First week of my work in the MSF office, it was something very, very nervous because I was really new, new for everything around me- new work, new organization, new place, new colleagues, new rule, and new life. On top of that, I needed to communicate with international staff in English.
However, I tried to do my best by asking my colleague and learning everything around me. I brought a notebook and a pen with me every time and tried to note down what I learned to memorize it.
Luckily, There were lots of national staff working in the office. So I could ask and learn from them. And with my respect to everyone in the office, they loved me as one of their younger brothers and provided me with some advice.
One day, it was on Friday. While I was working, I heard a voice “Time to have a meeting". I looked at the time. It was about 3 pm. I saw everyone walking to the meeting room. I also followed them.
It was a rule of the office. There would be a meeting every Friday, except most of staff were in the field. Everyone came and sat on the chair as the ovule and listened to the manager quietly.
First the manager welcomed everyone to the meeting and greeted. And then he informed the agenda. Next he informed the situation of the organization and followed by discussing all issues based on the agenda. Finally, everyone reported their own weekly plan.
The weekly plan was made by listing the activities that each one would do it the whole week from Monday to Friday, for instance on Monday, have a meeting with provincial health department on mobile team, on Tuesday, go to the field in order to monitor the latrine construction. The manager asked one by one and everyone just reported what they would do. The secretary took note.
This was the first time for me to do like this and I did not prepare a plan for me. My heart started beating as if a clock. It shake as if the earthquake when it arrived to me. “Souphon, what is your plan for the next week?” the manager asked.
I was very nervous. In fact, I did not know what exactly the plan is. But because of the instinct , I automatically replied “ I just start working with the organization. I don’t know what the previous doctor did. Therefore, the next week, I will check all existing document and learn about it” everyone looked at my face. I did not know what they were thinking about me. “After that I will make a detail plan as everyone did” I added.
As a matter of fact, I replaced someone's post because the previous doctor resigned. He worked for MSF around 1 year and then he left. Then MSF needed to recruit a new staff to continue the project.
At the end of the meeting, after everyone informed their weekly plan to the manager, the manager concluded the meeting and it was over. All staff was back to their working place including me.
Even though, the meeting was over and I came back to my desk. The event was still in my head. I still thought of the meeting and what I learned- working system of MSF, making a weekly plan. Now I knew what should I prepare for the next meeting.
