Home Thoughts From Abroad

The week that I spent in Singapore meant much more to us than simply a visit to a wonderful city.  I left early Monday morning to spend a few days in the Singapore office of Trans World Radio, wondering if I could possibly have a role in supporting the team there, specifically in Project Hannah

 I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the team members, hearing reports of the work in various countries in Asia and trying to gain an understanding of the myriad of tasks that go into developing and airing radio programs.  It was great to finally meet Noelle and Andrew, with whom I have been conversing by email and Skype since April.

One of the major projects that has been identified is the need for women’s health programs in many of the target countries.  I have been given the opportunity to work with Andrew and Serene, who has a background in broadcasting, and focus on developing a Women’s Health program, initially for Cambodia.  This will involve doing the background research on health issues and resources so that we have a thorough understanding of the needs of Cambodian women, developing a framework for the programs, visiting the country to understand the relevancy of the information and to develop networks with those who are already active there, as well as providing background information and ongoing support for the script writers, translaters and broadcasters.

I also hope to work with Noelle in the Human Resource area to assist her with a review of their accountability framework, staff performance development and learning plans, and some training and team building activities.  There is clearly enough work to keep me busy for years to come and I am thrilled to finally have a clear plan in place.

Although I have some real doubts about whether I have the knowledge I need to do this work,  in terms of health care, I have much more than anyone  else currently available.  I also have a large network of friends back home, with much more expertise than I and I fully intend to access all the help I can get.  You know who you are so you might as well start sending me information now!