliamentarian in Ethiopia during Emperor Haile Selassie’s time. Mr. Adar had fled to Somalia as a
refugee due to the Ogaden war from 1977-79. I decided to speak with him and seek his consul. He
advised me to travel without concern and seeing that I wasn’t a citizen of either country, no problems
would arise. Moreover, I was working in the humanitarian field which reduced the risk of any problems
occurring while traveling back to Somalia. Yet, it still took me almost one month to get my visa despite
all the efforts from SCF.
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While I was at Effeson, I traveled out in the field where several truckloads of consignment arrived at
one of the drought stricken village in a very remote area. Only a four wheel Mercedes truck could reach
there to deliver the commodities. When the corn bags were offloaded from the trucks, the entire village
was there. It was at this moment that I saw a young girl about 6 -7 years of age who was busy collecting
the spilled grain from the ground without paying attention to the rest of the commotion happening all
around. Even though I had seen vast extremes during my time with care, this incident had a profound
and immediate impact on me. The tears in my eyes caught me unprepared for just such a moment. This
was a classic example of natural and manmade problem resulting in a disastrous situation that cost
hundreds of thousands of innocent people their lives.
After my short assignment in Ethiopia, I had returned to Somalia. Lugh Jillow was the biggest camp in
the Beltweyne region with about 35,000 refugees. This camp was cut off from Beltweyne due to heavy
flooding of the river Juba. As a result, all essentials were cut off and no food vehicles were able to reach.
The only way to reach the camp was on foot. Two of my senior national staff members and I decided to
walk about 20 kilometers, one way, to take the firsthand look and take stock of the situation at the
camp. Most of this walk was barefoot in water resulting in thorns piercing our feet. After my recent
emotional experience in Ethiopia, I was all too appreciative for what I had and that I only had to pick
out thorns from my feet and not pick up individual grains of food for survival. When put in perspective,
some problems have a way of fizzling out to minor inconveniences. CARE has certainly taught me that
time and time again.
Money from Baidoa:
I had about 350 staff members in Lugh and their salaries and benefits were all paid in cash. The nearest
bank was about 50 kilometers away in the capital city of Garba Hare of Gedo region. However, the
branch was so small and they didn’t have enough cash to serve our needs. So we decided to open a bank
account in Baidoa town about 250 kilometers on the way to Mogadishu. Travelling for such a distance
with truck loads of currency was extremely challenging and risky. This large amount of cash was
generally carried in several gunny bags. We would bring the bulk of this cash every month to pay staff
salaries and meet out other operational expenses. I would go to Baidoa along with our security guard,
Abdi Joff, and an AK47. As per our procedural requirement we should have kept this money in a cash
box. However, there was no cash box large enough to hold the money. So the money would stay with the
guard overnight and be paid the next morning to all the staff. This was very risky, but unfortunately we
had no other option at hand to handle this situation. Those who knew Abdi Joff know that he was
probably the only one who was so loyal to CARE that he could be trusted thoroughly. Tragically, I heard
after few years that he was killed in some ethnic clan fighting. It breaks my heart that such a wonderful
person had to go in such painful circumstances.
CARE International
Field Monitoring Director
ELU/CARE-Somalia, Somalia
April ’88 - April ‘89
In April 1988, I was promoted and transferred to Mogadishu as the Director of Field Operations of the
Emergency Logistics Unit (ELU)/CARE. This indeed was a tall order as it was the center of the entire
refugee program and required effective commodity control and food distribution to 750,000 refugees
settled in 45 refugee camps across the country. This included supervising several International and
about 1300 national staff members engaged in refugee operations. I represented the organization
during inter-agencies and food aid meetings, and other business related issues held with UNHCR, WFP,
NRC, government and NGOs periodically.
Implementing such an enormous and widely spread program was a challenge, especially while ensuring
quality and accountability. In order to accomplish this goal, we designed and introduced an innovative
food distribution system in the refugee camps enabling the refugees to monitor their individual rations.
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I also prepared the field monitoring budget and audited regional financial reports on a monthly basis.
As and when needed, I provided special approval on the expenditures incurred by the regional field
coordinators. Furthermore, there was planning and implementing of training programs for all the
managerial field and office staff. Necessary actions were taken in organizing periodic conferences for
the Regional Field Coordinators to discuss program development and to solve implementation
problems. I also advised the team leader (country representative) on many strategic matters – policies,
procedures, and program planning and implementation issues.
CARE International
Water Tankring Project
CARE – Jijiga, Ethiopia
May ’89 - July ‘89
After the completion of my assignment in Somalia, I was so pleased to get transferred to Ethiopia. I liked
the country and its culture which in many ways is very similar to India. In addition to this, I had a great
experience working with the national staff while I was in Ethiopia for the SCF emergency response
program. Initially, I was assigned to Jijiga Water Tankring program for Hershin and Heartishekh camps.
This program was designed to last for a short period of time. However, UNHCR wanted CARE to
continue this program for years and this needed proper planning and monitoring to enhance the water
delivery. In coordination with UNHCR and local administration, I was able to assist the project by
enhancing the water delivery and monitoring system which included fleet management. This special
task was completed within the stipulated time of three months period.
CARE International
Regional Representative
CARE – Borena, Ethiopia
Aug ’89 - Dec ‘90
In August 1989, I took over as the Regional Representative of CARE Borena based at Yavello town about
700 hundred kilometers from Addis Ababa and 200 kilometers from the border town of Moyale on the
main highway connecting Ethiopia and Kenya. The town of Moyale was split into two, one on the
Ethiopian side and one on the Kenyan side, and were separated by a small river. As my working area
stretched up to the Kenyan border, we would make frequent trips to Moyale for shopping. It was our
regional Wal-Mart.
Main inhabitants of this region were Borena and Gabra tribes whose livelihood was overwhelmingly
dependent on livestock. They had an incredible love for their animals and social status was directly
related to how many heads of cattle one had. They would not sell their cattle no matter what the
situation. This tendency of accumulation of large cattle herd caused an enormous amount of pressure
on the resources such as water and the grazing area. As there was an abundance of cattle, milk and milk
products were their main dietary preferences. This meant that there was little agricultural activity. The
severe draught of 1984-85 affected their lives adversely because much of their life revolved around
livestock, grazing area, and water. The local culture had put all their eggs in one basket, with
devastating consequences during periods of drought.
Given the scarcity of water resources in the area, SORDU (Sothern Range Development Unit)
constructed several big ponds in the area to harvest rain water. However, in the dry season their main
sources of water continued to be the traditional deep wells of Borena. When Lord Deeds from UK
visited the area writing an interesting story on the wells in Guardians Weekly, he described these well
as the “Wells of Life”. In fact, he was so impressed that he humorously exclaimed that Borena cows
were more disciplined than the British Parliamentarians! These cows would be brought to the wells
every three days, but still wait for their turn to drink water. Thousands of castles could be seen at these
cultures of wells.
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These “Wells of Life” were truly a sight to behold. The frenzied activity of man and beast all working to
get a drink of water gave the illusion of chaos, but in reality it was organized chaos. Essentially, a ‘well’
would be dug into the ground that would be large enough for the cattle to walk down close to the water
level. Some wells skipped this first step altogether. Within this hole was the actual well that contained
access to water. As the actual water level was too low for the cattle to reach, there would be a long
chain of people passing buckets back-and-forth. This backbreaking work would go on for hours to feed
all the cattle.
Drinking water was the scarcest item during the dry season. It was very common to see women
carrying water from the distance as far as 20 kilometers to their homes. CARE activities were designed
and implemented, keeping all the needs of the area in mind. These included construction of water holes
and small water ponds. Some of these activities were undertaken by Food for Work program. CARE
provided technical expertise, while material cost was on the sharing basis. Some new activities were
incorporated which focused on small agricultural activities. My major responsibilities included closely
supervising Borena Post Drought Recovery Project activities and overseeing the Borena Range Land
Development Program. Furthermore, I was responsible for the preparation of the project budget,
looking after the administration and the activities related to transport and workshops operation. I also
conducted staff trainings for the project staff members and the partners to promote extension
approaches. As usual, I continued to liaison with the counterparts and other government and NGO
personnel to ensure that the various programs were executed to full potential.
Getting sick was not an option here due to poor medical services. Ironically, that is precisely what
happened. I got terribly sick in Yavello during the time of Ethiopian Christmas in 1989. This was more
than a weeklong break and all our staff members had gone to their respective homes in Addis Ababa
and various other small towns in the area. There were no telephone communications during those days.
I had just enough energy to drive up to the health center in the town. To my dismay, the clinic was also
closed due to the festival holidays. Almost all the NGO and government staff members were away from
Yavello. The nearest big town of Awassa was midway to Addis about 350 kilometers. My wife and I
didn’t know what to do as she did not know how to drive at that time. Several weird thoughts were
coming in to my mind, especially those of dying in this remote location. There was no way to
communicate to the outside world. I think it was a miracle that one of my field supervisors, Tesfayu
Ugaye, came to office to pick up some farming tools to be distributed to the farmers soon after the
holidays. My guards told him that I was sick. My house was situated in the compound and he came to
see me. Immediately we decided to drive 700 kilometers to Addis Ababa. In the midst of all of this, I
asked myself why I had joined this organization to come here to this remote corner of Africa to die!!
Having survived war zones, floods, and even snakes, was an illness going to be the cause of my death?
We went straight to the telephone and communication office in Awassa and called my good friend and
colleague, John Solomon, about my situation and requested him to let the Country Director know about
it. By the time I reached Addis Ababa, a doctor had been arranged as well as an air ambulance to fly me
out to Nairobi, if needed. However, doctor started giving me the treatment that showed some positive
signs. It took me about a month to get well and to get back to Yavello. I will forever be indebted to
Tesfayu, John and other colleagues in Ethiopia who provide me that support and in fact saved my life.
CARE International
Regional Manager
CARE – Hararghe, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
Jan ’91 - March ‘93
CARE Haraeghe Emergency and Rehabilitation Program was quite a bit bigger than most of the other
country offices programs given the size and scope of its activities, geographical area coverage, and the
budget and personnel engaged in the operation. Despite this, we managed the program very effectively
by closely supervising the transport and workshop operations. We had more than 100 trucks, most of
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which were long hauls, to transport food commodities from Asab and Djibouti ports as well as internal
transportation within the project area. Commodity management, including warehouses practices,
personnel administration, inventory control and field activities were taken in a very professional way.
We maintained very good and diplomatic relations with the EPRDF and local administration that helped
us in acquiring a large piece of land for CARE to build office building, ware houses, fleet parking and
workshop. Because of their assistance we were able recover some of the vehicles which were hijacked
earlier during the conflict.
The upheavals in the country at that time posed a big security challenge for our personnel and program.
I acted as the security coordinator for the region and took various actions to safe guards the
organization’s interest. I arranged an emergency evacuation for CARE personnel during change of
government in Ethiopia. As we know the country has witnessed recurring droughts and famines in last
several years. Responding to these challenges was one thing; however, it was more important to
consider how to minimize the risk and prepare ourselves in proactive ways. Therefore, CO established
CARE’s early warning system in the food deficit area by collecting various data on monthly basis.
As I have mentioned earlier, some time we have to pay the price of assisting humanity and one of my
fellow CARE colleagues, Gunar Olsam, paid the ultimate price of his life. He hailed from Norway and was
assigned as the workshop manager in Jijiga. On one afternoon while he was sitting and working in his
office a disgruntled employee came and threw a hand grenade in his office. Gunar passed away
immediately. After few days we had a memorial service for him at Jijiga. All the senior staff including the
country director, Marshall French, and assistant country director, Robin Needham, plus several project
managers and hundreds of other staff from other project travelled to Jijiga for this memorial service.
After attending the memorial services, I was driving back from Jijiga to Dire Dawa and was
accompanied in the car by Marshal French, his daughter Michelle, Ken Littwiller, project manager from
Gursum, Col Girma and his son. The distance between Dire Dawa and Jijiga is about 170 kilometer,
passing through the historical city of Harar. When we were just about 35 kilometers from Dire Dawa,
we were stopped by dozens of soldiers from Ethiopian government that were fighting with Oromo
Libration Front (OLF) fighters. Someone from the crowd screamed that don’t go further as there is fight
going on the road about 5 kilometers towards Dire Dawa. We stopped for few minutes to assess the
situation and decided to return to Harar. We had hardly driven few kilometers and were caught
between the cross fire of Ethiopian soldiers and OLF. I pulled the car next to a mud brick house.
Government forces had placed a vehicle mounted with a big gun on the middle of the road. They were
firing on the OLF forces in the hills and our car was shaking like a match box. We requested the
government soldiers to hold the firing for a minute and allow us to pass. We informed all the other
vehicles via car mounted radio to come to Ras Hotel in Harar because of this fire. In about an hour or so
the fight reached Harar and we were stuck in that hotel for next two days until government forces were
able to clear the way.
My son and daughter had come to stay with us during their summer vacation from India. Both were
studying at Kodai Kanal International School in Tamil Nadu, Southern India. This happened in 1991
when EPRDF forces were slowly moving towards the capital, Addis Ababa, to oust Mengistu Haile
Marium regime. My wife and I came to pick our kids up from Addis Ababa. While we were still driving
to Dire Dawa, we stopped for a cup of tea on the way. My driver, Khalifa, informed me that he had just
heard the news that Mengistu has fled from the country. It was also the same sad day when former
Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated. Within a week EPRDF captured Addis Ababa and
were moving towards Dire Dawa. In consultation with the office in Addis Ababa, we decided to evacuate
all the International staff and their dependents. I had only one day to collect all the staff from the field
and to get their Djibouti visas from the Djiboutian consulate in Dire Dawa. Regular flights were already
suspended by the Ethiopian airlines. The French Embassy had arranged a French military plane to come
to Dire Dawa to evacuate some French nationals working in the town. My wife, children and rest of the
International staff and their dependents were sent by this plane to Djibouti. I wrote a letter to our
clearing agent, Gallantly Hanky, in Djibouti to assist all the staff and their dependents to buy air tickets
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for any onward journeys. All necessary support was provided by them to ensure everyone reached their
final destination. I decided to stay back as we had millions and millions of dollars’ worth of assets in
Dire Dawa. Had I left, everything would have disappeared in no time. Despite this, we still lost several
long haul trucks and few light vehicles. Within a day or two EPRDF captured Dire Dawa and I lost all
communications within and outside for more than 10 days. I had no idea if my wife and children had
reached home. Hearing gun fire throughout 24 hours was common phenomenon for next several days.
Mengistu soldiers were fleeing towards Jijiga and found selling their AK-47 for less than five dollars to
hide their identity and buy food. Our trucks coming from Djibouti port were looted on the way and
fleeing soldiers took ride in them leaving their guns and hand grenades in the trucks. Later we handed
over all this to EPRDF commandant stationed in Haile Selassie’s palace in Dire Dawa.
CARE International
Assistant Country Director (Director Program Support)
Ethiopia
April ’93 – June ‘97
After completion of about two years in Hararghe region, I got a phone call from the country director,
Robin Needham, informing me that CARE had decided to promote me as the Assistant Country Director
Program Support to Addis Ababa. It was indeed a pleasant surprise for me as I was pleased that CARE
had recognized my services handling the complex transition effort involved during the most difficult
and uncertain periods in the country as a result of a change of Governments from Mengistu Haile
Mariam’s Marxist regime to EPRDF taking over the control. As I had mentioned earlier, CARE’s
operation in the Hararghe region was larger and more complex than most of the other country offices
we operated. In July 1993, I got transferred to Addis Ababa and took over the responsibility of ACD PS.
This included the overall administration of the Mission’s Human Resources and Personal
Administration, Local and International Procurement, Shipping and Clearing, Management Information
System (MIS), General Services and the Transport Operations. Other responsibilities included
representing the organization at various meetings with the counterparts, Donors, Government and NonGovernmental Organizations, as well as working as acting Country Director in the absence of the
Country Director and ACD Program.
Normally during one of my stints as the acting country director while Robin Needham and ACD
Program were unavailable, things would run pretty smoothly. However, one morning a radio message
using CARE’s internal communications system came through informing us that our project manager
Michael Wood in Habro project has been missing and didn’t return from his daily jog. Mike was a good
runner and used to jog 6-7 kilometers daily. In a few hours time, we realized that he has been
kidnapped by Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) fighters. We got news from reliable sources that OLF has
nothing to do with CARE; however they wanted to embarrass the Ethiopian government in front of the
world. As Mike had dual citizenship of UK and Canada, news was flashed on BBC and several other
International media. OLF fighters made him run for whole day until they reached a safe place. Thank
God Mike was runner and could make it. A normal person would have collapsed on the way.
After frantic communication and coordination with CARE USA, CARE Canada, British and Canadian
Embassy, the OLF office in London agreed to release him. His captors did not harm him at all. Contrary
to this they gave him a note book and pen to write and provided him a transistor radio to listen to news.
He himself listen the news of his kidnapping tuning to BBC. As Mike told us later, his captors even
slaughtered a goat for him for couple of time while he was in the captivity for two weeks. After all the
hectic actions he was released from a discrete location to be picked up by helicopter.
CARE International
Assistant Country Director (Program Support)
Khartoum, Sudan
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July ’97 – March ’99
My role and responsibilities as ACD PS more or less remained the same as I had in my previous
assignment such as overall administration of the Mission’s Human Resources and Personal
Administration, Local and International Procurement, Shipping and Clearing, Management Information
System (MIS), General Services and the Transport Operations, etc.
However, what was different and challenging compared to my previous assignments was to need to
maintain cordial and diplomatic relationships with the various government agencies. This was
especially important as all national staffs were hired with the final approval from the government
counterpart Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC). It was very important to have earned their trust so
that we could have the final decision rather than our counterpart.
In my opinion, the Sudan operation was also different from other normal country offices due to the
political climate and Government relationship with the Western World, as well as the NGO and UN
agencies. Everyone was extremely cautious to avoid any conflict with the government after having
experienced some of the NGOs were once thrown out from the country and had all their assets
confiscated.
As we know, every country office has its Long Range Strategic Planning (LRSP) where programs,
funding and resources are planned for long term planning. Unfortunately, reluctance from donor
countries LRSP could not be planned in Sudan and rather we had (Medium Range Strategic Plan) MRSP
for only couple of years for CARE Sudan. Long term funding for development work was not forthcoming
from donors and caused several problems for the country office. In order to keep operations running, a
proposal for yearly funding had to be maintained, resulting in country office encountering financial
instability. On one occasion when we were going through some financial crisis, USAID floated a RFP for
a health program targeting the internally displaced population staying in various camps around greater
Khartoum. This brought us an opportunity to participate in the competition. We worked so hard for
developing this proposal where some of us ended up spending the night working in the office. Since the
dead line to submit the proposal was only two days away, an international staff was flown to
Washington DC carrying this proposal to submit on the last day of the deadline. This hard work paid off
and we were awarded this Multiyear funding in a stiff competition with other NGOs.
However, a few months later the whole funding drought dramatically ended when we were requested
by the host government to take over emergency program in the Unity state. Money was pouring in due
to this emergency and we received 17 Fund Codes in one day sent by Abby Maxman from ERMU region.
The only way to travel to these areas was by air as the ground route to Unity State was occupied by
rebel forces fighting against the Khartoum government.
Meanwhile Government relationship with Western world was at its low during those days. The US
Embassy was operational with minimal activities. In fact, the Visa section wasn’t working at all and all
the US visas were issued from the nearest Embassy in Egypt. This compelled everyone to travel to Cairo
to secure a US visa.
During the winter of 1998, an interesting incident occurred. My wife was flying from New Delhi to
Khartoum via Dubai and her flight got delayed for a few hours due to dense fog at Delhi resulting in a
missed connection from Dubai to Khartoum. Unfortunately the next Emirates flight was scheduled after
two days. However, there was another flight of Sudan Airways, sometimes known as “Insha’Allah
Airlines”, that was departing in couple of hours. Rarely would an expatriate fly with it given its poor
track record. She called me from Dubai and wanted to know if she could take that flight or stay in Dubai
for two days and wait for the Emirates flight. It was a tough call and we finally decided that she has to
make her decision if she comfortable taking that flight. However, at the end she decided to take the
flight and when she was walking to Sudan airways departure area, a few Sudanese ladies told her that
this is Sudan airways flight going to Khartoum. They thought she has come here mistakenly! My wife
told them that she is aware of it and taking the same flight. Anyhow, she arrived safely!
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CARE Atlanta
Human Resources Division, Regional Coordinator
Atlanta, GA
April 1999 – January 2009
The thought of working at CARE USA Headquarters never crossed my mind for a simple reason. It was a
generally held perception that only US nationals are eligible or to be hired for the position at CARE
Headquarters due to various reason. This was especially true for people from the developing countries
who were least likely to be hired or transferred for the headquarter jobs. However, thanks to CARE’s
policy makers and top management to promote diversity and equal employment opportunity for all
irrespective of nationality as long as that person is competent and qualified for the job, things began to
change slowly.
It was sometime towards the end of 1998 I saw that Job for the HR Regional Coordinator for the Asia
region was posted in the Job Newsletter that was sent to all the country offices. Mostly expatriate staffs
used to look into it for the obvious reason. Based on my extensive experience in handling various HR
related matters, I thought I met almost all the requirement. However, I never thought of applying for it.
Surprisingly, after few weeks an email came from Susan Barr, Director HR explaining that all those who
consider themselves qualified for the job are invited to apply. This generated further interest and I
spoke to my country Director Bob Laprade. He was very supportive and encouraged me to apply. The
moment I applied for the job I got an immediate response and was scheduled for a panel interview.
Marge Tsitouris, Susan Barr and Rachel Cogen were in the panel. Even after three different scheduling
attempts, this interview couldn’t takes place because they couldn’t get the lines to Khartoum to call me
for the interview. So it was decided that I call from Khartoum to Atlanta and it worked. At the end of the
interview Susan told me that she will let me know the result of the interview in a week or so.
The next morning I was pleasantly surprised and excited on getting an email from Susan congratulating
me and offering the job. A day later I got another email from Susan that I need to be interviewed by the
SVP Human Resources for to finalize this position. Later that week I was interviewed by Barbara
Murphy Warrington for about 40 minutes and at the end she endorsed the decision taken by the
previous panel.
It took me three months to move to Atlanta until my replacement was hired and proper orientation and
turnover was completed. I found my Colleagues in Atlanta to be extremely supportive who helped me a
lot in settling down in my new job. I thoroughly enjoyed my Job as it always kept me in touch with the
country office.
I worked very closely during this tenure with some of the finest people at headquarter and out in the
country office. I had the opportunity to visit several countries in Asia, Middle East, Eastern Europe and
Sothern and East Africa. On one occasion I was travelling to Kosovo via British Airways from London to
Macedonia. Due to bad weather in Macedonia, the flight was diverted to Sophia, Bulgaria and I had to
spend the night at the airport along with three other UN personnel who were also travelling to Kosovo.
The next morning we spoke with the Chief Immigrant Officer and British Airways provided us two
Mercedes cars to take us to Macedonia. Of course we were escorted by the armed personnel for
security!
In another incident, I was scheduled to fly to Dushanbe, Tajikistan from Frankfurt taking Tajik Air. I had
heard some horror stories and was quite concerned boarding the old aircrafts from former Soviet
Union. Surprisingly, I met another colleague Claudia Chang from the Asia region taking the same fight
made me bit relaxed and provided some company. Tajik Air didn’t serve any drinks on the flight;
however I had a bottle of JW that helped us further in boosting our courage! Unsurprisingly, I decided
that I will not take Tajik Air in the future.
I hope I was able to provide support and help build HR capacity, improve climate, and enhance
organizational effectiveness within CARE’s overseas country offices as well as in US-based program
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divisions. My focus areas included recruitment, orientation, performance management, employee
relations, policy communication/clarification, compensation and benefits administration, and
evacuations. This also included conducting high volume rapid recruitment of aid workers in response
to emergencies worldwide, including Congo, Iraq, Sudan, Kosovo and drought stricken Sothern Africa.
After leaving CARE in 2009, I was contacted by them to go to Sudan for a short term assignment. CARE
International Switzerland wanted me to work on an assignment in Khartoum and later as Acting Team
Leader for South Darfur for few months in 2009-2010.
I am sure a book can easily be written but that is for another time! I will cherish my memories with
CARE and my interaction with some of the great people in this long but very challenging and rewarding
journey. I also would like to pay tribute to three finest persons Pat Carrey, Robin Needham and Peter
Bell. They will always be with me in my memories and in my heart. Like so many of you, I was one of the
privileged persons to work and learn from them. I would like to thank my wife Ravinder, my daughter
Sonal and son Abhijeet for their understanding. On several occasions we were so apart from each other
for their education which wasn’t always possible at my postings. I also like to thank Cheenu for his
patience and persuasion without which I am not sure if I would have written these lines.
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Balbir Chaudhary
[email protected]
Udaipur, India
April 14, 2014
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80
Marcia Lang
CARE USA
VI. INDONESIA
We never imagined the delights that awaited us in the fascinating land of Indonesia. Jakarta was our
new home. It is the capital, a bustling crowded metropolis teeming with beggars and a new transport
system, the Becak. It was like a rickshaw, propelled by a strong man who scurried through the mazes of
the city, pulling his passengers for a mere pittance.
Here I stood up for my rights and politely demanded language training. Classes were offered to my
husband, not me. After all, I was the spouse who dealt with non-English speaking staff, shopped in the
local markets, and conducted all household business. Bahasa is a very phonetic language that was easy
to learn. Terimah kasi is thank you and tida appa appa means it doesn’t matter. Fortunately, I had one
on one instruction with excellent teachers. With applied concentration it was easy to learn and
provided me with a sense of security and freedom in the intriguing metropolis.
Before accepting the assignment, my husband and I weighed the pros and cons and decided we were
ready for a new adventure. We had no idea what it would be like to live in Indonesia, but decided to
accept the challenge.
At first I found the early morning “Call to Prayer,” to be my most difficult challenge. The mezzuin stood
atop a pillar in the mosque and repeated his deep chanting seven times a day. Like our church bells, it
was lulling to us after a month and no longer awakened me.
I became involved with the American Women’s club primarily to make friends. The group specialized in
tours of the National Museum. Since I was learning the language I wanted to dig deeper into studying
the culture. The club was associated with Ganesha, the Hindu God in manifestation as an elephant, who
is the protector of learning. Ganesha was the name of our organization. Therefore, we were responsible
for providing a variety of tours at the Museum. Perhaps it was rare in an Islamic society, but this Hindu
element in the form of an elephant has always survived.
Puppets intrigued me because I loved them as a child. They brought fascinating tales to life. It was a
pleasure to introduce them to the public and give lectures at the National Museum on the stories told
through the art of puppetry.
Travelling through the city and country to attend performances was entrancing. The shadow puppets
captivated me. Performances started at sundown and lasted through the evening until dawn. This was a
clever mechanism to teach an illiterate population about cultural mores and traditions. People were
enthralled and didn’t tire during the marathon performance.
In the past, performances were originally enacted by the head of a family to obtain advice from
ancestral spirits. Over time the spirits emerged in various forms of shadows.
It was riveting to watch the characters come to life behind a taut sheet strung across a stage. A spotlight
would shine on the sheet from above to cast shadows of distinct forms from the intricately-carved
puppets made from buffalo hides. The Dalang (master puppeteer) carefully enacted all of the parts in
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the sacred dramas. He is considered to be an honored member of society because he is a spiritual
teacher, storyteller and dramatist.
The puppets themselves and their shadows play a distinct role; they provide the Javanese people with
an avenue for mystical meditation. It is not just a show but represents an abstract world in which the
invisible becomes visible and something that cannot be adequately expressed in words becomes
comprehensible. Most stories simply revolve around the enactment of good over evil and the
participants quickly identify with their favorite characters.
It is said that the puppets suggest ancestors and the characters are a link between the living and the
dead who can avert calamities. During the performance the puppets are stored in a wooden chest to the
left of the Dalang. As the show progresses the puppeteer retrieves the puppet from the box, then quickly
performs the story. He is quite dexterous as two puppets must perform at once.
The Guningang, the elaborately-carved, lacy “Tree of Life,” is a critical puppet as it starts and ends every
performance. Intricate stories are found within the tree and no show can be performed without it.
Throughout the performance music is provided by the gamelan.
Perhaps this was one of the reasons I loved the theater and acting. So many parts were waiting to be
portrayed. It wasn’t long before I joined Jakarta Players, a theatre group with members from around the
world.
We started the year with Greater Tuna and I played the characters of Didi Snavely and Pearl Burris.
Someone miraculously appeared who had acted before so he coached me at home. It worked well as I
learned many excellent techniques for voice modulation and character development; I made my voice
tremble with conviction and could waddle like an older woman.
The cast and crew loved to party so when the play finished we had the cast party at the Petroleum Club.
What a delightful way to make new friends.
Later in the year, we put on CABARET which I produced but also played a bit part in, “Go to Hell Kitty.” I
could never carry a tune but Kitty didn’t sing. It was thought she was deranged so I was wrapped in a
strait jacket, a memorable costume. Our wardrobe mistress made me a luscious blue hat that induced a
curtain call – no way could I be left out of the fun!
When returning to America I always enjoyed attending the plays Jakarta Players had performed. In my
opinion, our productions were superior and I mentally put my friends from Indonesia in the role being
portrayed. For example, Greater Tuna is a play I have seen many times in America yet the Radio
Announcers could never quite reach the degree of humor of Jakarta Players’ version.
Throughout the year we held makeup workshops, special birthday parties and Christmas celebrations.
There was never a dull moment.
One of my favorite productions was A Single Thing In Common by William Brown. I played the lead,
Joyce, a woman desperate to win back her husband by seducing the other men at hand. We took this
play on the road to the Surabaya Hilton, the second largest city on Java, which was a feather in our caps
because we only performed shows locally in Jakarta. Our transportation was provided by Garuda
Airlines.
Going-away parties were memorable, especially when the theme was “The Sinking of the Titanic.” I
designed costumes for Jay and me from hair dressing salon capes which were adorned with crosses
hanging around our necks. We were obviously among the few survivors!
The prize celebration was the marriage of dear friends Laura Chirnside and Charles Schuster who were
participants in many of the plays. We had a mock wedding and I was the matron of honor, dressed in a
shimmering gold lame skirt and tight black sweater dripping with gold baubles. All of the spouses
played complementary parts like ring bearer, ushers, and the best man.
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Randy attended Jakarta International School (JIS) for Middle School and many of his teachers were
members of the Jakarta Players. It was the melding of two creative worlds.
One afternoon I went in search of a new dog. We had given away our impossible Apollo before leaving
Honduras, so we craved a replacement.
“Randy, Jay -- I visited a pet shop today and found an adorable Tibetan spaniel. Let’s visit there
tomorrow.”
The next day we returned and brought home a precious black and white dog.
“She looks like an Oreo cookie. Let’s call her, Oreo,” I suggested.
Shortly after getting Oreo we went to the beach with Randy’s good friend Nigel and our little puppy
earned a medal. She bounded through the surf and waves and tore after ferocious dogs twice her size.
When Oreo matured we mated her with the dog next door. A successful event as she gave birth to four
beautiful pups. She immediately buried them in the ground as a protective mom would do! It took us a
long time to convince her otherwise. One of the pups we gave to my Bridge partner, Martha.
My Bridge skills were enhanced playing at the American Club with a cordial group of women. No matter
where I lived I could find a challenging game.
Bali, an entrancing Hindu island in this enchanting nation, is found deep within its shores. Our
Honduran friends, the Staches came for a visit to compare the sparkling water and divine snorkelling to
that of their own island paradise. We took a Hovercraft over to the 1,000 islands, off the north coast of
Jakarta to discover their treasures and found thousands of delicate starfish as well as enormous
monitor lizards. The unusual sea life was exceptional.
We discovered giant bamboo furniture that eventually graced our front foyer, but it was the colorful
floral paintings, adorned with birds, that caught our attention. We admired a regal cockatoo perched on
giant bamboo amid luscious lavender orchids.
The textiles from Bali are luscious and colorful depending on the region. Festive cloths used for
adornment were woven in silk interspersed with silver and golden threads.
I accompanied my husband for a journey to Sulawesi, home of the Tana Toraja, where the buffalo is
highly revered. An animistic society it is known for animal sacrifices. An amazing replica of this idol
adorns my dining room wall. His ivory eyes stare across the room to the Batak warriors of Sumatra.
Randy’s international school was one of a kind architecturally, with its numerous pagodas. It was a
delight to visit especially when I went to watch Randy train for the swim team or play on the volleyball
squad.
After travelling the world for twenty-five astounding years, I rank Indonesia as my favorite country
because it offered so many diverse opportunities throughout the archipelago. Add this country to your
bucket list. We were grateful for this rich cultural experience.
Years later I was privileged to encourage my church to sponsor a Muslim family from Bosnia. I owe my
own experiences to other religions for my exceptional years in Indonesia. I became very close with this
family and was both mother and grandmother to this family with triplets.
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Marcia Lang
[email protected]
May 09, 2014
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81
Late Patrick Carey – CARE USA Several Countries (CARE 1974 – 2004)
by John William Carey (son)
Submit my simple memory story this day, 10th anniversary of my late dad Pat, May 28, 2014
“John William Carey,” a voice boomed through the penthouse apartment. “You had better get out here
and face the consequences.”
I hid in our Port-au-Prince apartment after stabbing my twin brother, Matthew Michael Carey in the
forehead. A permanent four-pronged scar remains visible to this day. Anthony Patrick Carey, or “Pat” to
nearly everyone, searched the apartment for me. Matthew and I had fought over a lunchbox, but those
details did not matter and Papa was mad. That was 1980, the world was a different place and this was
one of my first memories as a child. We only stayed a few months in Haiti, but I remember asking Papa
if “Baby Doc” was a doctor for babies and when we were worried that Santa Claus might not find us in
Haiti, Papa assured us he would, and years later, he confessed to jingling bells as if Santa’s sleigh was
outside of our bedroom on Christmas Eve.
Pat was born in Maine, studied in Washington, D.C. and Brattleboro, Vermont, and was a Peace Corps
volunteer in Karnataka, India. He adopted my brother and I in 1975 and CARE played an enormous role
in our lives. Haiti was our first overseas posting as a family. The next 30 years took us all over the world
including Brooklyn, New York; New Delhi, India; Manila, Philippines; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Atlanta,
GA. He passed away on May 28, 2004.
“Papa, where’s Stanley?” I asked, as we walked to my new
public school in Brooklyn. Stanley was our driver and
friend in New Delhi, India when we lived in Hauz Kaus.
“John, this is Brooklyn, New York. Stanley is in India,” he
said coolly. This was one Papa’s favorite stories. The
privileged life was over.
For the next five years, Papa juggled a daily commute to
CARE headquarters in Manhattan, traveling overseas, and
raising us as a single parent. Dinners were enormously
important to Papa. He insisted on us eating together every
night and talking about the day -- this pattern would
continue for the rest of our life – dinners had required
attendance. The vivid memories of Brooklyn and the United
States are a big part of my identity. I love New York sports
teams and people claim my Brooklyn accent is still present.
My strong family ties and passion for politics solidified during “the New York years.” After all, picking
up the Sunday New York Times was one of my chores and I always scanned the front page and then
listened to Papa curse or applaud “The Grey Lady,” while we watched cartoons and WPIX.
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Visiting CARE headquarters was always a special treat. Papa introduced us to EVERYBODY and we met
many wonderful friends. We exchanged details about overseas trips, pending travel plans and current
events from all over the world. The passion to make a difference in the world seemed like pixie dust in
the air. There are too many people to name and I would hate to leave anyone off, but you know who you
are.
“Remember, take the garlands off quickly,” Papa said.
We were landing in New Delhi, India and this was a homecoming. Papa knew Indian customs better
than many and he was always teaching us about them.
“Remember, you boys are Indians,” he would say.
Years later, people would say he was Indian too.
For the next seven years, we lived in New Delhi, India in West End Colony and it was an idyllic
childhood. Papa was in his element with CARE, and we learned about our country of birth. We
entertained people at our house and I learned about storytelling. The American Embassy School offered
sports, academic, social life, and lifelong friends. Papa was absorbed in his work. He loved every minute
and even in the challenging times, he would remain true to his values and principles.
Living in India allowed us to visit Agra and Jaipur so often it became “boring.” We visited so many times
with friends and family that we walked around with an aura of authority probably reserved for the
Mughals. Papa was the tour guide and he secretly enjoying showing off his knowledge of history.
Visiting CARE India in Greater Kailash was always fun, not because the kitchen refrigerator bulged with
Limca and Thumbs-up, but watching people work with a sense of purpose demonstrated what happens
when you combine passion and labor. CARE India picnics were always a highlight of the year – the
contests, games and the families made them feel like reunions.
“Boys, they have McDonald’s and Pizza Hut,” Papa said.
The trouble with a nomadic CARE lifestyle is that there is always more to do somewhere else, and we
had to learn to leave friends and familiar places. We moved to Manila for our sophomore year of high
school and attended the International School Manila. In many ways, New Delhi and Manila are similar,
as they are both deeply spiritual countries teeming with people, terrible traffic and extreme poverty.
However, India is the Commonwealth of Nations and the Philippines is deeply influenced by the United
States.
Manila was big city life and the amount of fun, or parental stress, that we caused was hard to top. The
thing about growing up overseas is that you make friends quick and friendships last forever. Manila
grew on us. Hospitality is a key trait of Filipinos and their joy for life is contagious.
Visiting CARE Philippines was always a lesson in camaraderie and teamwork dominated with laughter.
Like India, CARE picnics were special occasions filled with games and food, where we were among
friends and for a few hours, we forgot about the serious work at hand.
After graduating high school, Matthew and I attended American universities and CARE was a more
distant figure in our lives, while CARE took on a more central figure in Papa’s life. He moved to Dhaka,
Bangladesh and then Atlanta, GA. Visiting both CARE offices reminded me of my childhood, each making
a small difference in lives of others, through meaningful work for a greater purpose.
The last time that I saw Papa and heard his legendary laugh was at a South Indian restaurant in
Washington, D.C., when my wife and I were still dating. We had a great dinner. The restaurant was
located a few blocks away from Georgetown University. The added bonus of our last dinner together
was having Papa order his meal in Kannada and blowing the waiter’s mind. Papa passed away two days
later in his sleep. I had the honor of taking his ashes from Washington, D.C., where he started his
journey in 1966, back home to Maine, where he is buried.
For me, CARE was never a physical place; CARE is a value system that my children will learn.
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John W Carey
[email protected]
May 25, 2014
My dad left a letter to all his people, friends and colleagues to read after his passing away; the letter is
reproduced below in this story.
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82
Tom Alcedo
CARE USA 1980 - 2002
A Magical Journey to India with CARE – 1996-2002
As with many others, who have had the opportunity to have been associated with CARE India, I typically
think of it as a real high point of my overseas career, professionally very satisfying, and a real learning
experience. In the Spring of 1996 Mark Lindenberg, VP Program of CARE USA, who was one of the most
brilliant strategic planning professionals that I have ever had the opportunity to work with, asked me
what my own career interests were; after 3 years in HQ, I hoping to go back overseas. That lead-up
(1993-1996) to my India posting, as the first Director of the CARE Emergency Group, a rich, but intense
experience, took place during very unsettled times, when the global socio-political situation was so very
unstable, with multiple conflicts and complex emergencies in progress or starting, in such remote
places as Rwanda, Bosnia, and Afghanistan to name a few.
Having spent most of my professional life overseas, to that point already, my inclination of course, was
to try and return to that operating environment. When I heard that the posting possibility might include
leading the India Country Team, which really represented the flag ship in overseas posting with some of
the most talented and dedicated staff, in the CARE system – I was awed. The country office itself, has
been compared something akin to the crown jewel of the CARE program portfolio; so, my first choice
was relatively easy and I was both excited and greatly honoured to have the possibility of working
there, following the footsteps of such CARE luminaries as Phil Johnston, Charles Sykes, Ron Burkhard,
Pat Carey, Rudy Ramp, Terry Jeggle, Ginny Ubik, and many others.
I was privileged to work in India, as the Country Director for 6 years (1996-2002) and trying to
describe any significant time spent or experience learned, in such a wondrous country, could never give
it full justice in a remembrance such as this. However, I would like to give a few highlights and personal
perceptions of events during that tenure. Arriving to the office, located across from the market, at B28
Greater Kailash, struck me as a place that was both hallowed and historical, albeit somewhat inefficient
as an office, as colleagues were spread out in different houses, the main house included an interesting
system of nooks and crannies and the offices were not even on the same street! After some time
hunting, our Admin colleagues found a great new location in Hauz Khas Village – a magical place,
located down the street from a significant archaeological antiquity that dated back to the 12thcentury,
complete with a “Royal Tank”. At that time, Hauz Khas Village was just turning into a more ‘in-place’ for
buying craft items, including art and jewellery and dining, located in-between Green Park and Deer Park
– a delightful spot, from my office, I could peer out on the green canopy of the trees and yes, how I
enjoyed those early morning jogs and walks there – not to mention our evening roof-top gatherings! 
India, as some have described, was a paradox, during my time there – and perhaps still is. This was
CARE’s largest program at the time and included, USAID’s largest single global development project, the
Integrated Nutrition and Health Project (INHP), which addressed a significant level of malnutrition in
pregnant and lactating women and children under 5. At the time, India was home to half the world’s
malnourished children, yet self-sufficient in food, producing 40 million tons of excess food grains. In
Uttar Pradesh, a state larger than most countries, CARE was able to start a Girls Education Project,
which provided girls, who all too often, dropped out of school, the chance to return and complete their
education. While girls were often times, not given the same opportunities as boys on a proportional
level, many women were in positions of government and enjoyed relative freedom to contribute to
both local and the highest levels of the government bureaucracy – and yet all too often women had
little ‘real’ decision making power in households and communities; the fact that India has both world
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class urban medical facilities and among some of the most cutting-edge IT prowess in the world, has
demonstrated its intellectual depth global competitiveness in many technical arenas, including
information and communication technology yet, at that time, 35% of the people were illiterate.
What make India so special of course is its’ people, who are collectively diverse, bright, and ambitious,
intellectually advanced, who rise to the occasion when opinions differ and with deep family and social
ties, a rich and historic culture that provide them with a strong foundation and special character. The
sights and sounds of India also are distinctive, both colourful and boisterous – especially during special
festive occasions like Holi and Diwali – which I also loved to participate in, as did my kids.
Having previously worked with a number of colleagues from India, in Africa (e.g. Somalia and Sudan)
one place I always wanted to visit was Kerala - given the stories I had heard about the beautiful
“Backwaters” and other interesting sites there. Soon after arriving to India and the question posed,
where I would like to visit first, I indicted Kerala. I was told the in the recent consolidation of activities
included state office closures with the realignment of program targeting and retrenchment of staff,
unfortunately, Kerala was one place that closed out! While a disappointment, ten plus state offices,
CARE had identified to focus on, still represented a good targeting of areas requiring support the most
and where CARE resources could be better channel resources to achieve greatest impact.
During my tenure as CD, I had the opportunity to work with so many talented and exceptional
colleagues, who actually were responsible for significant growth and diversification of our program
during those years. Ultimately, with almost 600 staff spread among 11 states and Delhi, not to mention
my own advancing years, I would apologize from the outset for not mentioning so many friends and
colleagues there, who made my brief sojourn there so special. It’s impossible to adequately remember
all, but some who played, such an important role in achieving much, during my journey in India
included Pradeep Singh and later VS Gurumani in the important Program Support Deputy Director
role, Judy Schroeder, Laurie Parker, Peter McAllister, Gita Pillai, Rick Henning held down either the
important Deputy Director Program roles or managed the significant Health Sector portfolio - the
health sector had always been the 800 pound gorilla in the program portfolio and it had notable
professionals like Dr. YP Gupta as Health Director, Rd. Sanjay Senho, a dedicated technical Health
Manager and State Director and Usha Kirin as Senior Program Director. Other senior managers who
made significant contributions during this time and whom I learned so much from included, Vasanti
Ramiah in the role of HR Director was responsible for bringing in so much talent, along with other HR
colleagues that included, Vibah Malhotra and M. Srinivasan, Rashmi Dhamija who was an absolute
delight as a Controller along with Kanchan Mittal as our Auditor; Amitabh Dutta our IT wiz; Geeta
Mennon our Girls Education Director, Depinder Kapur our ANR Director; Dr. Neil Prusty our Logistics
Director, and his logistic team, including Ranjan Sinha, PK Narula and R. Nambiar –as a logistics group
had thousands of things in motion and not only get it there on time , but also keep track of it all; C K
Patak our Emergency Manager; Madhuri Das managing M&E, Sanat Pattanaik Admin Director, along
with RN Mohanty and Anna Lucia in Administration could make the work a lot easier with the strong
Admin support they were so generous with; Harry Sethi managing our important partner and external
relationships with both the GOI, other partners, including innovative corporate partnerships. There
were so many others in State offices - which was where the rubber hit the road and things really got
done and of course what made CARE such a reputable institution, including the State Directors like C S
Reddy, R C Mahajan, Manohar Shenoy, K. Gopalan, Nirmala Gupta; Dr. Renu Suri, Basant Mohanty.
Others who come to mind as they played very important roles during my tenure and perhaps still
positively influence CARE India included Shikha Bhattacharya the CD’s Executive Secretary and the one
person who probably knows how to arrange anything; Sunita Gupta, Rajeev Ghosal and Pankaj Sharma,
all professionals who got things done efficiently and all made such significant contributions to CARE’s
work and positive reputation.
There were many things and highlights I could write about in India. Some of which, I could write
individual stories about, that exemplified the dedication and extraordinary efforts of so many, to rise to
the occasion, of assisting those negatively impacted by world class disasters, or implementing longer
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term development efforts that led to better health or improved socio-economic status during my six
years there. My experience in India was extremely interesting and has served me well in my work after
I left CARE also. Having arrived at a time, where most of the difficult work of consolidating the country
office to fewer states had already been accomplished prior to my arrival, made it easier to think about a
program portfolio expansion. The Diversification of the CARE India’s program portfolio included
expanding its most robust sectors of Health and Nutrition; and Population and Reproductive Health; but
also expanding more into Small Economic Activity Development; Girls Primary Education; HIV-AIDS
prevention, Urban Development and Agriculture and Natural Resources; and expanding and thinking
about innovation in our Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation programs as well. So, with a talented team
of 600 staff and senior managers mentioned above, our program development went into hyper-drive.
In 1995 CARE’s cash budget was $5.03 million and steadily increased to $23.5 million in 2002, and
when the value of the INHP was added, which included PL480 commodities, gave CARE a total annual
program value of just under $90 million in 2001. In those days, that represented a significant portion of
CARE’s global program portfolio value. Of course working in India, you need to think big, and CARE’s
non-food program also was able to achieve level of significant scale, while the ongoing PL480 program
reached over 7.5 million people every day – the vast majority of which were pregnant and lactating
women and children under 5.
CARE India’s rich history has been written about by many, so while my own flash-in-the-pan
description here does not do it justice, I did want point out I had the honor to be in India, during CARE’s
50 year anniversary in 2001, which was a memorable event with a 3 day seminar and an official dinner
reception, which included New Deli’s development, political and social elite were invited. The three day
seminar focussed on global issues related to food security and among the key note speakers we Dr.
Varghese Kurien, the Father of the White Revolution and the instigator of the dairy cooperative
movement; M.S. Swaminathan who was known as the "Father of the Green Revolution” in India and
globally. Our featured speaker at the welcome dinner, for participants, GOI, other luminaries and CARE
participants, at the famous Indian International Center was Pat Carey, then Vice President Program. I
always looked at my time in India as my own career apex with CARE. Professionally, India was one of
the most positive experience of my career- with the exception of an unfortunate misunderstanding
which occurred at that 50th year event, and not worth detailing here, suffice to say, that along with my
being the COA President, at the time, contributed to my departure from CARE after that 6 year
assignment – though India, in any case, would be a difficult act to follow, so what better place to end a
20+ year run!
While there is much to say about the history of CARE India, I would describe the Organizational
Evolution (OE) process, that occurred under my watch in India – while part of a longer term process in
CARE, this segment made a positive contribution to that process, though perhaps, subsequent steps, to
the recommendations made - likely missed following through, while the iron was hot.
Prior to going to India, including during my tenure in HQ, there had been a lot of rhetoric about the
North to South dialogue; transitions from an undeveloped country - to a developing country - to a
developed country. Among all that talk emerged the idea of some CARE countries transitioning or
graduating and perhaps some even becoming full consortium members in CARE. While I believe tight
donor funds sometimes drove this thinking; there were genuine examples of country-level socialeconomic status advancing, with corresponding improved capacity among civil society movements,
well-placed to determine their own future and contribute to global development efforts. While others,
before and after me contributed significantly to this CARE India OE process, one of Mark Lindenberg’s
ideas was that India was indeed meeting the broad and specific criteria of moving in this direction and
suggested that OE should be something to take a serious look at during my tenure there, with the view
of moving towards a “CARE India” versus “CARE in India”.
Although organizational evolution was not at the top of my immediate priority list, sometime about
halfway through my time in India, we started seriously looking at the rationale of whether it made
sense. The Indo CARE Agreement signed in 1950 was restrictive and while CARE had a huge food
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program, we found that non-food programs required discretionary and time-consuming GOI approvals;
also access to and use of the significant local wealth and funds that were available, was extremely
limited. We also looked at what CARE, as a global organization and CARE India, as a national member,
could gain from such a move, taking our time to look at risks, legal issues and opportunities. This was an
issue that the CARE India senior management Team (SMT) worked together on seriously and
ultimately felt that the transition of CARE in India to CARE India as a full member of the international
confederation was the way to go, because it would develop greater agility and innovative programs,
initiate more timely implementation of projects; establish more responsive, appropriate organizational
structures and operational approaches; enhance CARE India’s ability to achieve its vision consistent
with the Long Range Strategic Goals of CARE International; and provide the opportunity to build off of a
strong existing program to dramatically increase and diversify resource mobilization, to advance
CARE’s work, and assist CARE India’s local NGO partners to access available private, government and
institutional funding sources. We also felt that the timing of that move, was key to build on a very solid
program foundation we had, while it was still a major player – with an extraordinary budget, significant
staff capacity, with a geographically significant presence in 11 of the largest states and what better time
to present/decide on it, then at the 50th year anniversary, that was fast- approaching, of CARE’s work in
the country! On another level we felt that such a move would also enhance national character to better
engage in and influence civil society (e.g. advocacy); it would provide local ownership of the
development process and increase the influence of Indian citizens in CARE’s national/global
governance; it would also promote the internationalization of CARE India’s greater involvement in a
worldwide movement against poverty and participation in the CI management structure.
At that early stage, it was agreed that a review of an OE Initiative should move forward, cautiously, to
have a closer look, by CARE USA HQ. A technical working group, was identified consisting of a number
of senior staff, however, the heavy lifters included Laurie Parker, VS Gurumani and Vasanti Ramiah. The
majority of this OE assessment and review process took the better part of two years of groundwork,
including legal consultation (i.e. Ajay K. Sud & Associates) and feedback shared with Country Office and
HQ ARMU, other organizations, who had gone through a similar process, including Winrock. After
almost two years a first cut on OE recommendations were developed, shared internally with Country
Office team and HQ staff. The country team made a presentation to the CI Board, who held their
meeting in New Delhi 11/2001, in commemoration of CARE’s 50thanniversary in India. Surprisingly,
the immediate response was muted, and soon after that meeting, the whole idea of OE - after the great
intensions and hyperbole, was quietly dropped, ostensibly because the “timing was not right” - albeit,
word had it that there was some concern or perceived risk to the future of CARE’s massive PL480
program and how that program would be managed under such a CARE India arrangement. Ironically,
not long after my departure, from India and CARE, the GMO issue came to a boil in the media, led by
some very out-spoken environmental groups, which in-turn, led to the severe limitation of importation
of GMO food products, including processed cereals, like Corn Soy Blend (CSB), which made up the bulk
of CARE’s USAID supported PL480 program. That unfortunate development spelled the end to an
extraordinary program coordinated by CARE USA – dedicated to the food security of a well-targeted
group of women and children. Sometime after that food program and others were ending, CARE did
take the decisive steps necessary to restart the Organizational Evolution process again, though perhaps
not as optimal a time, which ultimately resulted in a CARE India versus a CARE in India – that was a
major positive step for the overall organization and a significant contribution to making CARE a more
global organization.
Lastly, I would recall, briefly, some of the intense disaster responses that the CARE Team responded to
so professionally, during my tenure - including the super cyclone (05B) in Orissa in 1999, which caused
over 10,000 deaths; however, the immediate work done by the CARE Orissa team, led by Basant
Mohanty, with support from New Delhi HQ and many others from other Indian State offices, including
Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal – which included immediate relief , like the full trainload of food sent
from another state was a god-send and CARE’s subsequent recovery work there to ‘build-back-better’
insured that the next super cyclone, that was to hit Orissa in 2013, people were better prepared
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through improved early warning systems, cyclone shelters and more appropriate housing construction
– as a result, less than 100 deaths resulted. The Gujarat 7.7 earthquake, being the last major natural
calamity that happened during January, 2001, was one of the more memorable natural calamities,
because of its sheer abruptness and graphic depiction of how fast pain and death can arrive, with over
20,000 lives lost and over 150,000 seriously injured. The team leadership shown during the response
led by colleagues like CS Reddy and Manohar Shenoy got the immediate response off to a good start.
The tactical approach that CARE took there to rebuild whole communities, the very astute decision of
some of my like Neil Prusty, Ranjan Sinha and CK Patak, identifying a strong outside architect and
engineering quality assurance and control team to support that effort in house construction, is still the
most successful I have ever seen and certainly proud to have been associated with. The strategic
partnership that Hari Sethi was able to conclude with the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (FICCI), was one of the more successful private-public partnerships, I have yet witnessed
and strengthened an already strong interest in involving the corporate sector in the humanitarian and
development sectors. Other significant natural disasters, during my time in India, included the floods in
Bihar, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh and the droughts of Rajasthan. Certainly the most impressive
commonality between the many disasters which I witnessed during my time there was how all staff
consistently rose to the occasion, from already busy schedules to contribute super-human efforts to
assist those in great need in all of these tragic circumstances – it was what built CARE as a team,
instilled a sense of pride in the organization we worked with and projected CARE as a relevant and
important organization that was capable of making a very positive difference.
Farewell party to Tom Alcedo by CARE India staff when Tom was leaving CARE and India.
(Photos courtesy : M Srinivasan, CARE India)
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Tom Alcedo
[email protected]
May 29, 2014
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83
Marcia Lang
CARE USA
EGYPT
1988 - 1991
When we were transferred from Indonesia to Egypt we decided to visit Kenya on the way to go on
safari. Stopping first in Nairobi to experience the Serengeti, we were first treated to a pink wonderland
and visited a flamingo paradise at Lake Nakuru. Everywhere we looked the waters were tinted soft
pastel colors. It didn’t seem important to search for big game at that point. Yet we did.
The snows of Kilamanjaro form a majestic backdrop to Kenya’s spectacular wildlife. It was a
photographer’s paradise to snap tusked elephants as they roamed freely. Driving through the Masai
Mara was incredible for watching game of all kinds – herds of zebras, gazelles, and wildebeest, not to
mention a surprise- spotting of a group of gangly giraffes munching on high, out-of-sight succulent
green leaves.
That evening we were told to get up very early in the morning if we wanted to watch one of our favorite
animals – hippos. We crept out of bed well before five and were treated to a rare sight of them resting
on the lawn. Stealthily, we observed them but feared being trampled into particles of dust.How could
we top that? On our last afternoonwe happened upon an unsuspecting mating pair of lions. That made
our day.
What a treasured life. A final journey to the ocean-side was spectacular as well. Randy and I fished all
day in Mombasa and couldn’t stop reeling in the fish! I hooked a whopper and struggled with it for over
an hour. A beautiful golden Dorado hung from the hook for photos. With all the fish we caught, we fed
the villagers for days.What a delectable meal we shared that evening. For some reason, Jay didn’t want
to venture out with us. He really missed something! Encountering wonderful adventures made it easier
to drift into new waters.
Once arriving in Egypt we certainly didn’t feel at home. Arabic was not music to our ears. Finding a
place to live was always a challenge but we looked for housing in Maadi near the Cairo American
Academy (CAC) where Randy would attend another renowned school.
We were lucky to find a spacious roof-top apartment near school and soon hired Ragoub, a talented
cook who weighed at least 250 lbs. His coke-bottle style glasses seemed to indicate that he was also
myopic.It was amazing to watch him navigate the streets on his bicycle. How did it support him?
Although it was suspected that people of the Muslim faith did not appreciate dogs, he adored our
precious Oreo.
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Fortunately, Ragoub spoke English because Arabic was very difficult to learn. I took an introductory
course which taught me every-day phrases. Instead, we insisted that Randy learn the language at
school. After three years he could fend for himself and it was impressive on his college applications.
Ragoub wasn’t the neatest housekeeper and for some reason we could never hire a compatible
assistant, so whenever we walked into the kitchen at night enormous cockroaches scurried across the
floor!
Standing on the balcony of our apartment we were thrilled to view the pyramids in the distance at Giza.
It was a beautiful spot to relax in early evening, as long as the Hamsin (biting desert wind) wasn’t
blowing. One year the winds were so bad that the dust actually accumulated in our refrigerator. What a
mess.
My husband set up a training center focused on micro-lending in an Islamic society. His assistant was
fluent in Arabic; Paul had a family of three small children. It was a wonderful set up.
Our son enrolled in the international school with phenomenal teachers and courses. His best friends,
Scott and John were also on the swim team and their mother was an administrator at school.
A family from our Costa Rican past, the Grangers shared life with us in Cairo. What a blessing to pick up
friendships again and continue inter-weaving the net.
Our home leaves to the US took on a different focus as we began visiting colleges so we could plan for
Randy’s future with clarity. Visits were made to Antioch, University of Pennsylvania, Brown, University
of Oregon, and Wesleyan.
During one of these trips we left Oreo with my bridge friend Martha which was a disaster. Our dog must
have forgotten her offspring (Lady) because they couldn’t tolerate one another and couldn’t live in the
same room.
We continued our Bridge game however but I played in international tournaments witha new partner,
Jimmy Soliman, who elevated me to another level of competition.
Our family embraced a new sport with friends of our son’s – skiing! I hadn’t skied since college and it
was always difficult for me as I could never traverse up the mountainside. Without fail, I snow-plowed
down the mountain terrified that I’d slip over the edge. We flew to Geneva and then headed for Tinges
in France. I tried to master the “bunny slopes” which was a mind numbing challenge. I didn’t get on a Tbar or anything remotely helpful and I’d groan with envy as all of our friends took off for the slopes with
glee. Jay strained his muscles and couldn’t ski.
Egypt was an exotic land where we delved into many diverse experiences. We learned on trips to Luxor
about the tombs and mummification through Chicago House, an organization that conducted tours
through this region. Well-trained translators accompanied us andadded exclusive insights. Intricately
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carved pillars and walls depicted past history asenormous statues guarded the entrance to the temple
at Aswan.
About the time of the Gulf War, I developed a medical problem with my thyroid and flew to California
for exams and biopsies. Fortunately they were benign. While there I called home to Egypt to warn them
about the start of the war.
After I returned to Egypt the Embassy was visited by our President, George Bush and his wife Barbara.
They were on their way to visit the troops involved in the Gulf War. We were invited to the reception;
security was tight and we could only carry our passports. As a result, we asked the President to sign
them. He remarked, “I don’t know if this will keep you in or out of jail!” We might not have voted for
him, but at least he had a great sense of humor. During our short exchange he was knowledgeable about
CARE’s endeavors throughout the world and we wereduly impressed.
Theater continued to play a distinct role in my life with Maadi Community Players. I wore my
spectacular blue hatin Blithe Spirit which was perfect for a fortune teller. The markets of Cairo were a
treasure trove to hunt for the glittery costumes that still hang in my closet.
Marcia as Fortune Teller in "Blythe Spirit" Guatemala
Our theater troop often rehearsed in the local Catholic Church and I had to make arrangements with
Father Abel. We formed a close friendship, which I cherished as my husband and I didn’t attend any
church. This priest was responsible for helping me hang on to my faith.
Trips down the Nile by feluccas (sailboats) were out of the ordinary. We often joined friends in the
evening someone always brought Koushari, a dish made of lentils, macaroni, rice, and chickpeas. My
favorite was Kofta, spicy minced lamb. For quiet picnics in idyllic surroundings.We feasted on falafel
and fava beans dripping with lemon juice and garlic that wescooped up into the typical pita bread.
Tahini, baba ganoush and tzaziki (sour cream sauce) were served on the side. If you were Egyptian
you’d wash this all down with mint tea, followed by gooey baklava. I felt like a queen for the day.
On a visit to the Siwa Oasis, on the trade route of ethnic Berbers, I bought the veils that hang on my
living room wall, adorned with golden coins and jewels. They remind me of my fortune to be born in
America and not forced to view life through slits in a restrictive veil.
During a final vacation I joined our ski partners for a farewell trip to Syria, a part of the world we had
never explored. Visiting the market places and the old city of Aleppo opened our eyes. None of us spoke
the language so it was sometimes difficult to navigate the strange terrain.
Our group contained only one couple, but was made up of the husband, wife, or child of the rest. We
rented a colorful small bus painted electric colors of orange, turquoise, citrus, and green that was
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equipped with a burner for brewing coffee. Visits included the Omayyad Mosque and National Museum
in Damascus, the earliest altar in Christendom at Malolula, and the Crusader’s Castle in Krak de
Chevalier. We frequently feasted in our hotels for a typical mezze repast, the equivalent of lite bites like
salads and dips. Hunger was never an issue. What an amazing way to terminate our Egyptian sojourn.
The evening before our son’sgraduation we ventured out with the families from our skiing expeditions
for a sunset camel ride through the desert. Each of us rode our own camel which was a struggle to
mount. My camel handler coaxed his beast of burden down on his knees to rest on the ground. Once
there I quickly scrambled aboard. Daring not to scream, I clung to the saddle horn for dear life and
careened off into the crimson, florescent hues embracing us. Later, we wined and dined at the
prestigious Oberoi Hotel outside of town.
The culmination of our experience was Randy’s graduation from High School at the pyramids. Watching
all the red caps tossed in the air with the marvelous background of the Sphinx made the day
unforgettable.
After the ceremonies ended we returned home and hosted a graduation bash on a felucca together with
the Bentleys. Scott and Randy’s friends and teachers were all invited to roast and toast as we cruised
along.
Another transfer was imminent. We were returning to our beginnings – Guatemala. What an incredible
dream. We left Oreo with the Bentleys and headed for our old stomping grounds.
Randy - graduation time in Egypt
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In Russia - Jay and Marcia with Buck Northrup
Vienna, June 1993 5x 5 Conferences
Ron & Stephanie Burkhart, Marcia & Jay Jackson, Bela Belatka
Marcia Lang
[email protected]
May 31, 2014
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84
M K Saha
CARE Bangladesh
July 1989 – October 2004
After completion of Diploma in Civil Engineering, I joined in Bangladesh Water Development Board and
worked about 10 months there.
Then I joined CARE-Bangladesh in July 1989 as an Assistant Field Engineer in Integrated Food for Work
(IFFW) funded by USAID. I was posted to CARE-Bogra Sub-office which was my first full time job.
During that period 06 sub-office covered most of the Upazilas of Bangladesh. There are 8 Districts & 68
Upazilas under the jurisdiction of Bogra Sub-Office.
As an Assistant Field Engineer as well as Team Member of different engineering survey I was to visit
different Upazilas with approved schedule for five days (Sunday to Thursday) 40 km to 150 km apart
from Bogra Sub-Office. There were two or three projects under a Sub-Office. An Administrator
(Foreigner) was the chief of this Sub-Office. Most activities/interventions were Construction &
Reconstruction of Earthen road, excavation of canal, culverts and Brick abutment RCC T-Beam bridge
partnering with Upazila Relief section (Project Implementation Officer) implemented by Union Paris
had in IFFW project. Then, the community told most the earthen road constructed by CARE-BD which
developed the transport communication significantly in rural area. For reconstruction of roads,
excavation canal rural unskilled labour forces were employed during the lean agricultural season, both
men and women. US PL-480, Title-II wheat was used for payment of wages for the labour. Thus food
deficits were mitigated by creating employment opportunity for the rural poor.
After closing of 5 years IFFW projects, Integrateted Food for Development (IFFD) project starts for next
5 years partnering with Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) funded by USAID. Mainly,
Earthen Road connecting with growth centre, RCC Culverts, RCC pile bridge, Aggregates Sand Road with
bitumen surface treatment interventions were implanted under this IFFD project to among sustainable
development with standard engineering technology. I have worked with IFFD as a Field Engineer.
Then, closing of IFFD project, Integrated Food Security Program (IFSP) starts for next five years funded
by USAID. There are four projects under this program, like Build, Capacity Building, Disaster
Management Project (DMP) and Flood Proofing Project (FPP). I have worked in FPP as a Technical
Officer (Engineering) which geographical area was CHAR & HAOR. Most of the Interventions were
Disaster Risk Reduction as well as community development. This project’s interventions were
Homestead Rising
Earthen Road
community need based. Through a Participatory Learning Process (PLA) with community (Male &
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Female both individually & separately) the community need based interventions selected &
implemented by the Scheme Implementation Committee (SIC) which was formed by the community
peoples with votes.
Momestead Raising
during pick flooding.
The interventions for Char area like; Homestead
Raising, Flood shelter construction, Rural Earthen
Road, RCC Foot Bridge, RCC Culvert, Market Shed,
Construction of Educational Institute, Grazing field
for livestock’s during flood, Homestead vegetable
Gardening, Health and Hygiene, Tube-well
installation,
Graveyard,
Mosque,
Temple,
Community ground raising etc. No interventions are
ignoring that will helpful for community. All
interventions constructed after raising ground by
filling earth/sand considering 10 years above High
Flood level, so that the community can be used
The main interventions for Hoar area like: Mound Extension protected by RCC Retaining wall, Market
Shed construction, RCC Sub-Margible Road etc.
Mound
RCC Retaining Wall
The acceptance of CARE people to the community
peoples as well as to Govt. officials is very good. The community believed that the CARE peoples were
efficient, hard worker and honest.
I left CARE in October 2004 after serving for little more than 15 years.
I am really grateful to CARE. Working in CARE was an addiction; perhaps nobody ever thought that
there was a world outside of CARE. CARE made me interested to work in the development field and
that’s what I am doing till now. I worked in about 03 projects in CARE and worked in almost all the food
based Sub-offices. One thing I will never forget – in extreme rural areas of Bangladesh, where people
never saw any vehicle, they knew CARE’s vehicle. CARE reached to the hard to reach areas very
successfully. In case of emergency, CARE’s people were the first to reach with the survival package. In
Bangladesh, CARE built the capacity of the local government institutions that are still carrying over
their long-term development activities.
Mukul Kanti Saha
[email protected]
June 10, 2014
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85
Indu Shekhar Sharma
CARE India
Rajasthan Aug.03, 1970 – Oct.31, 1996
(In Gujarat Jan.1982 – Dec.1983)
Through an advertisement, I learnt that CARE Rajasthan was in need of Office Assistants and Field
Officers. Since I did not possess a ‘Driving License’ to drive a jeep, I applied for the post of an Office
Assistant. Opie Radford was then Administrator, CARE Rajasthan. He interviewed me; he said if I
passed a simple mathematical test; I would be trained in driving, on job. I passed the test; and got
promoted: the first and the last time.
Opie Radford: Anecdotes My first loyalty rests with the Government of Rajasthan which pays me my daily wages;’ ‘Accounting is
the PRIMARY responsibility of CARE.’ (A concept, long back, relegated to the ‘Better be Forgotten’
section of history); ‘Solution is in the problem itself. Unravel that.’ ‘Field problems should be solved in
the field itself.’ ‘Personally I trust you, professionally I don’t.”
‘Letters to counterpart functionaries in field to be rare: When a letter from CARE is received, the officer
should sit and take serious note of that.’
‘At times, it becomes offensive to refuse hospitality; accept it. He informed that he too could not spend
even a paisa through a one week tour in the interior of the then Orissa.’
(May be it is a co-incidence: I too once travelled in the interior of P.S Sam, District Jaisalmer, for a week).
The purpose was to check damaged stocks and dispose them. No chance of incurring any expenses.’
‘Field Officers are my eyes and ears.’
‘Don’t give a man fish to eat; teach him to catch one.’
About the requirement of knowledge of English language he used to say that ‘We do not need
‘Shakespeare’s; we need persons who can work.’
It was Radford who wrote a very strongly worded letter to CIHQ/CWHQ? Taking strong objections to
what was printed on the CARE containers: ‘Donated by the People of United States of America’. His
protest against such superiority laden statements led to the change to ‘Furnished by the People of USA’.
When transferred to Delhi, he organized his own farewell party at Ram Bag Palace (a Five Star hotel)-at
his own expense.
HRD: Practiced aeons ago, in the age of ‘Hewers of wood and drawers of water’:
1. Radford had started a project titled ‘Restructuring’. It required lots and lots of mathematical
calculations, to be done manually. He empathized with our plight and regretted, ‘I wish I could
provide you fellows those cheap Japanese calculators!’ But corporate culture had not yet
sneaked into and he could not do what he earnestly wished to.
2. Once I travelled with late G.C. Madan, Field Officer and Mr. Charles B. Zumbro, the then
Administrator. We night halted at Dak Bungalow, Kishangarh. It was summer time. Of the two
rooms allotted to us, one was without a fan. Mr Zumbro, feeling that we may not be habituated
to sleep without a fan, told us to occupy the room with the fan.
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3. Charles Zumbro always emphasized that objectivity is ultimately respected; so always be
objective.
CARE-Rajasthan had a simple formula for feeding MDM beneficiaries: Feed all the children present.
Target fixing for schools was unknown. The Random Sample Survey l (RSS l) threw up the question of
arriving at the efficiency level of feeding at MDM schools: How many children fed against what target?
Our (Walter Middleton, Hariramani and myself) arguments with sweet and soft persona of Raj Bhatia
did not cut any ice. He stood by the statistical requirement for targets for school children. We gave in.
But then target fixing proved to be a double edged sword: If the monthly report showed feeding the
target number of children every day, the F.O./USAID Auditors quite naturally asked: Unbroken
attendance!!! Were there no absentees on any of the feeding day? They would suspect misuse. On the
other hand, when less than targeted number was fed, the Head Master was questioned: Why the target
feeding was not achieved?
CARE Rajasthan introduced innovations in the SNP Program. M.A. Raj from CARE and H.K. Dalela,
DP&SWO Alwar conceived of Central Kitchens for SNP Urban: Food was to be cooked at one Centre and
the In charges of neighbouring 3/4 Centres would collect cooked food from there, for their centres. It
would mean savings on the salary of cooks (One or two, in place of three or four), on fuel etc. But
ironically, Mr Dalela faced charge-sheet proceedings for making alterations, without prior permission,
in the scheme as originally approved by the government. These proceedings continued for several years
and one of the most upright and honest of officers suffered for effecting savings to the State Exchequer.
The idea of cooking at a central place caught up. ‘Beggars Homes’ Ajmer and Jaipur, were given the job
of cooking food for SNP Centers in these cities. Later on, the inmates of Central Jails of Jodhpur, Bikaner,
Udaipur, Sirohi etc. cooked food for the beneficiaries in their respective cities. I and A.T. Hariramani
were deputed to make a study of cooking, distribution and feeding at Central Jail, Udaipur. I think, we
were in Udaipur for a week. We daily reached the Central Jail, Udaipur at 4 a.m. through the week. We
found the kitchen, the ‘Bhatti’ (An oven/furnace) and cooking utensils spick and span. The steps of
weighing of the stocks, cooking, packing, loading of cooked food in the jeep, delivery to Feeding Centres
(100?) situated inside the narrow and steeply lanes and by-lanes of Udaipur City, were all taken with a
precision of military drill, which surprised us: and they were all lifers at the end of their terms. One Mr
Yadav was the Superintendent who allowed them out of Jail, without any guard to keep a watch on
them. To observe field operations, we followed their jeep in our jeep. We observed that when their jeep
stopped at/near a Feeding Centre(FC), an inmate would jump out, collect the food-container, rush to the
centre, empty the food at the FC, rush back and jump into the back of the jeep and the jeep rolled
onwards to the next centre. The same steps again and again till they finished their job. They had timed
their movements such that they would reach Fateh Sagar dam site at lunch time. There they ate their
lunch, rested a while and moved on. One day we bought snacks and tea for them and enjoyed talking to
them and listen to their tales. The Superintendent of Jail considered this exercise as a reformist step for
the lifers, soon to be released and CARE had a reliable partner. I think both sides benefitted from the
arrangement, till it lasted.
These Central Kitchens of yester years were primitive if compared to the modern ones. Now they
employ the latest gadgets/technology to cook mid day meals for school students. They cook huge
quantities and once in a while, a lizard or a rat too reportedly gets cooked with flour/vegetables. Amul
in Gujarat and Modern Bakeries in Jaipur did bake food for CARE. But these industries and CARE both
kept a close watch on the whole process of cooking, lest anything went wrong. And to my knowledge,
nothing ever went wrong.
CARE through the prism of Field:
Counterpart functionaries in field viewed CARE as a clean and efficient Organization. Its representatives
were well received and listened to. To cite a few observations:
1. Once, the employees of the Government of Rajasthan went on a strike for many days. We were
all in the field. I decided that I shall return to Jaipur only if I faced the consequences of strike.
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But I was able to complete my tour as per the schedule: The CARE-Clerks, though on strike,
came to office, unofficially, that is, did not sign attendance register, but only to show the records
to the representative of CARE. I did not have to cancel even one visit. They told me that they
knew CARE people keep their schedule.
2. Once my visit dates to District Jaisalmer coincided with those of the ‘Finance Commission’
Government of India there. The day before, I was scheduled to work at Pokhran and night halt at
Jaisalmer. The Assistant Engineer, PWD, Pokharan, advised me to halt at Pokhran rather than
proceed to Jaisalmer and face night halt problem. (The only place for night halt, in those days,
for visitors on government job was the PWD Dak Bungalow). I could not but agree with him.
Next morning, met the Executive Engineer for accommodation. To my surprise, he told me that
he had kept one room reserved for me since last night because ‘I know you people come from
far off place and stick to schedule.’
3. Circa 1973 Mr Zumbro organized training in nutrition by the Home Science College, Udaipur, for
field officers. To finalize the details, he was to visit Udaipur: he boarded the night train, had his
morning bath in the train; hired a ‘tonga’ (a horse driven cart) for local visits, finalized the
training schedule and boarded the evening train for Jaipur. This no-airs-simplicity left a deep
impression on the counterpart functionaries and long after the event, I heard how impressed
they were with such a phenomenon.
Field problems:
Timely submission of Monthly reports by blocks and districts: This remained a problem for
various reasons beyond the control of CARE/Field Officer. The main reason was the indifferent
attitude to CARE’s requirements. But, I understand that after CARE’s withdrawal, the
government took over the program from CARE and the submission of these reports has
become almost cent per cent and on time: Delinquency may invite a charge sheet, which we
could not slap on the erring clerks; we could only reason with them.
Cent per cent collection of monthly reports from feeding centers: Here too, the indifferent
attitude of the Head Masters of schools/Panchayat Samiti officials was the reason for less than
hundred per cent submission of monthly reports. It became more problematic when SNP
(Special Nutrition Program the precursor to the ICDS) was launched because of its political
under and overtones. First, the District Probation & Social Welfare Officers (DP&SWO’s) and
thereafter the ‘Child Development Project Officers’ (CDPO’s), were unable to or as a prudent
step, did not exert much, to ensure effective implementation of the requirement of hundred per
cent collection of monthly reports from Aanganwadi Centers. The percentage of delinquent
Form 4s (Monthly Inventory Reports) from Feeding Centers at times became too high to be
overlooked. A good number of the In Charges/Aanganwadi Workers were backed by one or
other political/social/administrative heavy-weight. One could not blame the DP&SWOs/CDPOs
much. But accounting had to be straightened. At times extreme steps had to be taken:
temporary suspension of program and it paid. Program in Kota city was suspended for this
very reason. Next time I visited the office of the DP & SW officer, Kota, even the driver was
asking the Center In charges if they brought the Monthly Reports?
Transportation of Stocks: Government of Rajasthan’s policy was that the stocks had to be
dropped at the school/aanganwadi door-no matter what it cost. Still, the local functionaries
had their own constraints-tender to the transporter who quoted the lowest rate, else face audit
objections etc. It was a perennial challenge to the counterpart functionaries as well to the Field
Officer. Less stocks moved meant a negative comment. I remember one case:
Baran was a Panchayat Samiti as well a district warehouse for other blocks. There happened to be an
honest and a little anti-CARE, Block Development Officer. At Baran, the transporters had formed a union
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which fixed the rates for transportation. No individual transporter was allowed to quote rates below
these and they were quite high. The BDO did not dispatch stocks for several months lest auditors frame
him for payments to transporters, without going through the process of ‘Tenders’. I visited Baran and
discussed the matter with the BDO, but to no avail. Continued arguing with him to dispatch stocks but
his response was that no one would help him when auditors recommend deductions with interest, the
excess amount paid, from his salary/pension. As the discussion progressed I put to him that if he did
not move stocks, lying in the Rajastahan State Ware Housing Corporation’s rented go-downs, I will
observe in my visit report that the BDO was paying ware housing charges for the stocks which should
have been dispatched to panchayat samitis to be consumed by designated beneficiaries rather than be
stored in rented go-downs; the rent paid was a loss to State Exchequer and warrants to be recovered
from the erring officer. This had an electrifying effect. Even today, after a lapse of more than three
decades, I vividly remember how he literally jumped from his seat and asked me to go with him to the
office of the Union of Transporters. We went; contract signed in half an hour and in the afternoon stocks
began to be moved over to panchayat samitis. He became very friendly after that.
The MDM program could never overcome the problem of transportation. The ICDS
functionaries managed timely stock movement to Aanganwadis. It was generally accepted that
the availability of stocks at schools (MDM) resulted in higher attendance of children; the nonavailability of stocks resulted in very low attendance of students. A study by me, on my own, in
Banswara district (Tribal) also proved this: I collected data from the Monthly Inventory
Reports from schools and found that attendance of children and the availability of stocks were
intimately intertwined. Showed it to the respective BDO’s but can’t claim that things improved
much.
At times the CDPO’s had to be reined in not to overstock the Aanganwadi Centers (Feeding
Centers) where the flour was liable to be damaged due to poor and prolonged storage. Simply
put, more transportation bills more commission for all involved.
Shortage of CARE stocks as compared to inventory:
Shortages of oil were found mostly at Feeding Centers, because it was the consumption point;
though at times, oil shortages could be found at Block levels too. These cases were reported to
police, thence to courts:
1. CDPO, Talwara, Banswara: Wholesale selling off of CARE stocks and their transportation
to the neighboring state was detected. Five of us Field Officers (B.R Poonia/ V.K.
Nagpal/ S.K. Kapoor and A.T. Hariramani and I) thoroughly investigated the case. Each
of the 100 Aanganwadi Centers was visited to physically verify CARE stocks and record
the statements of the Aanganwadi Workers. Confessional statements of Aanganwadi
Workers and Lady Supervisors were collected and appended to the report. A.T
Hariramani, VK Nagpal, S.K. Kapoor and B.R. Poonia played a crucial role in collection of
fool-proof evidence: They industriously and vigorously laid bare the levels and strata of
the bureaucracy involved in this corrupt practice and the ingenious methods to cover it
up. At office we all prepared quite a detailed report. It was discussed in person with the
then Director of ICDS. But nothing substantive resulted except a few
suspensions/dismissals, which too were sooner than later revoked.
2. Panchayat Samiti Luni (District Jodhpur): The watchman stole oil from tins in packed
cartons ingeniously and it could not be detected for long. On my visits, Head Masters
came with empty tins of oil and swore that they received them so in sealed cartons.
Inside of tins showed that they were oil soaked. It was quite perplexing. The warehouse
was in the Panchayat Samiti office and the watchman was a government employee. I
knew that the district clerk/transporter would never indulge in such an activity. (They
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had earned impeccable reputation for honesty and efficiency). There were still some
cartons in go-down. We had them brought out and found that one of the two flaps in the
bottom of the cartons was opened carefully; a tin was taken out, emptied of oil and then
put back in the carton. The cartons were so strong that the one flap, still glued to, would
not allow the tins to fall down and this made the theft go undetected for a while. FIR
with the local police station was lodged.
Not that we found out all the shortages, hardly a fraction of the actual. The one modus operandi
practiced by the officials at the District/Block level (non-consumption points) was to deliver
commodities short and pressurize the Center I/c to reflect full receipt. The In-charge might
further misuse commodities for his own use!!! The commodity, more liable to misuse, as per
my reading and guess, was oil; flour/grains were rarely misused.
The extent CARE Office trusted their man in field:
Per my experience the trust was enough to allow freedom to effect mid course diversion in the
interest of the program and argue for an out of ordinary occurrence.
1. Once, on the very first day of my tour, I found heavily damaged cartons of oil at District
warehouse, Bikaner. I cancelled rest of the tour to reconstitute damaged oil cartons.
Change approved; no questions asked.
2. At Baran district go-down the transporter (An illiterate person) delivered one bag short
against the Railway delivery chit (?). I knew that the transporter was an honest and
simple person. Enquiries further confirmed that. To find out the truth, I met the
concerned Railway officials and requested them to tell me the truth-I did not want any
written statement. Convinced, they showed me the document that they had received
one bag short from the Railways; but to avoid claim-payment they collected the receipt
for full delivery from the unsuspecting and illiterate transporter. I was satisfied with the
innocence of the transporter and recommended the claim to be made uncollectible. The
office went along.
Nutritive & Medicinal Value of CSM:
Nutritive: At Deoli the government kept detainees (as far as I remember) from East Bengal.
There, CARE had a feeding program for their children. CSM and Salad oil were supplied by
CARE. Government arranged for cooking and fuel and other expenses. On my first visit to check
on feeding and the accounts, the Commandant of the Camp seriously asked me to replace CSM
with a much less ‘NUTRITIOUS’ commodity. According to him the reason was that CSM made
children very healthy very soon(He pointed out a few boys who looked really healthy); and it
led to brawls among their different groups and he, a BSF (Border Security Force) Commander,
found it difficult to rein them in. And he was serious.
Medicinal: It was a school of Pratapgarh Panchayat Samiti, in Chittorgarh district. Feeding was
on. The Head Master called out a boy. He came limping. The Head Master told me that the boy
had a paralytic stroke in his leg. The Headmaster, on his own, gave the boy extra ration of CSM
preparations. He found that the boy was improving due to the regular intake of CSM
preparations.
Brushes with Damsel Death:
1. Panchayat Samiti Kumbhalgarh, Hq at Kelwara. I planned a trip to schools with the
Education Extension officer. It was a forest/kachha road. At the very start I was advised
to put the jeep in four-wheel drive mode. I did. There was a long and steep descent with
few feet of level road followed by steep ascent. To save petrol, I put the vehicle in
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neutral gear and a few seconds later the jeep jumped up a few feet but also then rested
on the level ground, instead of tilting right and fall in a gorge. It was a close shave. Since
then no neutral gear while going downhill.
2. June. (1993) I was travelling from Jodhpur to Phalodi-may be the 100th time. I crossed
Osiyan town. After that, the road becomes forked-the right hand one going to Phalodi. I
kept driving. Suddenly, the clutch pedal did not spring up. And I awoke to find that it
was not working. I was at a very unfamiliar place. The Sun was rising and with it the
heat. Vehicular traffic was infrequent. The few vehicles which passed by did not stop to
help. I felt feverish. I was wondering how I arrived at where I did. I could only conclude
that from Osiyan onwards I became feverish and sleepy? Though kept driving but
miraculously met with no accident. The malfunctioning of the clutch pedal jolted me out
of that dangerous sleep. I waited the whole day in that June summer and heat of desert.
In the afternoon, at 5.30 p.m., I saw two military jeeps coming. I waived them and they
halted. I requested help in reaching Jodhpur. The Commander told his subordinate to
take me in his jeep, get me tea and arrange for a driver to take me and the vehicle to
Jodhpur. He was not to leave me alone till arrangements for going to Jodhpur were
made.
3. We drove to the nearby bus stop; had tea and very fortunately found a driver who
agreed to drive the jeep without clutch. Then the military jeep brought us back to the
jeep and left for Shergarh. And that young driver, from a rustic background drove the
jeep, changing gears swiftly, softly, gently and smoothly, without the help of clutch
pedal. I think he drove almost a 100 kms before we reached Jodhpur. The next day the
mechanic found that a bolt costing 250 paise had broken, but repairs cost about six
hundred rupees.
4. CARE had arranged for an evaluation of MDM Program (1974). Mr Zumbro, the then
Administrator, assigned me the task of accompanying the team of Female Investigators
from ‘Council for Social Development’, Delhi, to the districts of Dungarpur, Banswara
and Jaipur. Dr Chandra Shekhar, Ms Sneh Rewal and Ms Taruna Kashyap were there as
Project Directors/Offices/Leaders? They had also arranged one jeep with trolley from
the University of Udaipur. Twelve of us travelled in two jeeps. The schedule was very
tight and to save on day time, quite often, we travelled in night. Once, we had to cross
river Mahi at midnight. I started first with 6 female Investigators. As we were in the
middle of the river, water level increased and a few moments later engine stopped. And
the river water entered the jeep. All the girls became frightened and asked what shall
happen next. One has to keep cool under such circumstances. I saw the other jeep at a
distance. We all shouted telling them not to enter the river and get some help. Well, they
did find a heavy body truck and sent it towards us. Meanwhile the water level in the
jeep was on rise and with that hopes of living lowered but the rescue truck waded
through the rising waters of Mahi with an ease, which was reassuring; parked itself in
front of our vehicle, hooked a towing wire to our jeep, and in the next minute or two we
were on the other side of Mahi river-safe and thanking the Almighty for that. There was
not much time lag between our warning to Dr Chandra Shekhar and the arrival of the
rescue-truck, but those few minutes are hard to be erased from memory.
The above is the incident of what excess of water means. I recount also what its unavailability
means. CARE had undertaken a project named ‘Situational Analysis.’ There were 12 female
Investigators and 4 Field Officers, one driver plus one Kailas Agrawal who was, may be, Project
Officer. About 18 of us were working in Shergarh Panchayat Samiti- a desert area. There was
no water supply for two or three days. The stored water was consumed. One morning there
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was only one mug of water left. Not enough even for a face wash of even one of us. We went to
the Tehsildar and told him to arrange for a tanker. He then arranged a water tanker. When it
arrived we regained normalcy.
Challenges to CARE’s Role
1. 1 I was on my first visit to District & Probation Officer, Udaipur. One Mr Arvind Kumar
held that position. As I asked him to tell the concerned clerk to arrange accounts books
for checking, he asked me why and what was CARE’s role in the program. It surprised
me but I told him to book an urgent call to his Director (Social Welfare Department) and
ask him to spell out CARE’s role and authority in the program and that CARE would bear
the cost of the call. He gave in.
2. 2 .Another incident at a CDPO’s office. A new clerk had joined. When I asked him to let
me check the accounts he took out a bundle of MIR’s (F 4s) from feeding centers and
threw them on the floor of the office and told me to check the ones I needed to. I told
him that either he arranges the forms in proper order or I shall get a photographer to
take pictures of the office, all in doll drums and send them to his Director and the
Collector. He sensed the danger and apologized and thenceforth I had no problem with
him ever.
Self respect: Tips are accepted by all who offer services-restaurants to hotels to Circuit houses
to Dak Bungalow Chowkidars. And we all have been paying it. But I met one Chowkidar who
refused to accept even a paisa. He was the Watchman at Ghantol Dak Bungalow, District
Banswara. I had stayed there for a few days.
Unforgettable counterpart functionaries in field: It is quite common to label the government’s
clerical staff as inefficient, incompetent and work-shirkers and it is not too much off the mark
either; but at times we do meet government clerks who match the best in private/mnc sectors.
I would like to share a few names I remember:
CARE-Clerks: Zila Parishad Jodhpur, Bhanwar Lal Tated , District Warehouse, Mavli, Badri Lal
Sharma, Panchayat Samiti Raniwada (District Jarore), Mr Ramawatar Agrawal and several
others who self-audited their accounts and before we did. It was a pleasure to work with such
persons.
Similarly, some teachers and SNP Incharges also gave a lie to the general perception about
them. Mike Laven, the Administrator, travelled with me to Jaisalmer. Next day we went to
school visits. We started at 8 am.; and arrived at school ‘Kada’ at about 12.30. pm. It was 145
kms from Jaisalmer. We checked the stocks and found them to be matching with book balances.
During the RSS l, I visited one school with Hariramani. It was in the deep interior of Panchayat
Samiti Kotra, a tribal block. There the Headmaster weighed the stocks on balancer and they
matched with the book balances. During the evaluation of the program by the CSD, an SNP
Center I/c surprised us by identifying the beneficiaries by their names-a rare phenomenon. I
was holding a training session of the CPT (Counterpart Training) in Surajgarh Block of
Jhunjhunu District. During the training session I told the AWWs, that they should improve their
image in the eyes of villagers: They should open the AWC on time, that is, 9 am. One AWW,
Indira raised her hand and confidently asserted that every day she opens her AW at sharp
9.am. I believed her and said so.
My Two years with CARE-Gujarat:
I enjoyed my stay there mainly because the colleagues and counterpart functionaries there
accepted me as one of them and their concern for me did not let me feel home-sick. There I
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observed that the Government Servants acted more responsibly than in Rajasthan. A case in
point is: I had to collect Utilization Certificates from the Deputy Engineer, PWD, Godhra. I called
on him and he asked me to collect that on my next visit. He did not give the UCs for the next
two month. Then I met the Executive Engineer and apprised him of facts. He called the Deputy
Engineer and told him that this was the third visit by CARE officer and he had to be given the
documents.
(Some old pictures are added in next two pages)
Above first picture: R K Narula, Jimmy Rodrigues, C G Janardhan, … … Charles Zumbro, M A
Raj, S K Kapoor, I S Sharma (the rest though I know them can’t remember the names)
Second picture: Cohen (was in Bihar), (maybe Mrs. Cohen), Opie Radford, I S Sharma (will send
these in old picture circulation after getting everyone’s names from I S Sharma – Cheenu)
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George Lobo, I S Sharma, SL Srinivas, Opie ……
Opie Radford
Indu Shekhar Sharma
[email protected]
June 27, 2014
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86
Dr.Sujeet Ranjan, PhD
CARE India, September 1992 – December 2013
My CARE Diary
The Development World is where an individual
enters with a sensation of serving others. This
world requires sensitivity and impetus to serve
others. We often feel elated when someone
showers or bestow their feelings on others and,
more particularly when these are showered from
someone who is totally unknown to us. These
heartily feelings made me stay committed at CARE
India since September 1992. I was a fresh graduate
from Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS),
Ranchi, and envisioned thoughts of development
not only for myself but also for the larger
community. This was a time where political unrest
prevailed at its zenith in South Bihar (present day
Jharkhand) as ongoing agitation demanded, creation of a separate state. Political scenario was much
gloom with bandhs every now and then. Daily life had lost its certainty as well affecting other walks of
life, and highly impacting the
community and development
in the state as a far reaching
consequence. Amidst all such
challenges I joined CARE with
a hope to deliver my best
accompanied by good wishes
and blessings of my parents,
teachers and friends.
True to its name, joining CARE
was a dream come true. My
first
impression
from
interactions and orientation at
CARE was an organisation
which not only cared for its
employees but was equally concerned for the underserved and the marginalised communities. These
inspired me from the heart, attracting me more towards the organisation, respecting its cause and
delivering for its greater goal and objectives. At this juncture the organisation itself was passing
through a crucial phase of transition from a delivery mode organisation to a hardcore program
development organisation. These changes witnessed implementation of LRSP (Long Range Strategy
Program) simultaneously with the existence of few small projects like SEAD, ARI etc.
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Organisational experiences combined with a dedicated and professional team helped the organisation
bag the prestigious INHP (Integrated Nutrition and Health Program). This program helped the
organisation reach the most marginalised and deprived communities and aspired them to realize an
everlasting change. This was actually a unique phase where my learnings and practical experiences of
Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) got a chance for field implementation. The organisation brought
forth me a platform that helped me harness my skills and competencies relating to team building,
performance management, interpersonal relations etc. …. and much more. My working in the
organisation groomed and instilled my skills boosting more of my confidence with each passing day at
CARE India.
These were my first practical experience as
State Representative of Jharkhand, where
the bottom line was paramount to the
principles of rural management. It was a
revelation to see phrases like proper
distribution / proper utilization of
Supplementary Nutrition Program (SNP),
inclusive decision-making, core values,
gender
equity
and
performance
management
/evaluation,
etc.
The
experience was only at CARE, where else,
would you have a commercial sex worker
sitting in the interview panel for selection
of a field worker for an HIV AIDs
prevention program or an ex-convict being recruited as a demonstration officer! Of course to be able to
turn clichés into reality
meant a lot of hard work and
extensive communication to
all
stakeholders
and
sometimes
frustratingly
extended periods of debates
and discussions to come to a
decision. However the means
always justified the end 'how' a job was done was
equally
if
not
more
important as the what' it
sought to accomplish.
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The next phase where I joined Bihar in 2008 as State
Director for the state of Bihar & Jharkhand was my next
duty station. Here working with multiple partners and
stakeholders was another crucial stage as I had to initiate
the process of program construction from scratch.
Everything required proper attention with thorough check
and balance formula along with abiding by expectations of
all. This journey reached its next destination when CARE
became a part of consortium. This was altogether a new
experience in life. It was both challenging as well as a
learning ground for me. Consortium meant several
partners with different thoughts, mindsets and ideologies,
but working together in harmony for a common cause.
This joint venture paid off its results and today I really feel
proud to have been associated with the state of Bihar
which is now a happening state for donors. I really feel
indebted to all my seniors who entrusted me with the
responsibility of handling Bihar at that critical juncture. I
truly respect the belief and trust that they vested in me.
Throughout my tenure at CARE India the organisation gave
me various opportunities to represent itself across various
global forums in the CARE International Network. I also
represented CARE India in Global Health Summit at USA.
Besides these normal roles at CARE, the organisation
provided me several
other leadership opportunities – Leading the operations of
CALS Unit’s for a brief period at CARE India, Head Office;
Managing several emergency & disaster projects - Bihar
Flood, Gujarat Earthquake, Tsunami
Relief &
Rehabilitation, etc. My experiences at CARE nurtured me
into a true professional and I got selected for Visionary Leadership Program in Reproductive Health by
the Packard Foundation, US where my professionalism was further groomed to attain new heights.
My journey of over two decades
(21 years) in CARE would be
incomplete without paying a
special mention and tribute to
all my Great Team members
and
Well
Wishers
who
supported me. “An organization
is as good as the people
working in it”, and, CARE has
been the best ever as every
individual at CARE is an
excellent human being without
a single exceptions. I consider it
a fortune to have made
friendships & connections at
CARE which shall last a lifetime!
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Working at CARE made me realize that the key elements of any sustainable change are persistent
dialogue and collaboration. Now I understand what the Eagles meant when they wrote the following
lines for their song "HOTEL CALIFORNIA” – “You can check out any time you like but you can never
leave"... and so it is with CARE! Thank you CARE for being such a wonderful organization!
Dr.Sujeet Ranjan
[email protected]
July, 2014
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87
Mamta Behera
CARE India
Partnership Co-ordinator
Emphasis Project, New Delhi
Nov 2010 – 31st July 2014
When I was in university, pursuing my post graduation, I heard a lot about CARE’s marvellous work in
the development sector in many places of India. I could see some of CARE’s personnel working very
enthusiastically on the ground in Odisha. I aspired to be a part of CARE’s work ever since. Sometimes I
wondered… “Could it ever be possible to get any opportunity to work with CARE”?
My dream came true on the 15th of November 2010 when I joined CARE in the capacity of a TechnicalOfficer, in one of CARE’s projects named Urban Health Initiative. I was based at Agra and my primary
role was to looking after the partnership management with local NGO partners, networking and
liasoning with health and family planning unit of the government, and other assignments as and when
required.
Soon after my joining, I was asked to come to the Lucknow office for an orientation and the experience
was fabulous. I could see an environment where everyone was extremely attached with each other,
even beyond their professional relationship. I was introduced to each and every staff member whom I
got to know for the first time and getting such a friendly welcome from each one of them made me very
happy. I couldn’t just believe that in an international organisation, people are so pleasant and coming
forward to make the newcomers comfortable by greeting him/her so nicely. My orientation days went
well in Lucknow.
I got to know that the project is a consortium project of 5 main international partners and with many
other national and international level agencies as well. I was a bit nervous on how to start up in this
new environment where I came for the first time. My nervousness suddenly vanished when I was
introduced to my Supervisor, Dr. Saintah Banarjee who welcomed me, oriented me about the project
and assured to provide all kind of support.
I returned to my working area in Agra city. I was the only representative from CARE there. I had to
work with other technical officers from the consortium partners. Many a times, when I faced any
challenges that got my motivation down, I used to get moral support from my CARE colleagues based in
other districts of the same project, including my supervisor as well. Then I could realize the privilege of
being in the CARE family. Apart from this, I had been recognized with a lot of appreciation and
admiration for my achievements from time to time. When I brought innovations in community
mobilization activities as part of one of the proposed strategies of the project they yielded excellent
results and contraceptive prevalence rate was proved to have indeed increased in Agra city.
In the mean time, I got an opportunity to attend an “Employee Orientation Programme” in Delhi in the
month of April 2011. I was so overwhelmed the way 5 days workshop was planned by the organisers. I
got to know about all the projects and happenings in CARE.
In Nov 2011, I joined one of the multi country projects of CARE named EMPHASIS (Enhancing Mobile
Populations access to HIV/AIDS information, Support and Services) as a partnership coordinator in
Delhi. I am thankful to my Supervisor Mr. Rabilal Das who always recognized me for my efforts and
success thereafter and finally allowed me to shift to the Delhi office for this new position. I was very
happy with my new role.
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I worked with Mr. Nabesh Bohidar, Team Leader CARE India who has been an inspiration for me
always. With his encouragement and guidance, I participated and won the 2nd prize in the Human
Interest story writing contest in 2012 organised by CARE International. I became a human interest
story writer then. The EMPHASIS staff in the 3 countries of India, Nepal and Bangladesh gradually came
to recognize me with my new identity that I am a good story writer. I started contributing human
interest stories to our newsletter/magazines and CARE’s blog posting site.
Apart from partnership management with implementing partners in Delhi, Networking and advocacy,
documenting best practices, and supporting in research and study are some of my primary
responsibilities as per my current profile.
Another memory that comes to mind was my recent participation in the 11th ICAAP held at Bangkok
where 2 of my abstracts got presented as e-posters. In many national and international forums I was
asked to present on the aspects of Women Empowerment and Migration, Referral and linkages system
in EMPHASIS, Organising domestic workers for better wages and many other related topics. Thanks to
my team members who helped me with the information from their respective areas and as a result I
could be able to compile those and prepared my presentations on time.
In addition, I have been given opportunity to attend many cross-country visits to Bangladesh, Nepal and
a similar project named PHAMIT being implemented in Thailand. I got nominated from my unit to be a
part of CARE’s GED group and thus I became a GED (Gender Equity and Diversity) trainer among 26
other master trainers of CARE India. I am honoured to be part of this CARE family because I have been
given ample opportunities to execute my innovative ideas in the project.
Thank you CARE for providing me the excellent environment to work with.
Thanks for upgrading and polishing my skills and knowledge
Thanks for giving me the space to utilize my innovative and creative ideas in both the program named
UHI & EMPHASIS
Thanks for providing me the outstanding learning and sharing platform in and outside CARE India
Thanks for believing in me and providing me the platform to work independently by using my skills and
expertise
Thanks for bringing me the recognition of Master Trainer for GED (Gender Equity and Diversity) and a
Human Interest Story Writer as well. Now I am recognized in the outside world as a story writer.
Thanks for recognizing my talent and rewarded me in many forums: rated SER in 2011 APAA won
2nd prize in Human Interest Story contest in 2012, got certificate for the contest 2013 as well.
I left CARE on 31st July 2014 and got associated with PLAN w.e.f 1ST August 2014. Thus, if anyone asks
me about my best experience, obviously I take pride to share with them those days of mine being with
CARE, working together with team spirit, celebrating holi, deewali, new-year, lohri and other festivals in
office with lots of enjoyment and entertainment. I would really be cherishing these sweet memories of
CARE forever. In my 10 years of professional experience, I would rank CARE as one of the best
organisations that I have ever seen.
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EMPHASIS Kiosk in 11th ICAAP Bangkok Presenting E-Poster in 11TH ICAAP,Bangkok
Presenting on Migration and Gender in Annual Review workshop at Bangkok
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Discussing on Women rights and entitlements with women
migrants in Delhi
Celebrating migration day in Satkhira district of Bangladesh
Mamta Behera
[email protected]
Contact No- +91-9910046029
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88
History of Cambodia
Foreword Note
The information on Cambodia history was collected to help Care Cambodia's Country Director Stav
Zotalis to compile the history of Cambodia. Believe there was a fire in the Cambodia office few years ago
and some records were damaged.
After contacting many former colleagues I was able to collect valuable information from some of them,
which were passed on to Stav Zotalis. Since most of the information collected reflects memories of all
these people I thought it appropriate to add these, combined in one story, in the present Book 3 Care
memory collections. The authors and Stav had no objection.
To suit the memories collection, I have omitted those information or references meant for Care
Cambodia and took only the memory part to be added in Book 3 memory collections.
Apart from the added stories, there were some others, who all gave valuable contact references to get
additional information. Since those messages had only references they were not added to this
collection. Sincere thanks to those who gave these references - Charles Sykes, Phil Johnston, Rudy
Ramp, Nick Southern and others. Also Jeff Farrell shared his memories being with
Care Cambodia during 1963-1965 (Story #25, Book 1)
Index of Authors:






Ron Burkard
Tim Aston
Emily Karen Gumpert
Mike Carroll
Graham Miller
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Cambodia History
Ron Burkard
CARE USA
July. 1963 – Sep. 1996
Not long after I was assigned to what was then known as "CARE World Headquarters" in May, 1979
CARE's new executive director Lou Samia asked me to represent CARE in a consortium of American
NGOs that was being organized by Paul McCleary, who at the time was the head of Church World
Services. CARE and many other INGOs and U.N. agencies were assisting Cambodian refugees escaping
from the Khmer Rouge to border regions in Thailand, but assistance within Cambodia (renamed
Kampuchea by the Khmer Rouge) was limited.
All six agencies that joined, what was officially incorporated as "Action for Relief & Rehabilitation in
Kampuchea" (ARRK). CARE, Church World Service and I think the YMCA, Salvation Army, the Bahai and
the Adventist Development & Relief Agency
CARE provided the ARRK representative, Michael Lynch, who was posted to Phnom Penh. (Michael
subsequently joined the Society of Jesus and became a Jesuit priest. He studied for years in Taiwan and
now works with Chinese in Hong Kong and elsewhere.)
In January, 1981 Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as President of the United States. A hard-line policy
towards Kampuchea and organizations working within the country was anticipated. ARRK was
expected to be a target. The member organizations decided to disband, providing any future assistance
on their own instead of within the consortium.
Ron Burkard
[email protected]
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Cambodia History
That brings back a lot of memories - but they are getting a bit hazy with age. Here are a couple of things;
1. I arrived in 1980 after a two year posting in Bangladesh. I was sent with an assistant, a
young American by the name of Collins (I think). He was working for the World Church
Services. I was there for a total of six months.
2. We were housed in the Samadhi Hotel along with all the foreigners. Phom Penh was
desolate - everything was barter. Water was scarce - we store what came during the
night in the bathtub.
3. The major programing challenge was to find some way of helping which could not easily
be used by the military. We had a number of things going, but the two programs I
remember were the following:
The most memorable was the tool box program. One of the sticking thing about Cambodia at the time
was the lack of furniture, door and winding frames etc We got a sense that people knew carpentry and
that there was plenty of wood. The one thing missing were tools. We had large wooden boxes filled with
carpentry tools, screws, etc. made in Singapore and shipped in. It worked well and I heard that the UN
picked up on it after I left. I got the idea after a conversation with the CARE director in Thailand at the
time – Rudy …...
We contributed to some UN FAO programs, including large shipments of rice seed. That's the best I can
do right now. I hope it helps a bit. Let me know if there is anything further I can do.
Michael Lynch
[email protected]
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Cambodia History
Tim Aston
Care USA, 1968 –1996
We were in Cambodia, opening in late 73 I believe. I was ACD in Tunisia and was sent on a three month
TDY to open and be acting CD. It was the twilight of the old Lon Nol regime.
The GOC was losing badly to the Khmer Rouge and controlled only six areas: Phnom Penh, Svey Reing
(in the parrot's beak), Battambang, Campong Thom, Cammping Chenang and Campong Som in the
south.
I spent my time assessing program needs and potential; flying in an out of some very tense areas in 47s
and DC-3s. Some of these areas, like Svy Reing, we're so circumscribed that the plane had to take off
and land in tight spirals to avoid KR machine gun fire, not always successfully.
I had liaison officer attached to me to accompany me wherever I went, A colonel Sam Tipp, a character
out of Terry and the Pirates, complete with flashy scarf, jeep and driver, side arm and carbine in
scabbard on passenger side. When Sam Tipp showed up in full uniform I knew that things might be ok
where we were flying to that day. When he showed up in civvies, I was a bit more concerned.
Some of you may remember Jeff Millington, who was attached to the US embassy, doubtless in a duel
role. He was CARE's USGOV counterpart.
Jeff spoke fluent Khmer and was a bit of a swash buckler. One time we were driving along a raised road
though rice paddies outside Battambang when we came up on the rear of a stalled military convoy with
black smoke about a mile ahead. I was already annoyed because I had requested no military escort and
yet we had a deuce and half truck crammed with loyalist soldiers and replete with a 5o cal on the
cabin tailing us
Given the smoke ahead we thought the head of the column had been ambushed. Ture to form Jeff
reached into his small satchel and pulled out a snub nosed 38 special and proceeded to check the
cylinder. I told him to chuck the F#$@%^^^ing thing into the rice paddy as I was going to be French
and he should be one to. Sam Tipp was in civvies..
In any event, like most of these types of scares, it turned out to be nothing, just a breakdown at the head
of the column and some burning refuse.
There were calm moments as well: I remember fondly after dark times on the roof of the Monorum
hotel, having a quiet drinks with a US embassy "training officer". He would be cleaning some damned
"dirty Harry" size pistol and I would be contemplating a mess of receipts to enter into expense
reports. We would keep our flash lights shaded so as not attract any potential incoming and listen to
gunfire or what I referred to as the reassuring crackle of small arms fire in the suburbs. This was
occasionally punctuated by the pyrotechnics of an OV10 gunship spraying machine tracers at the other
side of the river or the wosh, crump and flashes a napalm canister. We were never sure that any
KRouge were out there but it was a nice show anyway.
Finally Guy Kirkman came in to be CD and I remember his being concerned that the office I had
tentatively selected had sandbags on it and was a bit derelict.
All in all it was a fun time, but then that type of thing often is when one is young and stupid
Tim Aston
[email protected]
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Cambodia History
Emily Karen Kumpert
Spouse of late Bruce Strassburger CARE USA
1963 –1975 approximately
To the best of my knowledge and memory, I arrived in Cambodia in early January 1975 as the only
American working for UNICEF. My husband, Bruce Strassburger, who was working with CARE, had
arrived some 6 months earlier. At that time, American CARE staff spouses were not allowed so I was
quite privileged to be there as I was working under the diplomatic passport of the UN.
There were daily “incoming” and “outgoing” explosions; civilian travel outside Phnom Penh was
restricted and dangerous. Yet, somehow in the midst of this folks attempted to live somewhat “normal’
lives. I suppose it wasn’t until we were evacuated in April to Thailand that we began to understand
exactly how great the pressure was whilst in Cambodia. My work at UNICEF was demanding and time
consuming. There was a certain amount of interaction with CARE, but I can only remember one other
US CARE representative, a young woman whose first name, I believe, was Elizabeth. Her French was
better than mine
As the Khmer Rouge got closer and closer to Phnom Penh, it was inevitable that they would capture the
city. Since the UN had been in contact with the Khmer Rouge and providing assistance to their
displaced children, UNICEF was under what turned out to be the naïve impression that our staff would
not be in danger, but my boss, Paul Ignatieff, a Canadian, decided that even though I had a UN passport,
it would be a good idea if I (and all other UNICEF staff except for him and a few others) were evacuated
along with the US CARE staff. So on a very rushed and frantic, frenetic day in April, we got to the airport
with our limited luggage, and arrived in Bangkok. We were very soon joined by some colleagues after
the “fall” of Saigon. It took a while – I really can’t remember exactly how long – for the CARE folks and
the UNICEF folks to be deployed to other countries. Bruce was dispatched to Indonesia. I just wanted
to go “home” and arrived back in the US on July 3rd and I definitely remember being terrified by the
explosive firecrackers of the July 04th celebrations.
Emily Karen Gumpert, Esquire, MBA
[email protected]
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Cambodia History
William Michael Carroll
Care USA
I worked with CARE in Cambodia during 1990 under contract with CARE Australia to help get donor
funding. I note that Tim Aston stayed at the Monorom Hotel then. amazingly CARE Cambodia redux
with CARE Australia as lead member, sent in Mary Jane Hammond, RN, and Phoebe Fraser who stayed
at the Monorom Hotel also, rooms 207 and 209 I believe. I stayed there too on several fund
raising/proposal writing trips starting in Sept 1990.I was on leave from CARE 1990-91 to complete an
MBA at Chulalongkorn Univ in Bangkok and did consulting work with CARE Australia in Cambodia, in
and out. At that time, the country was "occupied" by the Vietnamese under with the Heng Samrin
Regime (is there an echo in here.? he is now back in the Hen Sen Government....reappeared several
years ago from goodness knows where). So the foreign recognition of the Heng Samrin Regime was
confined to the Soviet Union, Eastern bloc and Vietnam and a few others. Not China of course. I later
returned to Phnom Penh in August 1991 to be the first CD of the new CARE Cambodia and negotiated
the host country agreement with the Cambodian Min. of Foreign Affairs. At that time, 1991/2 there was
a lot of good will in country regarding CARE Cambodia. I met an older Khmer man, Mr. "Lok" Pirum or
Pirom, who had worked with CARE pre 1975. We hired or re hired him as a Project Officer and he had a
lot of stories and was very loyal to CARE. He introduced me also to an old Khmer lady who had also
been CARE Cambodia staff, pre 1975. I think Stav has met her also now. Pirom took me over to the old
CARE office pre 1975, maybe the house/office that Tim or who? refers to below? It was a two story
house, typical kind of Phnom Penh villa with a screened in porch/veranda on the front. The house was
in disrepair of course...the whole city was a mess in 1990/91. Pirom and I walked around the house a
bit and I went by it several more times. I enjoyed seeing it and was kind of inspirational to see that
former office and know that CARE was back! During 1990-91 the civil war continued against the Heng
Samrin Regime and the Vietnamese army, about 200,000 soldiers at peak. The civil war was fought on
the western borders of Cambodia mainly along the Thai border with three stretches of anti Vietnamese
factions, the KPNLF or the Lon Nol Government remnants opposed to the KR and opposed still to
Sihanouk.
The FUNCINPEC Royalist forces in the north part of the border along Buriram prov. Thailand. (Green
Hill was the main location)
In the south around Pailin and the north around the border with NE Thailand were the main KR
remnants still dug in and active militarily against the Vietnamese and Heng Samrin.
But by late 1991, October, a Peace Treaty was signed, King Sihanouk returned in triumph alongside Hun
Sen, and resumed his role as Chief of State, King of Cambodia. I was present with other NGOs and the
Embassies, IOs assembled as window dressing to welcome him back along the avenue in front of the
Royal Palace. The Khmer people were delighted. However, it is amazing that prior to this, during
1990/91 travel up country along the road north from PP to Pursat, Battambang and onto Siem Riep was
still in civil war and there was a lot of fighting. Sporadic gunfire. And one never ventured off the main
bumpy road north or "took a pee" anywhere but close to the road, fearful of landmine explosions.
Even then, 3 or 4 Khmer militia slept along and guarded every single little bridge from PP up to
Battambang and Siem Riep. They had rifles and one gave them cigarettes to pass by in peace and
harmony. The trouble then was that there were also armed bandit gangs all mixed in also and the civil
war factions were dispursed so you never knew where the lines were or a stop or start point. We just
got the best information locally. There is more to it than this. I never felt threatened, you just learned
the situation and followed the rules and it was likely to be fairly safe. I still go back to Phnom Penh
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about every year from my base it seems in Laos for some time now.. And I even went back a few weeks
ago for the funeral of King Sihanouk and the cremation. Amazing. No one can organize ceremonies the
way the Khmer can and build pagodas and pavilions in 100 days, that will last 100 years.
William Michael Carroll
"Mike"
[email protected]
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Cambodia History
Graham Miller
17 years with CARE – USA, Canada and CARE International in Geneva
Let me give you some CARE Cambodia background from the time I arrived to my departure some five
years later.
Firstly, my background:
I am married (now for 49 years), with two daughters and two grandsons.
I have an MSc., with Precambrian economic geology my specialty. I worked in Australia and
internationally for some twenty seven years before I took early retirement from international
exploration geology to work in the humanitarian field. I started with Oxfam in Ethiopia in 1984 and
spent much time there with the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (five years), mainly developing water
resources for the peasantry in Tigray during their military conflict with the Mengistu government.
I spent some years thereafter with CARE in Kenya, Angola, Bosnia, Iran, South Africa, China and
numerous other countries, mainly in emergency response. CARE Australia then requested that I become
CD for CARE Cambodia in early 1994. It was a CARE Australia country office, with CARE USA as project
partners (Tom Hurley pre-dated my arrival and was there during most of my tenure). Within some six
months I requested that Tom be elevated to ACD, as there was no such position when I arrived. We built
and expanded the programming over the first two years to include micro-finance, water development in
two provinces, children’s education, HIV/Aids, the soundly funded CARE US projects described to you
by Tom, a large scale environmental project (CEMP) funded by USAID, village to market road/bridge
rehabilitation/construction in conjunction with demining, maternal/child health and medical training
of Cambodian doctors (AusAid funded), plus an assortment of other projects.
We had about 12 to fifteen international staff and approximately 180 Cambodian staff by the time I
completed my tenure in late 1998 with a fairly substantial annual budget. I left Cambodia happy with
our progress and the level of cooperation with the multi-lateral, bilateral and other donors, and with
the level of assistance CARE had provided to the Cambodian community in those difficult years towards
the end of the Pol Pot era. (in my final year there we estimated that about 230,000 Cambodians were
benefitting directly and indirectly from our project inputs).
I was then appointed to Geneva for five years with CARE International. My position in Switzerland was
Multilateral Liaison Officer for CI, reporting directly to Guy Tousignant, CI’s Secretary General in
Brussels. I spent five years in Geneva before retiring on the same day as Guy Tousignant. Prior to
returning to Australia CARE requested that I go to Jordan for six months to coordinate the response
activities related to the Iraq war, which I did. I still remain close to Guy and his wife, who reside in
Canada.
Graham Miller
[email protected]
July 2013
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89
Gregory Gottlieb
CARE USA – 1981 - 1983
Uganda & Parbatipur, Bangladesh
I was not destined for international work. There was nothing in my family background that prepared
me for such a career. We were a family of small merchants from a modest size town in California. I was
supposed to be a lawyer, which I was, when opportunity presented itself and CARE was willing to take a
chance.
A few years before I started my career in Uganda with CARE in 1981, I had met a man who was one of
the first people ever hired by the UN. I eventually helped him record his memoirs. I then went to Los
Angeles and started to practice law, but for several years I kept thinking about this man's career and the
satisfaction and adventure I could gain from such a life. So, through this man, as it always happens, I got
a contact who happened to be at CARE in New York. I flew there at my own expense, and somehow
convinced George Radcliffe that I was fit for the job. The "pearl of Africa" they said. Hey, Idi Amin was
gone, which meant nation building. Instead I ended up in the middle of a civil war. As a result I became
a disaster assistance specialist, and that has made all the difference.
My two years in Uganda let me work with Terry and Char Jeggle, Chris Conrad, Mike Lynch, Rudy Ramp,
and Nancy Bender Caiola. (We just buried Nancy's husband Bob this year.) Uganda in the early 80's
was one of those assignments, sort of like Somalia or Sierra Leone later, where you earned credibility
stripes for bravery and craziness. Where else could you have some crazed soldier put a bazooka to your
head one minute, then share a cigarette the next. Or have soldiers and police have a gun battle across
your yard, and then go outside right after and check on the state of the garden. I once had to go argue
with the military about returning staff and a truck that they had taken. I threatened an end to all
feeding programs, offered a cigarette, and we got Richard Muhumuza back in one piece. And
somewhere in the east in Karamajong country Vincent Karubanga and I were stopped by tribesmen
who debated our future. Cigarettes and the promise of a food delivery saved us. Next day we
delivered. I really had no idea about what I was supposed to do when I got to Uganda, but my care
colleagues, international and Ugandan, taught me plenty about how to get along in a society in stress
and still find time for enjoyment, such as dinner at Char's and Terry's that always started about10
pm. And why did Peter Reitz leave a pistol in the safe in my office? I still remember the Ugandan staff
so fondly. Many are dead from AIDS and from the violence that plagued the country until 1986, but I
know that many survived and continued to work for many years with CARE. And I certainly remember
Moses Jubiri, who pretty much saved my life after a village car accident -- the rule is to keep on driving
and report the incident later. It was the start of something different.
I think back on this time in Uganda and compare to the current state of humanitarian relief. While there
was considerable danger, and CARE certainly let us go out and get into it -- travel around the country
for five days without a radio or phones...hey, come looking for us if we don't come back. What was
different despite all the danger was that humanitarian workers were not really targets like they are
today in Syria or elsewhere. I never felt like I someone was after me because they felt I was against
them on some vague reason. That could just be me being naive because I survived, but I did emergency
work for most of the next 30 years, so I think I just came to CARE at the end of an era when there was
space for assistance without it being construed as being on one side or the other.
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I only stayed three years with CARE -- two years in Uganda, and a year in Parbatipur,
Bangladesh. Though I now work in Pakistan, Africa became my home for many years with USAID. I
have twice served as a Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator at USAID for emergencies and food
security, and now as Mission Director in Pakistan, but the fact that CARE took a chance on a guy who
knew nothing about international work has made all the difference for me. For that chance I am utterly
grateful.
Gregory C Gottlieb
Mission Director
USAID, Pakistan
[email protected]
August 31, 2014
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90
G.S.Raghavan
CARE India: 1964 - 1997
Andhra Pradesh-CARE New Delhi HQs-Vizag-West Bengal-Maharashtra-Chandigarh (Punjab &
Haryana)-Rajasthan-Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh (again)-Ranchi-Orissa-Ranchi(Bihar again)
I was transferred 12 times to various CARE locations in India- one lasted about 10 months to
another around four and half years’. It created immense troubles to my family and children but I took it
as a challenge and continued with the job. This flexibility to organization`s requirement proved as a
blessing in disguise for my future promotions
Moving on during my three decades plus service, I must be thankful to CARE as their projects have had
a profound impression on my mind, particularly the fact that it had given me the opportunity to visit
hundreds of Midday Meals feeding centers in the villages around the country. In those feeding centers I
witnessed abject poverty, lack of school buildings, no health facilities, lack of potable drinking water
and sanitation et al. The situation was so pathetic I could not sleep in the nights as those sunken faces of
the children kept banging my head in despair. That’s were CARE`s supplementary food helped the
children to get some additional food during noon time. Thank you CARE for what you have done to our
children. It was also true of the various other innovative projects (e.g. girl’s education) with which I
have had an opportunity to work with. Of particular mention here should be the one that was given to
me by my boss Gordon Molitor to present a paper on bee keeping project at the New York HQs to a
gathering of a small group of fund raisers followed by Q/A session. It was well received and
appreciated.
Exactly contrary to the New York opportunity, another shocking situation was unfolded in my career
when on a Tamil New Years Day, a couple of Customs vigilance officers landed at my door and hauled
me up into their van giving little time to finish my pooja etc. I somehow gathered my wit and asked
what the hell was all that urgency and roughness about, they kept quiet and one said questioning at the
HQs. At their HQs I was off loaded and made to sit in a secluded corner of the building. This lasted for
more than three plus hours while I was chewing my finger nails. When no nails were left to chew luckily
for me a couple of officers appeared from nowhere and commanded “follow us”. I sat in front of them
and a glass of water was kept on the table. (Later on when all were over I was told that such treatment
was to break one down psychologically so that during their questioning you would sing their
song!).Their doubts were to investigate from me as to why I indulged in doing reconstitution of salad oil
into a locally procured containers and further to establish that by doing this process I was selling the
imported salad oil in different containers in the open market and making money and there were gang
operating behind me.
As per Gift Goods Act, CARE commodities cannot be either sold or replaced and hence the whole
problem. The questioning lasted for more than 10 hours and was dumped back at my doors around
midnight of 14th April. When I returned, I saw my wife was sitting and weeping at the door steps, while
the children had gone back to sleep. She started questioning which incidentally was more probing and
irritating than the custom officials. Since I was in a dazed condition I said something and went in sat in a
corner of my home. It was a terrible encounter with the customs authorities. The another interesting
part was that another staffer working for me in my section was also hauled up and he was, unlike my
situation, offered protection/help and what not, if he gave a favorable response against me. He was
from UP and a tough nut to crack and he, I believe, said later in the office next day that he was willing
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to go to jail rather than putting a finger on my boss that was me. Incidentally he was the one who
supervised the reconstitution process at the warehouse!
After six months or so suddenly someone got a call in the office and I was told to clear the impounded
consignment within 24 hours, to save themselves as the officials didn’t want to show any cargo in that
warehouse to their higher bosses. Nice no? This incident had left a permanent damage to my
confidence for a long time and somehow I recovered later on.
A similar incident, relatively a smaller one, took place in another location. This time customs found
chocolate boxes in the container which brought used sun glasses/frames to Dr Modi, a famous eye
surgeon in Karnataka. CARE, by virtue of the Indo-US agreement, had to handle the clearance of this
consignment and ship it to Dr Modi `s location in Karnataka. Some overzealous donors in the USA might
have thought while Dr Modi was doing the operation the beneficiaries can munch the chocolates!! But I
landed in trouble. Since I got experience in the previous oil operation, I confidently faced the custom
officials that they were going against the spirit of the Indo-US Agreement and the GOI might not inclined
to pass it off as a minor incident as the consignment meant for the most needed segment of our society
and they are putting hurdle on Dr. Modi `s efforts. That did them in and the consignment was released.
My GOD, please never ever under estimate our Indian custom officials as they are very intelligent and
thorough professionals. Why I am saying this was to illustrate that one of the custom appraiser
noticed chocolates oozing out of the container as it was a summer time and that got him suspicious of
the contents inside. By the time we opened there was hardly any chocolates left otherwise we all could
have helped ourselves as it was no man` s product at that point in time!
Moving on, I must definitely acknowledge a few of CARE personnel who have made qualitative
difference to my life - Bill Wouderberg, Dale Harrison, Walter Salmon, Larry Holzman, Bill Huth, Ajaib
Singh, SD Patnaik and driver Khan. Of special mention is KT Cheenu who was bent upon my acquiring a
piece of plot near Delhi and he went about relentlessly within the CARE`s financial loan route. I got a
plot, constructed a home later on sold and built my own home in Hyderabad. Cheenu doesn`t have to do
that but once he took it sincerely followed thru till it was done. Another person whom I should mention
is Rudra Mohanty ( R. N. Mohanty) who never forgotten me and keeps visiting me whenever he
happened to be in my area; these are all my good human beings and I fondly remember them through
this memory of mine.
I would like to close this memory with Bhagwat Geetha Essence which goes like this:
“WHATEVER HAPPENED, IT HAPPENED FOR GOOD
WHATEVER IS HAPPENING, IS HAPPENING FOR GOOD
WHATEVER THAT WILL HAPPEN, IT WILL HAPPEN FOR GOOD.
WHAT HAVE YOU GOT FOR WHICH YOU CRY?
WHAT DID YOU BRING WITH YOU, WHICH YOU HAVE LOST/
WHAT DID YOU PRODUCE, WHICH HAS DESTROYED/
YOU DID NOT BRING ANYTHING WHEN YOU WERE BORN
WHATEVER YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE RECEIVED FROM ‘HIM ‘
WHATEVER YOU WILL GIVE, YOU WILL GIVE IT TO ‘HIM ‘
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YOU CAME EMPTY HANDED AND
YOU WILL GO THE SAME WAY
WHATEVER IS YOURS TODAY WAS SOMEBODY ELSE`S YESTERDAY AND
WILL BE SOMEBODY ELSE`S TOMORROW
CHANGE IS THE LAW OF THE UNIVERSE “
G S Raghavan
[email protected]
September 1, 2014
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91
Dr. Sita Ratna Devi
CARE India Jan. 2001 – April 2002
Regional Manager, Uttar Pradesh
July 2008 – Dec. 2009
Technical Director, Health CIHQ,New Delhi, India
I joined CARE with a bang – literally, right into a PDOS (project documentation and operational
strategy) workshop in Delhi. I had just completed a 10 year stint in the government and was looking for
something challenging that would fill both my professional as well as personal needs. Being married to
an Air Force Officer meant moving lock stock and barrel every 2 years so I couldn’t practice as a
physician. I wanted to do something that would help me remain in touch with my primary training and
at the same time give me a wider audience.
CARE was just that opportunity. When I responded to an interview call in 2000, little did I know that the
job offered to me would change my life forever. The interview settings were unorthodox, not the usual
panel with a desk separating the candidate from the organisation. I had three pretty ladies sitting
around a table – Laurie Noto Parker, T. Usha Kiran and Deepika Chaudhry and I was the fourth one. The
conversation was more of an introduction – of me to the organisation and the organisation to me. I
don’t really remember what was asked because it felt like I was chatting with friends and at the end of
coffee, snacks and a free flowing conversation; I was packed off to the HR department. A written test
and a psychometric followed and I was told I am part of the family. There was a small hitch though, the
position was in UP and my supervisor had to approve my hiring. I heard an almost apologetic note
when this was told to me. With great apprehension, I faced a second interview half expecting to see a
towering giant with stern features and a disapproving look on his face. When my supervisor to be
walked in, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Here was a man who was grinning ear to ear and seemed to
command a lot of respect from the greetings I heard all around. Again, I do not recollect the exact
conversation, but remember leaving with a smile on my face and anticipation in my heart.
And that’s how my journey with CARE began: In a workshop even before I had formally joined the
organisation and received my appointment letter. In the one and half years that followed, I quickly
realized that workshops were the lifeline of CARE. We were so fond of them that we needed no excuse
to organize one. We had them everywhere, at the village level – our CBO’s were very good at organizing
them, at the district level, our GPOs and DPOs did a fantastic job, at the state level – all of us (RMs and
the entire support team) and of course CIHQ took the cake. This was new culture and I thoroughly
enjoyed being a part of these fun filled learning and ideas exchange forums. CARE is such a big team
that these were also opportunities for cross sector and cross state learning and networking
opportunities. I think the culture of providing employees with a happy uncluttered atmosphere for
innovation and great ideas started in CARE much before Google and Microsoft adopted them as office
Culture.
Those were hectic times. We were transitioning from one program to another (INHP II to III) adding
programs (CHAYAN was added to INHP to make it a megaproject – RACHNA) and teams were massive.
Every day was an exciting new experience – from changing strategies to partners to implementation
sites. The health sector in CARE was consolidating instead of being spread out in the entire districts of
its operation. This meant meetings with stakeholders, discussions with teams and negotiations with
partners. Days just flew past into months and months into years, yet the bonhomie and togetherness
never lessened. We fought, argued, disagreed and even sulked when our voice was not heard, but at the
end of the day when we had to represent the organisation we were CARE as one and all.
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There’s a particularly funny incident that I recollect very vividly when having a workshop in Agra. It
was the beginning of CHAYAN and we had gathered to brainstorm on the strategy for the program. Our
hotel was fancy and the room was beautiful and luxurious. I was paired with someone who had
probably never seen such opulence, as a room- mate. She was very enamoured by all the gadgets in the
bathroom and spent hours trying to experiment with all of them. She was also very fascinated that the
bathroom had a phone and would call up her mother every day while experimenting with the gadgets
and enjoying a long bath. On the day we had to check out, she was presented with a bill that was half her
salary for a month. The look of absolute disbelief and shock on her face was priceless. In true CARE style
everyone contributed to ease the burden but it became a joke in the team. There are so many such
priceless memories, the jeep rides into rustic remote villages, the shock of seeing guns in the open in
villages of Uttar Pradesh and the pride at seeing my team work with confidence in these villages and
towns with no fear or apprehension. Moonlight dinners in roadside restaurants with team members,
endless rounds of interviews for hiring new teams, dealing with local partners, unforgettable
experiences with government officials, sharing a seat with international partners, writing reports,
conducting appraisals, I can go on and on.
CARE teaches you to become multifaceted; I learnt budgeting, proposal writing, fundraising,
government liaising, writing modules for capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, advocacy,
communication and messaging and most importantly donor management. As a physician with a little bit
of public health knowledge in me this was like an on the job PhD. And the best part- you don’t have to
study or prepare for an exam. It just grows into you and before you know it you are handling multiple
assignments with ease, changing hats for different roles with the finesse of a juggler. If one is fortunate
enough to enter CARE in their formative years as I did, it also becomes a benchmark and a reference
point as you move ahead in life. I have come a long way from an RM managing a program in Uttar
Pradesh and there have been many who have influenced my growth and learning but my special thanks
and mention will always remain for two supervisors who influenced me in completely different but
profound ways, Manohar Shenoy – The State Director for UP and R N Mohanty as the COO of CISSD and
CIT
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Dr. Sita Ratna Devi
[email protected]
September 01, 2014
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92
T.Sudhakara Rao
Worked in different capacities
CARE India – Andhra Pradesh
Sept. 1980 to Dec. 2009
I always happily cherish the moments of nostalgic with the thoughts of my CARE tenure and association
with CARE colleagues. A mere mention of CARE would make my eyes moist and catapult me to those
fond memories that I have been always carrying within me. The 30 long years that I had worked for the
organization filled me with immense satisfaction professionally and the human within me towards the
cause that we had taken up in the arena of mother and child protection & health care. Many people –
not only my superiors that I had reported to as part of my duties but the colleagues and friends as well –
chiselled me into a competent professional and, above all, a person with human-face. Without a mention
of those individuals, my whole life would get reduced to a sort of incomplete portrait. Those individuals
who cast their spell upon me are not a few but many and in the process I must have unknowingly left
out a few. I express my gratitude to all those who were my mentors.
Let me twirl those memories that have been recorded in my ageing but still feeling afresh in my mind.
As I mentioned already, the mere mentioning of CARE would infuse a fresh lease of life in my ageing
brain cells. Here It goes by flashback: I had begun my journey with CARE India as far back as the in the
year 1980s. I remember the face of the good old Mr K. V. R. Nair who hired me for CARE Andhra
Pradesh, Hyderabad, as a Petty Cashier during the month of August 1980. After having worked on
probation for a month, I was posted to finance section on regular basis. I was provided with an
appointment letter to serve the organization effective 2nd September 1980.
I cannot forget those two persons who brought me and introduced to CARE - Mr. T. Madhav Rao, Field
Officer and Ms. Veronica Pinto, Admin Asst. I will be very much grateful to those two forever for paving
my career putting me on a good track of my career. From that moment, I could go on to complete so
long a journey of about 30 long un-interrupted years with CARE inning. Credit goes to all those in the
organization and the colleagues as well - who supported me in every aspect of my career growth and
the long inning of service with CARE.
While I worked as an Office Assistant in Finance and Administration during the period from 1980 to
1987, I worked in the capacity in Food and Inventory Section from 1988 to 1989. Mr. Mark Fritizler,
the then Administrator promoted me to the position of Field Officer (PNP) in 1990. Training on field
operations was provided by Late CRM Das during my first trip to Macherla (Guntur Dist). In the
beginning I found it very difficult to get adjusted to the circumstances because of the continuous travel
for 21 days and driving. However, I put myself in the groove too soon as I took it as a challenge. Besides,
the support of Mr. B. Vaidyanathan and Mr. K. Narsing Rao in the field that had made me gain a firm
foothold.
I had different amusing and challenging experiences while working with CARE. Let me narrate many
such experiences. On one incident, where Mr. K. Narsing Rao and self together went on a field trip to
Amangal Block in Mahaboobnagar District, I noticed a suspicious incident. We had finished off our Audit
in the BDO Office (MDM) during the day and planned to visit the ICDS Project the next day. We both
went to a nearby hotel for dinner. We had finished our meal and while making the payment at the cash
counter we had noticed some of the CARE commodities (5 Bulgur Wheat sacks and Cartons of SSO)
lying near the cash counter. We immediately inquired with the proprietor of the hotel as to why these
are kept here and who kept these materials over here. He felt scared with our enquiry, but told us that
that one school teacher had kept the material at his place and promised that the teacher would clear it
by the next day.
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Despite the response by the hotel owner, we still were not convinced. Hence we had requested the
hotel guy to send a word to the school teacher to see us the next day in the guest house. The teacher
came to the Inspection Bungalow, the next day, and explained us as to why he had to keep the stock that
was owing to the problem related to transportation. Only upon explanation by the teacher we were
convinced and treated this incident with sympathy but strongly advised him not to repeat this (keeping
the CARE stocks at the hotels).
During my tenure as a Field Officer (PNP), it was unfortunate that I could lay my hands on two mass
misappropriation cases in the ICDS Project-Kamalapuram (Cuddapah Dist, 1994) and in Jagtial (1997)
respectively. It was found that the Kamalapuram ICDS staff (CDPO and stock in charge) had
misappropriated food commodities worth rupees two lakhs. After the inquiry and submission of
report, the staff was suspended for a period of 2 years. During this difficult situation, Mr. R. N. Jha who
was the Admin Officer for Food/Inv supported me in documenting the case.
In the second case, it was found that the CDPO and stock in charge of Karimnagar Dist Jagtial ICDS
Project had tampered the records. Food worth of rupees 2.5 lakhs were misused. Both of them got
involved in the misuse of the CARE food and this incident appeared in the local newspapers. The CDPO
/ACDPO/Stock in charge/watchman were suspended for a period of 2 years. This case was brought to
notice of the then District Collector Mr. B. R. Meena. He summoned the CDPO and staff concerned and
asked for an explanation. During this time Mr. M. S. Vara Prasad, the then Commodity Officer guided me
in the investigation. The supply of food to the project was suspended for a period of 3 months and I
presume that the case may still be pending with the Government.
Later, the whole incident took an ugly turn putting me at acute embarrassment. The CDPO in question
was an influential person locally and could not stand the insult caused to her. So charged with grudge
she wanted to teach me a lesson. She sent a telegram to the Director-WCD and the Director-CARE,
stating that I had illegal contacts with the ACDPO and others, and with the help of them I had framed
her in the case. The then Director Ms. Pushpa Subramanyam called on and asked the then CARE’s
Director Mr. C. S. Reddy to conduct a joint enquiry on the issue. But, Mr. Reddy flatly refused her
request for joint inquiry and asked her to conduct an independent departmental enquiry involving her
own staff. He told her categorically that he did not have an iota of doubt on his staff’s dedication and
honesty. Later, the departmental inquiry proved to be a concocted story and allegation against the
CARE staff aimed at taking revenge. During the inquiry, the ICDS staff reportedly conveyed the DirectorWCD that I never had even a cup of tea offered by them. The same thing shared with Mr. C.S Reddy.
Sadly, it was very unfortunate that the pensions of the persons involved in misappropriation were not
even settled in their favour until today.
During my tenure with CARE, I delivered my services in Relief and Rehab in Latur, Amalapuram, Orissa
and Bhuj – when disasters struck. I acquired good working experience in the field in handling
emergencies. This was the opportunity I got, while working with the people of different states and
exchanging our experiences. This served as a platform to share our views on program related issues
and take new learning’s from them. During my 30 years of service, I worked with various national and
international staff I keep remembering them throughout. Among them are Monroe Gilmour, K. V. R.
Nair, Robert Coberly, Late L. Mohanty, Late N. Srinivasan, Ron Burkard, David Sorill, K. T. Srnivasan
(TDY), Mark A Fritizler, C. S. Reddy, K. Gopalan, R. N. Mohanty, David Raj, Aroon David, Padma
Sadashivan, Late N. V. R. Sarma, V. K. Chopra, P. E. Haridasan, B. K. De, P. N. Shukla, T. Usha Kiran, James
Pothirajulu, N. V. N. Nalini, Maureen Pearson, R. N. Jha, Anita Rego, Usha Kulakarni and Ramesh Babu.
These are the few experiences among a pile. I conclude that I have enjoyed working with CARE for a
period of 30 years, rather I should mention here that I enjoyed the challenges too that was a real
foundation for my learning and progression in the orgnization2. Everyone from the management and
other staff supported me in all aspects my CARE career. I proudly say that this could only happen in
CARE, and I felt that it is prestigious to be a part of the CARE family and a life fulfilling experience. Even
after retirement, I am still maintaining continued relations with the CARE staff and those ICDS
functionaries whom I had worked with during my tenure. Even today, the ICDS staff requests me to
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provide them with the required support on health and nutrition issues. Because of this, I still update
myself on the current health related issues and refer to some manuals to share correct information and
my journey of link with CARE, its partners and functionaries continues. Though CARE nutrition support
phased out, the ICDS functionaries still fondly remember and appreciate the trainings conducted by the
organization. They say with gratitude that they could learn many things from CARE staff. I strongly
feel that there is no end for learning and sharing the knowledge.
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T.Sudhakara Rao
CARE Program Officer (Retd)
Arundathinagar, Plot No29, Cantonment Area, Vizianagaram
Mobile: 9866720702; Email: [email protected]
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93
James Newton
CARE USA: 1969 - 1972
Indonesia, East Pakistan & Bangladesh
A Little – Bit – Of – History - Part 1
Assignment to CARE Indonesia 1969-1971:
It all started in 1967 when I transferred into Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh from my Peace Corps
assignment in an Agricultural Development –Rice Farming in the villages. It seems that a city-boy from
Chicago had little influence on spreading the word for high yielding varieties of IR rice. But my new job,
working with the Family Planning Association of AP brought me into close contact with the CARE office
in Hyderabad during most of 1968. I helped out at various locations & on-site, preparing CSM and WSB
meals for Family Planning events in the coastal districts, working with the CARE field officers to get the
food to the patients without “leakage.”
When my PC service came to a close, I talked with the CARE team about opportunities for myself with
CARE as a field officer. With a promise of a telex and a note to Bert Smucker tucked away in my back
pocket, I headed back to the US of A. I was accepted at Syracuse U Maxwell School for their Masters in
International Public Administration program for the summer of 1969 but on my way from home town
Chicago, I stopped off in NYC and had a round of interviews at 660 First Ave.
All was rumbling along, including the emptiness of my wallet after paying the autumn semester bills,
when Bert sent me a letter saying that there was a F0 assignment in Sierra Leone if I were interested. I
phoned in and took the job to start in just a few weeks. The University gave me a 5 years abeyance to
complete my degree and so I packed my bags for NY and Africa.
On the appointed day, I entered the doors of CARE USA HQ at 8:30 AM along with another new hire,
Charles Cohen. The two of us were told to wait in a conference room and as we chatted, we discovered
that he had just returned from 2 yrs in Peace Corps, Liberia and was assigned to go to Indonesia. The
two of us decided that this was a bit weird and agreed to switch assignments. When Bert came into the
office, we advised him of our agreement and, to our surprise, he agreed that it made sense.
So there it was, a wonderful new job, a great destination, and everything in great shape, except that my
draft board wouldn’t give me a further deferment. So I sat at a desk for more than 2 months, awaiting
the outcome of the December 1, 1969 Draft Lottery. Bingo! #346th in order. Visa in hand, I was in
Djakarta by the end of December.
The CARE Family in Djakarta was a wonderful crowd. Jerry Lewis, Country Director., Rudy Ramp on
Program Development, Glen Lash doing General Admin, and later on Andrew Engleman for the MEDICO
program. I was given West Java as my initial territory, but Jerry set a deadline for language skills, 3
months maximum or I would have a nice trip home. I studied as best I could, and made the cut-off.
Running around in the port bringing in the CSM and then WSB by the boatload, clearing the new jeeps,
surveying schools in Djakarta and West Java for inclusion in the School Feeding programs, and all the
time scouting for reasonable small scale development projects that could be approved and
implemented. In 1970, Ron Tanner joined up to manage the West Java Program. We hit it off right away
as you can read in his letter in these books. There was another FO in Central Java based in Semarang.
Perhaps there is someone out there who can remind me of his name; it’s been bothering me for years.
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We had a wonderful group of Indonesian colleagues, including the Staff Nutritionist, Aida Nuh and
Rochim Wirjomidjojo as our Development and Cultural guru. We all were learning the ropes together in
the old office in Kebajoran Baru, Jln Panglima Polim Raja, near Bloc M market square.
In late 1970, Jerry and Eva Lewis left for a new assignment and Christof Schiefele came in country as
our new director. Program expansion looked still possible but CARE – NY sent a round-robin telex
around the end of March 1971, asking for volunteers for a new project in East Pakistan. Seems that
security conditions were too uncertain for UNDP and UNICEF but there was still a mountain of Cyclone
relief supplies coming in after the horrendous event of November 1969 that needed distribution. I put
my name on the list and was on my way to Dacca in early May.
What did I do in that assignment? I think I’ll leave that for another letter. That was a different place with
a different story; And with a whole new Team of players.
All the best to everyone
James Newton
[email protected]
September 03, 2014
Part 2 – CARE Memories
James Newton
EP to BD
As mentioned in my first epistle, in March of 1971, I advised CARE HQ that I was very much interested
to join the special team being organised to cover the Hurricane Relief project contracted by CARE with
UNICEF for East Pakistan. I recollect that for reasons somewhat obscure, the normal Field Staff of the
UN were not going to complete distribution of supplies in or on their way to EP but CARE was willing to
take up the program. There was an on-going CARE project in country to build housing [cinvaram brick
with pukkah roofing] and a small contingent of UNDP field officers from the Nordic region in place and
we CARE guys piled in on top. The list of CARE members of that initial team has faded somewhat from
my elderly brain, but I do recall Dan Roth, Frank Brechin, George Weismuller [the Tarzan
actor/swimmer’s cousin] among others.
I was told to head southwest into Khulna Division and assigned to work the Port of Chalna, where ocean
going and intra coastal shipping were UN landing commodities/supplies. We were down in the
Sunderbans, home of the real Bengal Tigers, shuffling about in high-powered Boston Whaler skiffs,
trying to trace deliveries of supplies to schools, health centres and other outlying centres. Our
compound was 100 meters north of a channel of the river and 50 meters south of a regimental HQ of
the Pakistani Army. The PA and the Muktibahini had a nifty evening sport of regularly lobbing a mortar
round or two at each other over the UN House. Interesting.
We did have some success but very limited. We had one great luxury, however. The Delta prawn
processing and freezing industry was forced to keep operating by the GOVofEP and to purchase all
deliveries from fishermen who appeared at their quays. The only variable was that they could
determine the sizes they would take in and JUMBO was the operative word. We ate the most fantastic
fresh prawns almost every night in curry, biryani, boiled or grilled but they looked like small lobsters.
I went up to Dacca and back Khulna by the Rocket Side-Wheel Steam paddle boat service a few times.
On one return trip, at night, the ship was attacked by Freedom Fighters and I rolled out of my bunk onto
the floor at the first sound of firing. A lot of shots were fired and in the morning, there was a neat hole in
the cabin wall just above my bunk! Nice floor there.
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On the last trip up, I was able to meet up with Frank Brechin and others and we were told to fly down to
Chittagong to help unload an incoming food shipment and some vehicles that were consigned by the US
military to the UN Relief Operations, Dacca [UNROD]. We were working that task when the senior
military officer in the town, a Lt Cmdr of the Pakistani Navy, decided he want all the trucks already in
the port for his needs. We made a bee-line for the port area and disabled all the vehicles we could by
taking out the rotor arms and heading back to our compound. The military police came into the local UN
Compound and demanded that the perpetrators accompany them to their HQ, where the Lt Cmdr
demanded the parts at gun-point. We had a stand-off for 2 hours before he let us return to the
compound.
We knew it was time to leave, and that there was no way out but by way of a small UN chartered Greek
coastal lighter down the river channel and out to the harbour anchorage/roads where a US MATS
freighter, The Pioneer Moon, was at anchor. As we raced downstream, a Pakistani Navy gunboat came
out and raced after the Greek boat with radio instructions to stop and be boarded. As we came clear of
the harbour entrance, Pioneer Moon’s captain raised the biggest Stars-and-Stripes flag I have ever seen
at the stern of the ship and advised on the radio that he would be sailing under US Navy orders
immediately upon taking the UN staff on board. The Pakistani boat complained but stopped short of
interfering and, with a strong feeling of patriotism, the CARE contingent sailed south to Singapore as
guests of Uncle Sam.
We ended up in Singapore a few days later, and some of us were sent by the UN to Indonesia. I really
don’t remember why, but it was not until after the Independence War for Bangladesh was done and
dusted that we were allowed to go back to Dacca in early January. And there the scene had changed
enormously.
The Disaster Relief project was no longer a priority. CARE BD was working up a major project led by Bill
Woudenburg, to build a gazillion cinva-ram houses but Frank, Dan and I along with others were
assigned to observe and support the Refugee Resettlement process going on all around the perimeter of
the new country. This was an enormous movement of approximately 11 million displaced persons from
camps in India back to their homes in Bengal. Frank and Dan gave me a Jeep CJ-6, a radio and a road
map and told me to head for the NW of Bangladesh. I shuffled about in the area of Bogra, Rangpur and
Dinajpur Districts, with a keen focus on two sub-districts, Lalmonirhat in Rangpur, and Thakurgaon in
Dinajpur. I visited different warehouses and district project sites all over the 3 districts but these two
sub-units stood out. The former had a major WWII Defence of India 2nd line air base [still very visible on
Google Maps Satellite view] that had been misused during the uprising by the Pakistani military as a
base for action against civilians. The latter was also very important to me as there was a Finnish Red
Cross team in place, providing medical assistance to returning refugees. And one of the nurses on that
team has been my wife and best friend for the past 40 years. ‘Nuff said!
By the end of March, the wave of refugee returns was over and I was reassigned to CARE itself and back
to feeding programs. I was posted down to Comilla District for a short time where I was able to work for
a few weeks with an up-and-coming young activist, name of Muhammed Yunus, who was trying to help
village women organise themselves and improve their lives. I then was moved back to Rangpur, where I
worked with Robert A Dukes, a one of a kind CARE FO on the Cinvaram Project for a month until my
Home Leave cycle came due and I left with all my possessions in one suitcase in mid-June 1972.
And then I faced a conundrum. I went into 660 First Avenue, NYC and asked what my “next” assignment
would be. Bert advised there were only two openings, back to Bangladesh for another tour or
alternatively, Viet-Nam. Again, ‘nuff said! But more importantly, since I had matriculated, i.e. begun my
Master’s in Public Administration & Finance program at Syracuse University in 1969, before joining
CARE, I had to finish my degree within 5 years. And going back at this point was a no-brainer, no
applications, no hassles, just reactivate my status and so, I reluctantly resigned from CARE and headed
off to upstate New York where I hung out with Larry Holzman, who was in the same program.
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I have never forgotten the 3 years I was part of the CARE team, in 1+2 countries, in the field working
with dedicated colleagues and being able to make a small contribution towards making the world a
little better place for everyone. Thanks to everyone who supported me along the way. And if anyone
who happens to be travelling in the direction of The Big Shakey-Bay wants to touch base, please don’t
hesitate to send an email or telex [remember those?] and let’s get together.
James [Jim] Newton
Oakland California
[email protected]
September 13, 2014
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94
Harry Sethi
CARE India, New Delhi 1995 - 2005
Leaving a secured job with the Government of India for a contract assignment with CA RE was not an
easy task. It was a very risky decision that I took with support from my wife, 16 year old son and 11
years old daughter. I am glad I chose to join CARE in 1995 on a two years contract. I have never since
regretted. I continued with CARE for ten years (till 2005). As a member of the Senior Management Team
(SMT), I was privileged to contribute to the development of CARE in India’s vision and strategies for
growth of CARE’s portfolio in India.
I joined a big CARE family and it gave me all the love, support and exposure to the NGO sector. It also
provided me the opportunity to see the government as an outsider. I spent some time in understanding
CARE programming, its role and priorities in India. Orienting CARE staff to the structures and
functioning of the government system was a challenge. I was often asked why the decision making in
the government takes so long, why the Secretary to the Government of India cannot respond to CARE’s
proposal through email rather than papers being dealt with on files moving up and down.
The other challenge was to convince the concerned government officials about non-food programming
in India. CARE was always seen as provider of food and relief materials in times of emergencies. Initially
it was very difficult for the government officials to accept the changing role of care in health, girl’s
education, microfinance etc. I am glad to say that with support from programming heads in CARE we
successfully evolved CARE in India from being largely a food supplier to an organization that designed
and implemented programs in partnership with the Government and non-government organizations. I
had the opportunity of bringing out the first NGO partnership strategy for CARE in India.
I worked very closely with Tom Alcedo, the then Country Director, on a proposal evolving CARE into an
Indian entity and presented it to the CARE International board in its meeting held in Delhi in
celebration of CARE’s fifty years in India. I am glad that today CARE India is a reality and is doing well as
a new member of CARE International.
In the aftermath of Gujarat earthquake CARE and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry (FICCI) put together a very large rehabilitation project. I had the opportunity of significantly
contributing to the designing, implementing, monitoring and donor reporting. It was a very enriching
experience. FICCI-CARE rehabilitation project was the largest rehabilitation effort in the earthquake
affected area. It supported families in rebuilding their lives and livelihoods. The people in the affected
areas of Gujarat were very brave, soon overcame the tragedy and started again with their lives.
Overall, my ten years with CARE were very satisfying. Met with so many wonderful persons, visited
many places in India and outside, interacted with grassroots communities and their organizations and
learnt a lot.
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Harry Sethi
[email protected]
October 15, 2014
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95
CARE USA 1977 – 2013
Honduras, Sierra Leone, Bangladesh,
Somalia, CARE HQ Atlanta, Semi Retire
THOUGHTS AND REMEMBRANCES OF MY TIME WITH CARE INTERNATIONAL
PRE-CARE
I, like many others, answered John Kennedy’s call to service. I joined the Peace Corps in 1962, and was
one of the 64 volunteers in Malaya III. I was a Medical Technologist, assigned to the Government
hospital in Kuantan, Pahang. On my return to the US in 1966, I finished my Bachelor’s, and being single
and able to take on a degree and follow my love of history, did a Master’s in Middle Eastern History,
finishing all course work by late 1972. Unable to find a suitable position in the Middle East, and with
the urging of a friend, I took on a volunteer assignment with the Dooley Foundation in Nepal, at the
Gandhaki Zonal Hospital in the beautiful town of Pokhara. I was the Medical Technologist in a multidisciplinary medical team. That experience set me on the course of deciding what I really wanted to be,
and, where I might be best able to contribute, i.e. in Public Health. On my return to the US, I began
studies at the University of Michigan.
My connection with CARE started early on. While looking for the Middle Eastern assignment in 1972, I
made contact with CARE Medico. I was being interviewed for a position in Uganda, to teach laboratory
skills to students at the medical college in Kampala. Unfortunately, trouble was brewing in Uganda,
with Idi Amin throwing out Indian nationals, and the position was cancelled. CARE Medico continued to
keep in touch while I was in Nepal. We also kept in touch while I was studying for the MPH, and on my
graduation offered me a position in Honduras. Although I had also been discussing an assignment with
USAID, the CARE opportunity in a country where I could learn Spanish sounded like a good fit. I was
also impressed with CARE Medico for keeping me on their radar screen! My advisor at the University of
Michigan thought the same.
HONDURAS, 1977-1981
I was Marge Gorecki then as I joined the Honduras mission as a CARE Medico Field Representative, after
5 weeks studying Spanish in Antigua, Guatemala. Jim Puchetti was Country Director, and Mike Viola,
Assistant Country Director. During my 4 years in Honduras, I had 4 CDs - First Jim, then Mike, George
Radcliffe and finally Jay Jackson. I learned a lot from each and every one of these fine men, both what to
do, and what not to do, in any given situation.
The Medico position was to oversight two programs: a nurses training program in Choluteca, and the
Visiting Volunteer Specialists program. The first was cancelled by the government, shortly after my
arrival. At that time the two food programs, MCH and School Feeding were in disarray. Mike
terminated the manager, and took it upon himself to teach me ‘everything’ about food programming! He
was a wonderful teacher and I learned management, donor and government relations, warehousing,
logistics, tracking, best practice, etc. At that time in CARE, we had national field staff who were area
managers, who liaised with communities and provided oversight on all CARE projects in their region.
This included the two feeding programs, gravity flow water, school construction, agriculture, and
fisheries. This was an excellent way to deliver programming as the communities knew the CARE staff,
the staff knew them and their wants and needs, and real partnerships could be formed. Technical
support was provided through the Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sulu offices.
Some of my best
remembrances of my time in Honduras was having village members waiting for us at our office door in
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the morning to show us that they finally had the bank balance required in order for CARE and
government to begin work on their water system; or, in the case of a women’s group, to introduce me to
the new Mother’s Club leadership. CARE’s offices were small, only 30 national staff and 4-5
internationals, and there was a close connection between staff and communities.
We developed a strong relationship with Peace Corps during these years through the development of
maternal and child health educational materials. Government staff and PC volunteers assigned to the
Ministry of Health and the Social Welfare Ministry worked together with us in better understanding
pre- and post- natal and infant nutritional practices. Focus groups around the country were formed
and sessions held to learn and appreciate present practices and develop strategies to improve nutrition
behavior. A cartoonist was hired; materials were tested, and ultimately printed and circulated. This
was a high point of my time in CARE Honduras, both from the relationships developed with several
volunteer and government women professionals, and from the quality of the materials developed.
There are few things quite as delightful as sitting around with village women talking about their health,
their families, and their life!
A second project that had me working with Peace Corps volunteers was the Pilot School Program. This
was my first attempt at USAID funding, a significant learning experience. I shall always thank George
Radcliffe for giving me the freedom to work this out my own way, and the Peace Corps for their support
in the development and management of the school gardens, small animals and kitchen program.
Honduras was my first experience in Emergency Response. In 1978/79, the Sandinista Revolution
began in Nicaragua to defeat President Anastasio Samoza. He responded by rounding up and
threatening to kill all young men. As the stories of the violence were heard in Honduras, a number of us
CARE staff drove to different areas on the border to confirm that young men were crossing, and to plan
our response to their and local needs. We developed a program with the government in the
southernmost areas. CARE Honduras also provided food assistance to a refugee camp at the Salvadoran
border in response to needs there.
My relationship with the Peace Corps was professional, but also personal. Through the volunteers that I
worked with, I met the person who would become my husband, Doug Tsitouris. He extended his tour,
until my transfer by CARE to Sierra Leone.
I also had earlier decided that CARE was where I wanted to make my home. I was particularly
fortunate in the leadership in the Honduras mission. Jim, Mike, George and Jay were great mentors,
who aided my learning in a variety of ways. I bonded early on to CARE as both Jim Puchetti and Mike
Viola enjoyed Friday night get togethers. The two of them were great story tellers and had us laughing
as they related the antics, behaviors, and peccadillos of present and former CARE staff. It was a great
way to feel connected to CARE and George and Jay carried on the tradition. CARE Honduras was a
friendly place to work.
SIERRA LEONE (1981-1984)
I was promoted to Assistant Country Director on my arrival in Sierra Leone. Freetown had a fading
beauty, a lovely coastline, and constant ‘movement’. The country was best known for its massive
“Feeder Roads Program” which fell under a large multi-development World Bank Program. I was given
charge of the health education, “Sickness no go able we” (Project Learn), and the drinking water well
construction activities. I also had oversight over “finance”, as I wanted to broaden my understanding
of how CARE worked. I had learned in my time in Honduras that a Director needed to be well rounded.
I was tested just once, when the Finance Manager was ill, and I was stuck with having to do the monthly
financial report. Lucky for me we had OFS (the Overseas Financial System) back then! Chuck Laskey
was my first Director, who was replaced by Mike Viola in the last year. Other internationals were Jim
Coberley and later David Neff, who ran the Feeder Roads; plus Jaime Enriquez, who I knew from
Honduras; and Joe Kessler and Peter Coleman, who both worked on Roads.
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Sierra Leone was, perhaps, my favorite assignment. I enjoyed the people, the dancing and music, the
wonderful food, (especially potato and cassava leaves), and the laughter, that was just below the
surface. Ms Lovett Savage was the health educator with the biggest laugh, the greatest hip movement,
and the tiniest waist, for a well endowed woman. When she took the stage in a village, the crowd was
there with her, dancing and singing with gusto, about washing hands, brushing teeth, and good
nutrition! Truthfully, I don’t know how much they learned, but they had a great time.
Sierra Leone was also where Doug Tsitouris and I married. It was a civil ceremony, at a government
office, above a disco. The judge wore white and plaited her hair. Doug and I wore West African wear.
Chuck gave me away, and the party was with CARE and other NGO and Peace Corps staff.
My best learning in Sierra Leone was about conflict, and how it could affect even the simplest activity.
The construction of community drinking water wells required that the community come together to
decide on a site, assist with the construction, and set up systems for proper maintenance. Although we
worked with community leadership, had our community committee composed of not only men, but
women and the young, as per ‘best practice’, there was often friction. Our communities were seldom
homogeneous and there were family and gender issues. Who really was in charge, and whose needs
were considered in placement, in work delegation, in long term maintenance? “What to do about the
bucket?” was a mantra, as they regularly disappeared, and often not replaced. I took away the learning
that issues of gender, family/clan, and hierarchy needed to be addressed early on in any activity.
In 1984, after a bout with Hepatitis A, I was transferred to Bangladesh.
BANGLADESH (1984-1986)
I took over the Women’s and Health Portfolio in Bangladesh. This is the largest mission I worked in, in
terms of development programming. Virginia Ubik was CD and the ACDs were an impressive group:
Frank Sullivan, Sandy Laumark, Lizette Echols and later Frank Brechin and Stafford Clary. Bangladesh
was a ‘learning’ mission for fresh, bright international staff, and many passed through. The senior and
junior Bangladeshi staff were impressive and many of them moved up the ladder in CARE. One of these
was Dr. Musa, who, later in his career, became Regional Director in Asia, and CD in India. Food was the
name of the game here, with two large food programs, USAID and the Canadians, and CARE Bangladesh
became a major player in CARE’s increasing focus on women. The Canadian program worked with
thousands of women across the country who maintained village level roads on cash for work basis.
This meant that women had bank accounts and that they were masters of their accounts, a new concept
in rural Bangladesh. I believe this activity was an important step in improving women’s status in the
country. It was common in my experience to see women who had just joined the program looking
downward and pulling their saris across their faces when spoken to. A few months into the program,
the saris came down, and many women directly addressed male staff members.
The Women’s Development Program also began a sea change. The program was male run, with all
supervisory staff, men, and all field workers, women. And then there was the expatriate lady at the
top…me. The program had not changed much from earlier times, and had continued programming in
the same 200+ villages. Staff were ‘doing’ for the women; teaching health and nutrition, weighing
babies; pregnancy monitoring, etc. “Why are we doing the same thing in the same places?” I asked the
staff. The answer was “these poor ladies. They need our help. We can’t leave.” That meant to me that
WE needed to change our relationship with the clients:
We moved some women up to supervisory status. This meant riding motorcycles as they needed to
travel to more than one village in a day. This was a significant achievement and a brave thing to do as
women did not do this in Bangladesh at this time.
We began a program of graduation of some villages, with village women taking on some of the activities.
And we added new villages as others graduated, in order to provide the opportunity to more women.
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We started group savings activities. It was Grameen Bank in miniature, as we introduced the savings
program to about 12 villages, as a pilot for our learning. The program eventually took off after I had
left.
Bangladesh was getting ready for a massive national effort to immunize women and children. Dr. Musa
and I wrote CARE’s program which would cover ¼ of the country and had 250,000+ potential
recipients. CARE did not deliver the vaccine nor vaccinate, but would work instead with the
government on logistics and training of the immunizers. The program was successful beyond
expectation thanks to the hard work of our staff.
During this period, Doug and I adopted our son, Madan Rajbahak, from Nepal, a country that I had lived
in and loved. Madan was ‘about 3’.
I was made a CD and transferred to Somalia.
SOMALIA (1986-1990)
Somalia had two country offices; the Emergency Logistics Unit/CARE (ELU/CARE) that was contracted
to UNHCR and WFP, and CARE Somalia, a brand new development office. I took over from Earl
Goodyear the latter office and worked there with Nick Webber. CARE Somalia concentrated on agroforestry projects, one in Belet Weyne around the refugee camp run by Greg Brady, and one in Hargeisa
run by Dan McCall. Dan’s project was a community forestry project that had some success. Greg’s
project was to create tree wind breakers to protect the camps. Seedlings were watered by refugees
pulling donkey carts, a totally unsustainable activity. What was sustainable were the neem tree
seedlings we distributed to the women. They planted them by their dwellings for shade, watering them
from their cooking pots. They did well and were still there years later. We attempted to do a number of
women’s activities concentrating on market women in Mogadishu. The pilot activities never took off,
and the war turned our thoughts to other things.
During the first two years of our time in Somalia, there were pockets of trouble, but generally all went
well, and development could proceed, with the occasional problem. In May of 1988, it all broke loose as
a major conflict between President Ziad Barre’s government and rebel (generally clan related) groups
broke out. Hargeisa was attacked with full force and the CARE/UN compound, full of food, supplies, fuel
and vehicles, was fought over by both sides. International and some senior national staff were
evacuated to Mogadishu, but most Somali staff found their way to Ethiopia. CARE’s Hargeisa based HR
Manager managed to carry with him information on all staff, and we were eventually able to provide
’quit claim’ benefits to them through CARE Ethiopia (thanks, Scott Faia for your help).
Just before this time, the Team Leader of ELU/CARE resigned, and a Deputy was managing. Once
fighting began, I was asked to assume the management of both organizations.
ELU/CARE had two main offices: Mogadishu and Hargeisa. It managed all logistics, the movement of
material for the UN and NGOs, and the maintenance of all vehicles involved in the efforts of maintaining
850,000 refugees in a number of camps across the country. ELU/CARE also distributed food and other
resources to these same refugees and managed the camps. A total of 2000 staff worked for ELU/CARE,
the majority of them involved in distribution. Refugee camps are much like small towns, but towns
where all of the refugee’s basic needs are provided.
It was quite a time managing the ELU in a time of conflict, and nothing will ever equal the experience or
provide the same challenge. The USAID Director, who was a good friend said, “If we can make it here,
we can make it anywhere!” The banks failed. Cash, the method of payment traditionally, had to be
flown to Hargeisa for staff salaries, supplies, and other needs. International phone calls had to be made
from the post office, and short urgent messages went by telex. The mail went out twice a week on the 2
flights to Nairobi, where CARE Kenya staff picked up our packages and DH Led them to New York. Half
of the heavy equipment fleet, i.e. 70 of 140 ten metric ton trucks disappeared (blown up or stolen) in
the first 2-3 weeks, yet food and other supplies needed to be moved. Light vehicles were the target of
rebels, thieves, and the military. Almost all of the camps experienced shelling, and there were times
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when it was impossible for senior staff to travel to the North, or to camps in the South. During the two
year period I ran ELU/CARE, over 50 staff, the majority of who were refugees were killed. I learned to
ask a number of different people (clans) what was happening to understand the full picture of what
happened each day/night; negotiate with the government and the UN; and know where to draw the line
in the sand with the government on various issues. Bit by bit, the conflict made Hargeisa totally unsafe
and came south to Mogadishu and beyond. Most of the country became a war zone. Our HR manager
noted about a year into the war, when women and children were first gunned down in a market that the
old Somali ways had broken down and there was no longer any turning back. Warehousemen
disappeared and so did hundreds of bags of food. Some of our trucks began operating independently,
with government assistance. Expatriate compounds were threatened, and we had a contingency
compound where all senior staff could go, stocked with food, fuel, vehicles and other necessities. We
made ready to evacuate if necessary and moved our main office and housing compounds close to the
airport. ELU/CARE, however, continued to deliver food and run the program, as best we could.
One thing I most remember and that I was thankful for was that, because of the lack of communication
with outsiders, we were left to our own decisions and ‘best practice’ as we saw it. We were not ‘second
guessed’ by anyone far away. I left Somalia in August 1990 and turned over to Chuck Laskey and
others, wishing them well, but knowing it would all end shortly. It did, at the turn of the year, Christmas
through New Year’s.
What I will always remember are the great people I worked with. We had wonderful staff from our
offices in India and Bangladesh, who could manage food programming even in the worst of times, and
do it well. We had great mechanics, Filipino, European, and Somali, who kept the fleet going. We had
exceptional senior and junior Somali staff who I will never forget for their courage and resourcefulness.
There are too many to name individually, but they know who they are. We bonded in a way that doesn’t
happen often; we were certainly a team in those days in Somalia.
Here is an incomplete list of some of the senior staff, not given in any order and I apologize for who is
not here: Halane, Belet Weyne (Mohamed Abdi), Col. Hassan, Mohammed Dair, Mohammed Gilao, R.
Chander, David Raj, Janardhan, D.K. Rao, TS Ramachandran, SM Husain, T. Krishnan, Ted Bolagnani, Mr.
Dutt and so many others.
Knowing I was up for transfer and after 4 years in Somalia, I requested CARE NY to transfer me to a
country at peace, so that I could recoup and readjust. I returned to Honduras.
HONDURAS (1990-1993)
The first time I worked in Honduras, I was Senorita Margarita, single and brand new to CARE. Now,
however, I was Dona Margarita, a country director with husband and son, tested by Somalia. It
certainly was different. What was extremely positive was that many of the Honduran staff, whom I had
worked with in the Ministries, had also advanced. They too were now senior staff! It was so much
easier to work with the government.
It was easy to settle in, and I was very comfortable in a country I knew well, but it was a different CARE
Honduras. We had a new building, and it was our building. One of the CDs before me borrowed funding
from CARE HQ and built the new office. It was also a much larger CARE Honduras, more than tripling in
size. We continued to work in gravity flow water systems, expanded our work in agriculture and
forestry, but the food programs had changed. Earlier we had Lastinia on a typewriter pounding out
distribution lists, but now we had computers, an increased number of food administrators, and we, not
the government, were handling the movement/delivery/monitoring of food. Our budget had increased
exponentially, and the US government was covering all the costs! What was most worrisome was that
the program for all of its costs was no better at what it was doing than before. We had dependencies
built into the MCH program both at government and recipient level. As one client said to me: “I love
CARE. When I was a child I received CARE food, and now my daughter is doing the same!”
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We began discussions with the Government of Honduras and USAID about turning over the MCH and
School Feeding programs, or significantly improving them. The latter could mean improved targeting,
at both recipient and site level, and increased participation by government. We drew up a two year
plan, but nothing other than ‘nods’ registered in the 1st year. By the 2nd, there was increased concern,
but nothing happened until CARE threatened to drop the program. That prompted some action, and
discussions began anew. I left before this moved forward.
CARE Honduras at this time had an excellent group of international and Honduran staff. Mike Godfrey
was the Assistant Director; Colin Beckwith, Agricultural Coordinator; Jeff Gowa , Head of the San Pedro
office and the Municipal Food for Work Program; Earl Wall in San Pedro Sula; Jean Bernard Lindor,
Water Supply Coordinator; and Phil Gelman , in the Food Program.
During my time in Honduras, we became involved in a regional Central American USAID initiative that
attempted to bring together international and local NGOs in conservation activities. CARE was the
‘people’ organization and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the ‘flora and fauna’ organization. Our first
meeting was difficult. TNC looked down on us as non-true conservation believers as we worked with
‘people’. Selecting a site and a local organization took significant time and lots of negotiation. It was
never really easy, but this was a first step, I believe, for CARE in these kinds of partnerships. I am
pleased to see that CARE has continued working closely with conservation agencies including several
projects over the years with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
I also became involved more closely with CARE USA HQ while in Honduras. I was an easy flight away
from New York and, as I had an interest in HR management, I became a member of a Committee to
review the international benefit package. I was approached by Marc Lindenberg, Vice President for
Program, who asked me if I would be interested in a position at HQ once the organization moved to
Atlanta. I was interviewed for and appointed to the position of Director of the Regional Management
Unit, which had oversight for all CARE USA country offices.
CARE HQ/ATLANTA, DIRECTOR OF REGIONAL MANAGEMENT GROUP, 1993-1996
Mid-year 1996 was a great year to join CARE USA HQ. CARE had just moved from New York City to a
new building in Atlanta, a number of overseas staff had come in from the field, and we were all excited
and ready to do our best and make CARE a better place to work and achieve our organizational vision.
It was a high!
The Program Division under Marc Lindenberg fully benefited from the influx of staff: Senior leadership
under Marc were Tom Alcedo in the Emergency Group; Jon Mitchell in Management Development;
Larry Frankel in charge of the Technical Group; and myself, in Regional Management. We were aided
by having Tim Aston in charge of international staff oversight and transfers. He was seated in HR, but
spent a good deal of his time with us in Program. He ably followed in the tradition of Buck Northrup,
who, by knowing well the individual needs and experiences of the international staff, ensured that the
right people were in the right assignments.
A number of global initiatives began during this period.
A new multi-year planning process and format, the LRSP (Long Range Strategic Planning) was rolled
out under the leadership of Jon’s group and country offices started using it;
A new US LRSP was conducted with input from around the world. Staff at country offices provided
input into what CARE should do in order to have the most impact and where we should be doing it. The
sectors selected were Maternal Child Health, Small Enterprise and Development, Emergency Response,
and, a new sector, Education. A close fifth was Water Supply, a CARE expertise. CARE would also focus
on no more than 36 countries and in countries in the Indian sub-continent and Africa. A number of
experts in development sectors, political science, and management provided input into the discussions
and the LRSP. (As everyone now knows, CARE has doubled the number of countries we are working in,
but has kept its focus pretty much on the top 5.)
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A leadership training course was developed under Marc Lindenberg. A grant was found and a 2 week
training was conducted with teaching staff from Harvard and other professionals using a case study
format, in a variety of development and management disciplines. Over 300 senior and rising mid-level
country office and HQ staff from all divisions took part in 5 trainings in Guatemala. A major success and
a seminal event for all those who participated! We remember it well.
On the financial side, Rick Laroche, Finance Director, organized trainings in financial management for
generalist senior and mid-level managers who managed, or would be managing significant financial
resources. That training was critical as most CARE Directors and Assistant Directors come from
programming backgrounds.
The US Emergency Group (EG) partnered with the UK group and began to take on a number of
initiatives. The ASUM (Administrative Start up Manual) was conceived and began to be developed. This
manual would assist CARE staff in setting up a new office in an emergency. The EG also became
interested in improved understanding between US military and emergency responders. CARE was
invited to take part in training in emergencies at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The EG also opened the
door to Conflict Resolution, inviting leadership from the Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy, to visit
and work with CARE in the future.
The RMG collaborated with Fundraising to develop a Program Fund, the PAL, where Country Offices
could send in small projects for funding for donors at the $10K to $100K levels. This continues today.
The RMG and the Management Development Unit collaborated on the development of a CO entry/exit
strategy; a financial viability review of all COs; and a MACO, a management assessment of a CO, which
each and every CO was to regularly conduct. This is also ‘occasionally’ ongoing.
The ARMU and CARE Thailand leadership began the process of CARE Thailand becoming the first
national CI partner. Dan O’Brien and Promboon Panitchpakdi had the courage to see this through. Raks
Thai was formed in 1997 and joined the Board of CARE International.
The day to day work of the RMG was to provide oversight and assistance to all Cos through Regional
Management Teams, generally 3 staff at HQ level: the ARMU (Asia); LARMU(Latin America); WARMU
and SARMU(West and Southern Africa, but occasionally SWARMU). Country Directors reported to their
Unit team.
What was not ‘day to day’ was the Rwanda crisis. One afternoon, the EARMU Director, Jeanne Downen,
and I spent hours on the phone with Steve Wallace in Kigali, who was describing the scene outside his
home window of the genocide in action. Sometime later the EARMU regional conference in Kenya was
totally disrupted by the movement of refugees into Tanzania, and an emergency response strategy
developed at the hotel. Attending the conference were Jeanne; Tom Alcedo, EG Director; Marc
Landenberg; myself, emergency staff and the president of CARE Australia, Malcolm Fraser; CARE
Kenya staff; and other potential first responders. The order to “GO” was made within the first day, and
teams made their way to the Rwandan/Tanzanian border. CARE eventually set up and managed camps
in Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and returned to Rwanda once ‘safer’ before the
refugees.
ERWG the CI Emergency Response Working Group was formed at some point after CI responded to the
Rwanda genocide. This was to ensure that there was cooperation between the members in operations
and leadership. The membership was open, but the players were generally the CI members active in
emergency response: UK, Australia, Canada and the US. This was the first in what became a good
number of CI working groups.
I found all of the work exciting and challenging as anything and everything was on the table in the RMG,
from programming to finance issues; to relationships with donors, governments, other CAREs; to
human resources issues; to funding; to CO entry and exit; and to the Board of CARE. One of my favorite
activities was to join the fundraising team in speaking with private donors, both large and small. A
special treat was to attend a function with Phil Johnson, President of CARE. Phil could hold a group in
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his hand as he would tell stories about the people we worked with! He was passionate and honest and
committed to our work.
In mid 1996, CARE HQ went through a Structural Review to increase efficiencies and effectiveness, and
to decrease costs. With the upgrade of the Regional Management Unit managers to the Director level,
the RMG Director position was cancelled. I applied for and was appointed the Director of the
Emergency Group, a position I was very pleased to accept.
CARE HQ/ATLANTA, DIRECTOR OF THE EMERGENCY GROUP, 1996-2002
This was the busiest, most productive, interesting, challenging, and stimulating time of my career in
CARE. I inherited an EG from Tom Alcedo that had moved a number of initiatives forward, that I could
now consolidate and build on. John Solomon had been working on the ASUM. We finalized this manual,
sent it out to staff and utilized it in new emergencies. The US/UK partnership held for a year and was
instrumental in collecting and sending by plane material and equipment to CI operations in the DRC.
The UK PR representative was on the ground getting the news out on CARE’s work in the Rwanda crisis.
Jack Soldate, Harlan Hale, and Paul Gianonne worked from Atlanta and with the USA team in Tanzania
and later, Rwanda. The CARE USA response was strong in camp management, water supply, and in
health, MCH, and HIV/Education and interventions.
At the same time, the humanitarian community and donors began to look at what, how, and to whom
emergency assistance is provided and began asking questions about the quality of the response. This
was a watershed moment in emergency response. We could continue to be ‘cowboys and cowgirls’,
jumping into situations, much better tactically than strategically, or we could be more serious and
professional at what we were doing, and doing it in a safer and more client centered way. A number of
‘movements’ happened and actions coalesced, and we in the humanitarian community began looking at
our work in a different way.
The Sphere Project: This project is a program of the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response in
Geneva and of Interaction (an alliance organization of NGOs) in the US. It was to affirm NGO
commitment to the Humanitarian Charter of the ICRC, the International Committee of the Red Cross; to
develop a set of standards in core sectors of humanitarian response; and to enhance the quality of the
provision of assistance and ensure accountability. CARE USA was fully involved in the setting up of
standards and in training staff in their use. Harlan Hale was ‘on loan’ to the project for 6 months as he
coordinated efforts in the Food Aid standards. Graham Miller was our CI voice in Geneva to the
Committee. In 2001, CARE advocated for the inclusion of standards in Education, which we had been
working on. I was on a flight to Washington, DC to meet with the Board the morning of 9/ll. That
meeting did not happen, but standards were later developed.
Do No Harm: Mary Anderson and the Collaborative for Development Action began work on what was to
become the “Do No Harm” project. The project is an active learning project in that field case studies are
undertaken and analyzed to ensure that ‘the impact of the aid does not reinforce, exacerbate and
prolong the conflict’ ‘but rather that it helps to reduce tensions and strengthen people’s capacities to
disengage and find peaceful options’. We were to ‘do no harm’. I became intimately involved in the
learning, in the quarterly discussion groups, in contributing to the new “Options” document, and in
training our own staff. Sri Lanka became our field laboratory and 2 of the staff became more closely
involved with the learning, attending regular meetings in the US. CO trainings were held in India after
the Gujarat crisis and in Nepal among others. We also included DNH in all of our Emergency Trainings.
I am personally a total convert, advocate, and trainer.
The Emergency Response Fund: The Mellon Foundation, as one of the donors interested in the
changing modus operandi of emergency response, offered 4 US NGOs $1 million each, if they could raise
the same amount, yearly. CARE was one of the four. CARE accepted and a strategy developed to raise
the first $1 million. It consisted of working with certain medium size donors/foundations for direct
gifts and a mailing to the general public. This took a lot of work in representation and I and fundraising
staff made joint visits to a number of foundations. We got our $1 million, and the strategy to raise it.
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We were allowed to spend no more than $1 million a year on actual emergencies. Country offices could
request, with a proposal, an amount dependent on the type of emergency with the caveat that they
would attempt to raise the amount later through their donor network. In some cases it didn’t work, as
often the disaster was local, e.g. a major hailstorm in Bolivia that wiped out crops in a number of
villages; or flooding in El Salvador. In others it did, when the crisis affected major populations and was
newsworthy. Through my time in the EG, we consistently raised the required $ 1 million. Holly Solberg
diligently worked at informing our foundation donors of where their money went and the impact it had.
Conflict Resolution: Tom Alcedo had made the first contacts with Ambassador John McDonald and
Louise Diamond of the Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy and later Dr. Mohammed Abu Nimer of
American University. We now followed up, discussing the possibility of a training program for CARE
staff regionally. Funding was found through a variety of sources and 3 trainings were held in 3 regions
over a 3 year period. 100 staff from USA HQ, CI, and country offices attended. The trainings were built
upon the need to understand the conflict, particularly the cultural context; an understanding of peace
building, and our NGO role; a presentation of analytical tools and useful frameworks; and a practical
application at the CO level. Louise conducted an optional evening session that focused on the needs of
staff who had been working in conflict. The session ‘staying sane in a war zone’ was a ‘safe’ place for
those who needed to talk. These trainings were eye-opening and even emotional for many, particularly
the one held in Amman, Jordan. Attendees were from Bosnia, West Bank/Gaza, Sudan, Egypt, Jordan,
Yemen and Serbia, and all had seen conflict. Two of our women Serbian staff from Bosnia were
frightened of being in Amman, as they were Orthodox Christians. By the end of the training, they were
joyfully dancing with the Arab men! The training did, however, bring up memories that many would
have liked to forget.
Gender Equity and Diversity: The conflict trainings caught the attention of Barbara Murphy
Warrington, VP for Human Resources. Barbara was interested in setting up training in GED and was
looking for the right organization to work with. She met with Louise Diamond and was ‘hooked’.
Louise and a couple of other consultants began working on a training that looked at gender, diversity
and conflict. Barbara, Elisa Martinez, HR staff and I provided input to the work and tried out/tested the
trainings. They were incredible, and the activities and lessons useful to almost any kind of work where
people are brought together. The training is based on Akido, as a metaphor for conflict resolution, just
as in the workshop for people working in conflict. The phases are 1. Know who you are/where you
stand; 2. Meet the other, be open to the other; and 3) See what we can do together. These workshops
were given around the world to large audiences from country offices; at USA HQ on a regular schedule;
and in COs. Many facilitators throughout CARE were trained. I shared facilitation in many trainings at
HQ, worldwide, and at Cos, and have used the training skill sets to look at management and HR issues at
Cos, while an employee and a consultant.
Emergency Response Training: The EG, now composed of Paul Giannone, Virginia Vaughn, Bob
McPherson, and I were on a mission to better train staff throughout the world in an improved and safer
response. We enlisted help from our technical colleagues, and found a team of overall facilitator plus a
scenario guru to help. CARE UK was instrumental in getting the first training off the ground, but the
first was still too similar to the ‘old style’. We wanted more case study, more thinking on the issues, and
we certainly wanted to get staff on board in Do No Harm, Conflict Resolution, Human Rights,
Evaluation, Safety and Security, etc. From the 2nd through the 5thtraining, we extended the training,
made the 2 day scenario activities the centerpiece where we could live the issues in real time. I believe
we all thought we had a ‘gem’, and even convinced a few doubters in CARE UK that emergency people
were ‘thinkers and planners’. In our last training in England, we had a guest participant, Mr. Ralph
Fiennes, who had anticipated being in a film where he would be a doctor in a conflict situation. Mr.
Fiennes was a great participant, who, when in front of one of our PR cameras in the scenarios could step
into any role given to him, from MD to refugee!
Safety and Security Handbook/Training: Col. Bob McPherson (Ret) joined the EG at the request of Phil
Johnson, to take on some activities in Bosnia. After that assignment, I asked him to join us as CARE’s
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first Safety and Security officer. Safety and Security had not been issues for international NGOs until
this time when, after the targeted killing of a number of MSF workers, humanitarian work became
extremely dangerous. Aid workers were now ‘in’ the conflict, and they could be used for ransom, or, if
killed, would cause the aid agencies to leave. Bob took on many tasks. World Vision had the first S & S
Handbook, which was basic, but needed work. Bob worked on CARE’s and, with Interaction (an alliance
organization of US NGOs) and in collaboration with other US NGOs, strived to perfect that handbook. He
also undertook training of staff through the EG workshop and at other events; conducted S & S reviews
of Cos in conflict areas; and was a first responder. Eventually in CARE, Safety and Security became a
new office reporting directly to the VP for Program, supervising staff at the regional level. Bob took on
a number of dangerous assignments while in the EG, including negotiating for CARE South Sudan staff
in South Sudan.
Land Mines Programming and Safety: CARE had been working in areas of the world where landmines
are common, and this was in a time when the campaign to ban landmines was in full swing. Angola was
on our mind originally, and then Bosnia. A Land Mine Safety Handbook was developed in 1997 with the
assistance of land mine experts and financial support from the University of Hawaii’s Center of
Excellence in Disaster Management. Eventually, in 2000, CARE and the UN, with funding from the UN
Foundation published the Landmine and UXO Safety Handbook. Bob McPherson undertook training on
landmines whenever possible, including Nairobi training.
One of my responsibilities in the EG was the hiring of staff. I never took it lightly, particularly as we
were often sending people into conflict areas, in harm’s way. My mantra in Somalia was, ‘don’t send
anyone somewhere, where you yourself won’t go’. I was mindful that some would be frightened, and, if
so, were a potential dangers to others, should something happen. As well, sending in an expat could
bring on trouble, endangering the life of national staff, who would seek to protect him or her.
I have a number of significant memories from my time in the EG:
Rwanda the Return: Before the refugees returned, CARE was back in Rwanda working with those who
had remained. We were at the border when the refugees returned from the DRC, setting up resting
areas and latrines for the thousands of people on their return. Harlan Hale was instrumental here. We
did all possible to use ‘do no harm’ techniques, e.g. forming groups of women of whatever ethnic group,
who needed assistance as their men had been killed.
Mozambique:
While holding an Emergency Response Training in South Africa, a cyclone hit
Mozambique with terrible flooding. We were lucky to have a CARE International team so close that we
could go in immediately to assist the CO.
The climate around the world was threatened for a year in 1997-1998 by the strongest El Nino ever.
Charlie Danzell joined the team as Coordinator for activities at COs responding to drought in Asia/East
Africa or floods/hurricanes in the Western Pacific. The ERF was an extremely useful tool in our
response.
NATO was all important at the Kosovo camps and on the return of the refugees to Kosovo. The EG
worked with Emily Pelton, in Policy, to develop the guidelines and policy for working with the military
in camps and conflict situations.
We developed an excellent relationship with the Gates Foundation for emergency response. We were
always ‘one of the four’ that Gates would fund in the big emergencies, and they requested our advice
and counsel on what was happening on the ground.
Kosovo: The Exit and the Camps
The responder to an emergency has many experiences. Some of them tearful and gut-wrenching, as you
listen to people’s stories about what happened. But others, are more positive, of people working
together, or seeing kids back in a classroom, or a well run office, or a beautiful mountain pass. Because
an emergency is so ‘dramatic’, you remember it all.
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CARE Canada ran the office in Albania. What I fully enjoyed in Tirana, was the morning meetings when
the team met to plan the day. It was 1, 2, 3, and let’s get on with it and no wasted time. Everyone had a
job and rushed to get it done.
NATO ran the camps in both Albania and Macedonia. Everyone’s favorite was the northernmost camp,
as the Italians ran the best kitchens. It was ‘pizza for lunch’! The trip there from Tirana was by NATO
helicopter, via a reverie pass through the mountains. Beautiful!
I had a 3 am call from a German voice asking for a helicopter. I finally figured out what happened: a car
full of CARE staff had driven off a mountain. Paul Giannone and I went to the office and began
organizing a response with CARE Albania. Bob McPherson and Claudia Chang were in the vehicle. Bob
requested we get in contact with Marine General Zinnie, and eventually those hurt were airlifted to a US
base hospital in Germany. All are well.
There were many refugee families of women without men, only young boys. The men had either been
killed, or stayed behind to fight. The women were sad, but strong, and resourceful. Some of the older
women had lived through conflict 2-3 times.
I spent a couple of evenings with staff welcoming refugees and helping set them up in tents. Refugees
first entered Macedonia at the border and were kept there until buses would come for them. They
might stay in the buses for 12 hours for more, arriving at the camp at 3 am. Many had to stand the
whole time as they were packed full and most had only what they wore or could carry. I was so,
impressed, however, by the young people, who wanted to help us, help their people. They were
enthusiastic and tireless. Many had been at a Kosovar college when they were rounded up and dropped
at the border.
I was asked by Peter Jennings of ABC news, who I met after a presentation in New York, to accompany
him to Albania/Macedonia for a week. I did, and helped him set up some of the scenes. What I was
most proud of, was to set the scene for a discussion on ‘dignity’. We used an OXFAM ‘salon’, where men
could get shaved, and women had their hair washed and curled. They had all been pursued across the
border, left only with what they could carry, by people who wanted them out or wanted to kill them.
They were dirty, exhausted, and beaten. Being clean shaven and coifed was a demonstration that they
were worthy, that they still had their dignity. You could see the faces light up.
Kosovo: the Return
Before the international community went back to Kosovo with the refugees in 1999, a plan of action
was put into place. Different organizations would work in different areas, but all, who could, would
work on ‘warm dry room’ activities, the provision of housing materials to rebuild one room, and a stove
for heating and cooking. Winter was coming on, houses had been destroyed or set on fire, and everyone
was ready to return to these broken buildings. The concept meant that families could survive the
winter and rebuild in the Spring. But they would be returning to a country fully mined. We heard
stories at the border about young men losing legs, as well as livestock. We at CARE had an interest in
mines, and felt we should ensure that our and other clients would be safe traveling to their homes and
in the area immediately surrounding their homes. We wanted to demine, a very expensive undertaking.
However, Bob and I had met with Charles Schwab staff and others in San Francisco earlier in the year.
We felt they might be interested. As it turned out they were, and we raised almost $1 million. Bob
negotiated with a Zimbabwean team and we were able to send them in the first private plane into
Pristina, orange suits, dogs and all. The program was extremely successful and other teams followed.
Within 3 months of the return, the CARE Kosovo team was planning their medium term strategy. We
also discussed ‘do no harm’ issues, did all possible to service both Serbs and Kosovars, and in time
carefully hired Serb staff.
This was the most exciting position I had held in CARE that called on all my strengths and learning. I
had a great VP, Pat Carey, who gave me the freedom to act and supported our needs, and a great friend,
Marilyn Grist, VP for External Relations, who was a support and someone to laugh with. We tackled,
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assisted in, supported a number of emergencies around the world: conflicts in Pakistan, Angola, Bosnia,
South Sudan, Sierra Leone; natural disasters like Mitch in Central America, earthquakes in Pakistan and
India, cyclones in India, and the many small unknown crises like dengue in El Salvador, a Public Health
problem in South Sudan, and floods in Cambodia. The team (Virginia Vaughn, Bob McPherson, Paul
Gianonne, and Holly Solberg) was a group of highly charged individuals who were often a dysfunctional
family, but I believe we all enjoyed the ‘ride’.
By the end of 2001, I was tired after many very busy years and decided to retire from full time
employment. That happened in January of 2002 and lasted until March or April. For the next 11 years,
I worked on an incredible number of short term and medium term assignments.
SEMI-RETIREMENT WORK (2002-2013)
This is the CARE part of my resume for the 11 years that I continued working. I am now ‘retired’.
Training: I facilitated GED training at HQ (3), in Kenya, and the Republic of Georgia (twice); Do no Harm
training in Nepal, India, and Bosnia; and Working in Partnerships for USAID partners in Kenya.
Management: I was Acting Director for 3 months in the Philippines (2002); 6 months in Lesotho/South
Africa (2004); 6 months in India (2008); 2 months in Sudan (2009); 11 months in South Africa/Lesotho
(2011-2012). I also was Acting Assistant CD in Nepal for 6 months (2007); Acting Regional Director for
EARMU for 6 months (2010), and Interim Executive Director for Operations/Finance in India for 5
months (2013)
Public Relations: I traveled with a videographer, photographer, and PR writer to Sri Lanka, Thailand,
and Indonesia to photograph and develop a video and presentation slide show. I spoke and presented
the slide show in 19 cities at over 75 events at corporations, large gatherings, home events, schools, and
on TV, radio, and to newspapers. We did the filming in late summer and made the presentations during
the fall.
Photo credit ©2005 Josh Estey/CARE – from Atlanta
Emergency Work: I worked with CARE India for 3 months in 2007 to develop a disaster management
plan and strategy. I was the Executive Chair of the Asian Tsunami Program Oversight Committee for CI
(ATPOC) from 2007-2010 for CARE activities in Banda Aceh Indonesia.
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Consultant for ARMU: I did a management review and provided assistance to CARE Pakistan after the
earthquake. I did an assessment for potential programming with a British colleague in Kazakhstan and
Kyrgyzstan and a review of CARE’s present and possible programming in Tajikistan, with a final call for
continuance or closure.
Of the above, there are certain assignments that I fully enjoyed, or were especially interesting.
Do No Harm in India: A colleague from the Collaborative for Development Action and I facilitated a
DNH training for CARE in Ahmadabad, Gujarat about 6 months after the communal riots in 2002. We
worked with CARE staff and CARE local partner organizations for a week. These organizations were
Muslim, Hindu, and Christian. We felt that the partners fully understood the concepts and many began
to make changes in their programming to ensure better targeting, decision making, and role modeling.
The partners also made recommendations to CARE India, on issues of staffing, and bias.
PR work in Indonesia: I had been involved previously with videographers and photographers, both in
Honduras and through my time in the Emergency Group. This, however, was different. Both the
photographer and videographer were well acquainted with disasters, and knew what to ‘shoot’ and
what we in CARE wanted to show our donors and friends. It was a great alliance. The stills and the
video showed promise, working together in the midst of a tragedy that killed so many, coping skills and
resilience. The team got along famously, and we laughed and cried for the 3 weeks in the field.
Presenting the Tsunami Work: The reason for the film and the talks/presentations was to present to
CARE’s donors; corporates, foundations, small groups, and individuals our response to the tsunami in
Asia and thank them for their donations. In truth, I enjoy telling our story to groups of people. I believe
in what we do, and generally in how we do it. We were able to get so many stories of courage, of
resilience in the middle of loss and devastation. I will never forget the young men living in makeshift
fashion over the footprint of their former home. They wanted to be ‘near’ their loved ones. They had
been lucky, as they had gone to work early that day. And there was the grandfather who brought his
young granddaughter to the MCH clinic on the porch of the Mosque. They were the only ones in their
family who survived, but he was full of faith for her future. And there was the Sri Lankan family who
rode out the tsunami in their truck, riding on a wave. They were rebuilding their grocery business and
looking forward to a new home. These ‘after the fact’ presentations were a great idea. CARE does not
often take the opportunity after a disaster to explain to our donors the impact that their giving can have
on people’s lives.
Assessment in 3 Central
Asian Countries: How
could I resist when Dr.
Musa requested that I
join a British colleague
for
a
3
country
assessment of future
programming
possibilities
in
the
region? It was my dream
journey! We went to
Almaty, Bishkek, and
Dushanbe. The first two
were fishing expeditions
to determine the climate
for
program
development, funding, and potential partnerships. Kyrgyzstan had a vibrant local NGO environment,
but little potential for funding of an international partner. Kazakhstan was a ‘no go’. Tajikistan had an
office, good staff, but not much of a future in front of it. Central Asia was just not on anyone’s priority
list. The visits, however, were wonderful; a part of the world I knew little about.
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I enjoyed every Acting CD/ACD/Regional Director position. Every one of them had a challenge and had
problems to address, generally in HR or finance. I was able to keep my connection to what was
happening in the larger CARE world through these assignments, including the change in the financial
system. I enjoy working with CARE people and believe that overseas we are still a ‘family’. I am
especially proud that I was able to work with CARE India as they were in the final stages of preparation
to join CARE International as an equal partner. There is an incredible team in CARE India, and I wish
them all the best. They are ready for the challenge.
And I am now retired, pleased and content at the wonderful opportunity I was given to work in so many
places with so many people.
[email protected]
September 14, 2014
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96
Manjula Singh
My Journey with CARE India
June 1999 – January 2005
I joined Care India in 1999 under their National Fellowship programme. Being the first fellow, along
with Deepta Chopra, we were the guinea pigsbut also blued eyed babies of the organizations. The
exposure and learnings was immense both in terms different components of the project management
cycle but also exposure to different sectors. We were mentored and pampered by the senior
management and ‘showcased’ with pride to all within and outside the organization. One of the most
memorable experience during this time was working on the Odisha super cyclone. At this time I was
attached with the Communication team headed by Harry Sethi. The team’s mandate was to mobilize
funds for the relief work by innovatively communicating with the external world on day-to-day basis.
The job required us to be up on our toes 24 x 7, be on top of the latest facts and figures and be the first
one to communicate with donors and partners for them to feel for the cause and generously donate. I
still remember how other colleagues within the organization came together on a holiday to pack loads
of boxes of medicines, clothes and other essential stuff. And when I visited the State, I could see how
critical and life-saving these boxes were to the people of Odisha. It was both heartening but also heart
moving experience!!
After a year, I was given my first posting as Field Officer to Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Here there were
number of young colleagues – fresh from University after completing Social Work. We had loads of
energy and enthusiasm and a commitment to make a difference in lives of people!! Songs such as Tu
zinda hai tu zindagi ki jeet par yakeen kar kept us alive and kicking each day!! This experience enabled
me to understand the ground realities more deeply and helped me hone my field level planning,
organization, interpersonal and communication skills. I just loved interacting with adolescents,
understanding their issues and challenges. I realized how naïve and vulnerable adolescents are at this
age and how critical it is for parents/elders to be their ‘friends’. I also picked up my driving skills
(thanks to my supervisor!!)- Something that was compulsory for all CARE employees working in the
field.
From Uttar Pradesh, I then moved to Bhuj, Gujarat to work in a rehabilitation project post-earthquake.
This was one of the most memorable and challenging phase of my stint with Care. This was the first of
the Grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation to Care, and the expectation from the donor
was that we deliver the results in an year’s time with no slippages. It was challenging but thanks to my
colleagues especially Satish Sir, Darshini (Bhuj) and Dr Anupam Raizada (Delhi), we not only delivered
it on time but did it well with ownership from the Government officials.
From Bhuj I moved back to Delhi to take on a higher responsibility but in different area of work- HIV
prevention with community sex workers, truckers and youths. I worked here for about two years, after
which I decided to take sabbatical to pursue Post Graduation in Public Health.
Overall I worked for nearly 6 years with Care India, moving from one state to another from one
role/position to another. Now when I look back, I strongly feel that my experience with Care has been a
real learning ground and foundation of my career. It has given me management, sectoral, technical and
state experience; confidence to work at scale, with government counterparts at all levels including
national, state, district and at the grassroots, handling health and development programs. I have been
blessed with wonderful colleagues- some of them are now family and good friends. I feel proud to be a
part of the Care family and will always be thankful to the organization for investing in me, and making
me what I am today professionally!! I particularly want to thank Vasanti Vepa Ramiah, Pooja Dutta, M
Srinivasan, Sushila Chand, Dr YP Gupta, Meenakshi Nath, Manohar Shenoy, Lalita Shankar, Neelam
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Dubey, Dipika Srivastava, Manish, Nilotpal, Satish Sir, RN Mohanty Sir, Darshini, Hasmukh, Rekha, Bejoy,
Pankaj Gupta, Sunil B, Usha, Anu John, Kavita and many others who have been instrumental in shaping
my thinking, career, helping me grow as professional and making my stint with Care a memorable one!!
KEY POSITIONS AND ROLES DURING MY STINT WITH CARE
i.
ii.
Program officer, HIV prevention Project, RACHNA, Jan 2003- Feb 2005
Technical Specialist (Youth) - Additional Responsibility, Sep 2004- Feb 2005
CARE implemented a child health and nutrition project in India since 1996 across nine states. During
the second five-year phase of ‘Integrated Nutrition and Health Project (INHP)’ 2002-2006, additional
support from USAID India through Chayan Project enabled CARE to expand its health interventions
package to include Reproductive Health and HIV prevention. Chayan’s implementation model had a
dual focus - demonstrating operational models for reducing transmission of HIV/AIDS targeting highrisk behaviour groups and youth and simultaneously facilitating scale up of interventions through State
AIDS Control Society and other partners. My main tasks included


Managing & spearheading the implementation HIV/AIDS prevention project in
Delhi, India. This involved overall implementation oversight, program management
and technical guidance to the project partners such as Apollo Consumer & Welfare Trust
for targeted intervention with truckers at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar; Deepam
Educational Society for Health for youth intervention in Jehangirpuri slum; Anchal
Charitable Trust for targeted intervention with female sex workers; and advocacy with
government for scale up;
Providing technical advice to the implementation of youth program across (22
cities) 5 states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. This
involved developing/sharing approach paper on working with youths for HIV
prevention, developing training module and facilitating training of NGOs; and
contributing to development of BCC materials.
Project Coordinator, Reproductive Health, FICCI- CARE Rehabilitation Project, Gujarat, Oct 2001Dec 2002
My main tasks included: Overall program management to ensure that primary health services especially
reproductive health are restored. This involved equipping the 54 health centers with infrastructure,
medicines and clinical equipment’s; facilitating construction of space for undertaking all district health
training for government of Gujarat; enhancing the capacity of stakeholders on reproductive health
issues; including identification of training needs and delivery of training; and liaison with government
counterparts and other relevant national and international agencies to create synergies with other
programs, and coordination with stakeholders
Field Officer, Adolescent Reproductive Health Project, Uttar Pradesh, June 2000 – Sept 2001
My main tasks included programme implementation, conducting training programmes for junior team
members and government officials, data collection, analysis and report writing. Specifically:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Worked as a team to plan, mobilize and organize the community and facilitate
implementation of activities at the field level.
Monitored and provided regular feedback with regard to progress of the project
Developed training curriculum and organized training’s for grass root workers –
women health workers, Traditional Birth Attendants, Adolescent Girl Guide, Peer
educator, Anganwadi workers, Private Medical Practitioners.
Provided supportive supervision to the community organizers by acting as a mentor
and guide
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Fellow, National Fellowship Program, CARE India, Delhi (1999-2000)
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Developed Log Frame Analysis (LFA) for Kanpur based WOMEN project proposal during
Small Economic Activity Development (SEAD) sector placement.
Worked as a team in developing Partnership Manual for the mission during placement
with Design, Evaluation, Monitoring and Organisational learning (DEMOL) sector
Facilitated in preparation of “Process documentation report” of Improved Health Care
for Adolescent Girls In Urban Slums of Jabalpur” during placement with Population and
Reproductive Health sector.
Prepared a study of all the NGOs (Identification and eligibility assessment) in Ghaziabad
district.
Worked as a team involved in providing relief to the affected people of Odisha Cyclone,
1999.
 Coordinated with various departments within and outside CARE for information
collection, updated the CARE web site on day to day basis, collated the press
release and assisted the team involved in packing and sending the relief
materials.
 Visited Odisha during rehabilitation phase to undertake NGO assessment as well
as document case studies and stories for sharing with the external world.
Manjula Singh
[email protected]
September 21, 2014
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97
Sudha Narayanan
CARE India : Andhra Pradesh: 1993 - 2010
I joined CARE Hyderabad office in January 1993 in SEAD Project. I got the opportunity to work in CARE
when Saraswathi Pradeep moved to Vizag and there was a vacancy of Office Assistant in SEAD Unit. It
was a very good experience working in CARE for 18 years. I worked from 1993 to 1995 March in SEAD.
I took some time when in SEAD and learnt the finance packages and was back up for Accountant in
Finance. So I could easily get absorbed in Finance Unit when there was a need. In April 1995 moved to
Finance Unit. It was ve

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