DC is my Field

I have been working as a consultant for the past month for a well known faith-based organization. I have been based in DC, working for their Latin America/Caribbean regional office. The commute to Costa Rica, while exciting, would have been too long. So I have been working remotely here, mostly in coffee shops and at my kitchen table, either way in a comfortable setting. It has taken a fair amount of self control to actually get the work done. I had this glamorous idea of consulting-then I remembered I had to actually do stuff, too. So I have been working through all of that.

Meanwhile I have been interviewing for a position with village enterprise in Uganda as a senior monitoring and evaluation fellow for their small business development program. It is a fellowship, so it doesn't pay much, but it will be a great opportunity to develop my technical skills and get management experience in the field.  I will get to manage a team of 10-12 people in Uganda and Kenya, travel in the field, and work on a very visible impact evaluation with BRAC. 

Village Enterprise is becoming more high profile, and as much as it shouldn't matter, a good name on the resume matters in Washington. So a year with an organization that is increasing in esteem and recognition is probably good.

I will take the job if they offer it. It will be scary to be away for a year-though with as much digital technology and communication as is available, it seems less like a disappearing year than it used to. I will hate leaving Lee, and it will be a strain for us. She is so sweet and sensitive and thoughtful, and it will break my heart to be away for a year. I think at the root of it though she is understanding and supportive, which helps a lot.

Well that's all for now. I will write more when I have an official offer-or not. 

Cheers

Have Uganda Uganda?

I am moving into a final phase of interviews for a monitoring and evaluation fellowship that will take me to Uganda for a year. It is hard to think of leaving for a year so soon after school, but I am thrilled by the opportunity. I will be traveling back and forth between Kenya and Uganda overseeing staff. It will be a real job. 

I will have final details next week!