After several years of experience in Canada, I felt the need to reconnect with the land where I was born. So, I decided to apply for a voluntary cooperation assignment in Togo, with the Clinique d'Expertise Juridique et Sociale (CEJUS).
CEJUS was created in 2015 and is headed by Mr. Dieudonné KOSSI. It is supported by a young, experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team. This organization works on various issues such as improving access to law and justice for Togolese citizens, promoting peace and social cohesion, combating gender-based violence and addressing migration and climate change.
Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the UN, once said: “The strength of a country is measured by its youth who are committed to change.” When I arrived at CEJUS, I was pleasantly surprised and excited to meet young people who are so involved in fundamental contemporary issues ; young people who are taking control of their own destiny and striving to build not only a present, but above all a future that reflects who they are !
My cooperation mandate was to strengthen project management capacities. After assessing and analyzing the processes in place, I set up a series of training sessions during which we discussed the different phases of successful project management, the various practical tools available, and the essential skills of a good manager. In my opinion, the most important skill is adaptability. Indeed, in project management, ‘the only thing that doesn’t change is change”.
I then organized a day of competitive activities, called ‘Project Management Rally’, to give my partners the opportunity to apply what they had learned in the various training sessions.
CEJUS members were invited to prepare an innovative project to raise awareness of children's rights as part of International Project Management Day (7 November). The activity generated great enthusiasm: the competing teams demonstrated ingenuity and dedication, all in good spirits!
Having never studied law, I was determined to take advantage of this mandate to open myself up to new knowledge and broaden my horizons. I learned a lot from the members of CEJUS through the many discussions we had and my participation in most of the activities organized by the organization (legal cafés, public debates, etc.).
I believe this attitude is essential to the success of any cooperation mandate. It is important not to arrive in a position of lecturing, but rather to adopt the attitude of someone who, aware of their knowledge and skills, wishes to accompany, strengthen and support the efforts of a partner, but above all, to share and engage in genuine communication with the host organization. Cooperation is an exchange, an ongoing dialogue. It is beautiful when minds are open. “A closed hand can neither give nor receive.”
It is a wonderful opportunity to grow both personally and intellectually!
*The opinions, ideas and statements expressed in the blog posts of contributors are those of the author and may not reflect the organisational identity or programmatic focus of the IBCR.
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