Dahlia is a determined young professional woman whose serious face occasionally reveals a bright wide smile. I sat with her last night at dinner in Dar es Salaam and asked her to tell me some stories. Coming from Bangladesh, Dahlia spent two years and seven months working in BRAC Afghanistan in their training center and later in the materials development department for the education program. She is now posted in Tanzania and Zanzibar and in charge of developing a special program for teenage girls.
"I had a few jobs before with Unicef and other development projects. I saw that BRAC wanted to recruit women for its Afghanistan program and I thought I should apply. I had read novels and books on the country and situation of women. I feel that I wanted to do something for them," she quietly told me. "When I got there,I asked an Afghan colleague to go out with me on our day off to the market. She did it but with some fear and worry. I later found out her brother was extremely angry with her for going out with me. It was at this point that I realized just how difficult women's lives are in Afghanistan." Dahlia stayed on in spite of increasing violence and challenging circumstances. She learned Dari and worked with women and their children, convinced that they deserve a chance for a better life. When BRAC offered her the opportunity to start the Adolescent Development Program here in Tanzania, she eagerly accepted. "I want to do something for girls, for women. I think better lives are possible."
A river of deep commitment runs through the BRAC staff. The things that bother me - heat, mosquitos, dust, my blackberry not working - don't phase Dahlia or colleagues one bit.
Susan
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
0 comments:
Post a Comment