All posts tagged: Team

Our local Young Expert James on his adventures abroad

YEP batch 18, Photography by Manon Visser, courtesy of YEP Programmes

As you may remember, we have sent James to the Netherlands to attend the Young Expert Programme as part of his role as local Young Expert here at the SMART Centre. He returned from his training in December, so it was about time we sat him down to ask all about his adventures abroad. We spoke about what surprised him most, and how he spent his free time. Enjoy the read!

Tell us, what was the most exciting thing about the training?

“The training was full of exciting topics to equip participants with skills on personal development. The most exciting thing was to understand your personal preferences through MBTI instrument and how you can use them productively in a workplace. As a person I have strong preference in certain things and unique way of approach to different things.”

How will you apply these new findings here in Mzuzu?

“At the office we have different personalities all trying to achieve a common goal. Appreciating our different preferences and style is key. I might not be good at everything and should be flexible to learn from others.”

We can imagine it was quite intensive. Did you struggle with anything during the training?

“Finding myself in an environment which was completely different from where I am coming from was really a struggle. Language was the most challenging of all. Almost everything was in Dutch. If you go to supermarkets you never know what you are buying unless someone reads and interprets for you. 

To take a train or tram you first need to ask people around which one to board or you find yourself in a location where you were not intending to go. The weather was also challenge. Most time of the training was spent indoors and that was great. After sessions every night and during the weekends we usually visited places, walking in the streets and that’s when you could experience the extreme weathers of the Netherlands.

Using chip cards to buy and access certain services was another strange thing. For example, checking in and checking out each time you use public transport gave me a very hard time.”

Now that you’re back, what do you think was the most memorable aspect of the training?

“Sharing stories, different culture and experiences with fellow YEPpers. It gave us an opportunity to appreciate how it is working in different political and cultural setups. And most of all learning from personal experiences in various countries and fields. Although most of the experiences shared were those in development countries where challenges are more similar, but every experience was unique.”

You also had some free time to explore the Netherlands, how was that?

“Visiting Amsterdam was a dream come true. Before the visit I had heard a lot about the city. How beautiful it was and that it attracts a lot of people all over the world. Finding myself there and especially at The Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam was exciting. Being a football lover and a fan for the Dutch team, that experience is something to remember for a very long time.”

Was there anything that surprised you?

“Seeing the majority of Dutch YEPpers speaking African or Asian languages, singing African or Asian songs and some dressing in African or Asian attire was something I didn’t expect. Most of the Dutch YEPpers had experience working in Africa, Asia and other developing countries, something which was good.”

YEP batch 18, Photography by Manon Visser, courtesy of YEP Programmes

For more information about the YEP Programme, please have a look on their website: https://www.yepprogrammes.com/.

SimoneOur local Young Expert James on his adventures abroad
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James Mhango: our local Young Expert

After multiple positive experiences we’re excited to announce the SMART Centre opened their doors once again for a YEP-delegate to join the team. We’d like to introduce you to James Mhango, our local Young Expert.  

Training in the Netherlands

James will be part of the 18th batch of Young Experts, and fly to the Netherlands in November to follow a three-week training programme. The training will cover a wide range of topics in the Water and Agrofood sectors. In the first week, a visit at our coordinators office MetaMeta is planned. An exciting opportunity to learn, make connections and kick-start two years of the programme. During the remaining part of the two years, he will receive intensive coaching and attend training sessions and master classes in order to develop various skills.

James Mhango

James Mhango is a passionate advocate of our low-cost WASH technologies, and is eager to spread awareness. At 23 years old he started at the University of Mzuzu, where he later obtained his bachelor degree in Water Resources Management and Development. It was at the Mzuzu University where he met Reinier Veldman, previous manager of the SMART Centre.

After providing James and his fellow student Andrew Kamanga with an internship for two months at the SMART Centre, they proposed to do research on Rope Pumps. You can read their findings in the published research by clicking here. Both James and Andrew stayed with the Centre after finishing their research and now specialize in monitoring and evaluation.

I see the YEP role as an opportunity to take a step forward to develop and improve my career. I am excited to meet fellow peers from over the world to share our experiences, and I hope to share knowledge on different policies with other water professionals from other countries. Their approach might be different, I want to learn from them.

I have recently changed paths and am becoming more of an entrepreneur. I currently hold pigs at home and am growing different types of crops. In five to ten years I am hoping to have a big piece of land and upscale the business. Of course, my main priority now lies with the SMART Centre. I would be happy if I can contribute towards the adoption of the Rope Pump technology in Malawi. At the moment this technology isn’t widely accepted by stakeholders yet as a water supply option.* But I also look forward to build stronger relationships with my colleagues and to use the knowledge from the training to improve the Centre.

James Mhango, August 2019

Young Expert Programme

The Young Expert Programme is jointly carried out by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) and the Food & Business Knowledge Platform. Their aim is to rejuvenate the Agrofood and Water sectors, by training Dutch and local professionals and giving them the opportunity to kick-start their careers in an intercultural environment. If you’d like to know more, have a look on their website.

*James Mhango, together with A. Kamanga and R. Veldman, wrote a paper on accessibility of the Rope Pump technology based on a study they performed. You can read the paper here.

SimoneJames Mhango: our local Young Expert
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