Lars Faber
Placement at CARE India
I had already undertaken placements in Central America so I was already used to working in new environments. This placement taught me how to make decisions under pressure of time and money, based on sufficient relevant training. In addition, I learned to transfer my insights and knowledge to the organization in an accessible way. I also learned how to procure some freedom within a highly hierarchical organization in order to get the desired learning experience.
... The situation of many people in that region is deplorable, and their prospects for the future are sobering for someone from a different background. I enjoyed the conversations with people who were building new houses, the hospitality in rural areas, and the feeling of my standard frame of reference being challenged. My research into the operationalization of ‘resilience’ in CARE projects is what made life at the office in New Delhi a fun experience, besides the Indian way of eating lunch together, sharing food, celebrating Indian festivals, and talking with colleagues about cultural differences and local customs. What I would do differently next time is that I would draw up a schedule of feedback opportunities. When you are part of an Emergency Response Unit of a humanitarian organization you never know what may happen next week or whether someone is available or not. This may make drawing up and updating such a schedule a complicated task, but scheduled moments of revision and feedback are essential when you have limited time carrying out your own research and are at the same time going through a phase of personal development.
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