After the now 7 months that I've been working in Ouaga, I can say that one of the biggest lessons I've come to learn and understand, especially in the world of development, is the power of networking. I know that I've written about this before, but I truly feel it bears repeating. It's just so true! Last night's events were just more proof to me of how socializing and networking is key.
A while back we had a not-so-great presentation (meaning it never happened) to the Ouagadougou Expatriate Association. Despite this, an OEA member contacted us soon after, expressing interest in FAVL and the work we do in Burkina. This led to a dinner party invitation, which resulted in another guest at the party donating 60,000 cfa ($130) to FAVL!
Last night this same OEA member invited Charley and I to her house, along with about 7 other guests, for dinner. People there asked numerous questions about FAVL and expressed a lot of interest in the organization's work. When the guests expressing interest are high-up embassy personnel and people who work for large organizations including UNICEF...this is definite plus.
I have been meeting all kinds of people from all lines of work; from rich expats working for lucrative companies and don't speak a lick of French to a missionary couple who have been here for 12 years, speak the local language fluently and live in conditions that even Peace Corps volunteers would complain about. After last night's dinner party, I chuckled to myself on the bike ride home, realizing that I would probably never again find myself at a dinner party where all of the guests (asides from Charley) are Swedish.
Between the parties, the delicious foods, the tasty wines, the meeting of truly diverse people....networking continues to be a lot of fun and of great benefit to FAVL.
A while back we had a not-so-great presentation (meaning it never happened) to the Ouagadougou Expatriate Association. Despite this, an OEA member contacted us soon after, expressing interest in FAVL and the work we do in Burkina. This led to a dinner party invitation, which resulted in another guest at the party donating 60,000 cfa ($130) to FAVL!
Last night this same OEA member invited Charley and I to her house, along with about 7 other guests, for dinner. People there asked numerous questions about FAVL and expressed a lot of interest in the organization's work. When the guests expressing interest are high-up embassy personnel and people who work for large organizations including UNICEF...this is definite plus.
I have been meeting all kinds of people from all lines of work; from rich expats working for lucrative companies and don't speak a lick of French to a missionary couple who have been here for 12 years, speak the local language fluently and live in conditions that even Peace Corps volunteers would complain about. After last night's dinner party, I chuckled to myself on the bike ride home, realizing that I would probably never again find myself at a dinner party where all of the guests (asides from Charley) are Swedish.
Between the parties, the delicious foods, the tasty wines, the meeting of truly diverse people....networking continues to be a lot of fun and of great benefit to FAVL.
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