On Monday August 29th, the Himalayan Institute Cameroon held the first of a series of meetings and events that will result in an organizational overhaul of its community center operations. The goal of this reorganization is to make the center more efficient and more effective at delivering its programs to the community. By looking at the challenges and successes of the last two years, the staff will work together to identify methods for continued improvement.
“You have the weight of an entire community on your shoulders therefore you must remain solid to support that weight. Let’s keep working together to strengthen this organization so that we can continue to strengthen this community,” said Jeff Abella to staff. “Let’s think of this reorganizational practice as an operational reboot and system upgrade,” joked Abella as he made reference to the unreliable computer systems often found in the NW region of Cameroon. “To be effective in social development we must be confident in our approach and always think outside the box. We must also have access to cutting edge tools to support our work and the HI Community Center model is a tool in itself.”
In the meeting the staff recapped how Sacred Link Jewelry was the first rural empowerment program launched by HI Cameroon and how the center has since expanded to include Total Health Centers, the School of Carpentry and Construction, New Vision and the School of Energy Farming. Together these programs have touched thousands of lives in Cameroon and the numbers continue to grow. This success is due to the dedication and hard work of the local staff at the HIC. The reorganization will help to ensure that each staff member has the support they need to do the best work possible.
The meeting concluded by distributing staff appreciation gifts and a picture slide show with Chai, cookies and puff puff (a traditional Cameroon pastry).
HI Cameroon Managing Director Jeff Abella and General Manager Bannyuy Justine explain to staff how the reorganization process will improve the efficiency of the center.
Staff members enjoyed the introduction to this phase of internal development and were keen to hear about how the remaining 2009 activities would unfold.
HI Cameroon General Manager Bannyuy Justine thanks the staff for their efforts and commitment to hard work.
