1. What qualities do you look for in the people you hang out with?
I interact with people of all ages on a daily basis. Coming from indigenous and elite backgrounds, they give me a different understanding of situations. On one hand while I am comfortable sitting and listening to stories, sharing viewpoints with community and village people, I also enjoy my interaction with the more mature audience. Everyone after all has a story to share.
2. What do you do?
I am a Project Coordinator with a Community-Based Organization in Mombasa, Kenya. I am responsible for not only behaviour change communication research and tool development but also engaging with multiple partners, stakeholders and NGOs who engage in the same activities that we do. Along with this, I build ECO-BENCHES, ECO-WALLS, ECO-PLATFORMS, ECO-HOUSES AND ECO-CLASSROOMS using unmanaged plastic bottles and plastic bags.
3. Why do you do what you do?
When I started working in the field of behaviour change communication, my aim was to facilitate betterment of my community. Over the years, I realized that behaviour change was more to do with realities, involving the affected people and goals than to do with IEC material development. As a BCC practitioner, the satisfaction I gain from facilitating this participatory process of social change is immense.
Public health is a critical component of human development. While my interest areas have been environmental issues and justice and behaviour change as well, through my work at this organization I am keen on creating participatory communication outreaches for behaviour change. Especially in an area as sensitive as public health and infectious diseases, creation of communication outreaches for affected communities needs a lot of research-based understanding of the issue. I am keen on engaging with communities and creating relevant and effective behaviour change activities.
4. What values are you committed to?
As a BCC practitioner, there are some values and skills I find of utmost importance. Being a good listener, keen observer and research oriented communication developer is of prime importance. What is also critical is the need to engage with your participants and community at all levels of communication development. The community should be the drivers of BCC, and we as practitioners the facilitators. One has to be honest especially when dealing with such risk-associated issues like public health. Knowing how large your impact can be, keeping the benefit of the community at top is very important. Reporting facts and designing BCC materials based on research and participation form critical components of BCC. I know that my role as a BCC professional is promoting the right, scientifically-socially-humanly behaviour, which is often very controversial and needs a lot of balancing act.
5. How many hours do you work in a typical week?
I am sited at my desk 5 hours a day, but my mind is always on the lookout for a deeper understanding of what works and what does not, when it comes to BCC.
6. What skills are required in your position on a day-to-day basis?
Not just balancing the multiple activities that come my way, at work I get to exercise my research skills, listening and communication with different level of team members, creative skills to engage more innovatively with the participants along with top level officials. On one hand while I have to go and talk as local and individual based on the other I get to showcase my deeper understanding of issues at a more donor-policy level. Not just qualitative and quantitative research understanding, linking data and stories, the ability to transform these into BCC products needs a lot of creative skills. What is also important is the ability to negotiate and network with larger and varied groups of people, Leadership forms a major component of management job as well, especially while we engage with different kind of team members.
7. What is the background of most senior-level executives in your SBCC circles?
Either Master's degree in Development Communication or Public Health, along with PhDs.
8. What do you wish you knew at our stage? (IE: entry-level SBCC enthusiasts)
Well, I wish I knew how to manage financial details well. I didn’t deal with financial understanding of BCC much and that is where I found my work more challenging as a Manager. Communication and BCC form large chunks of financial budgets in policies and programmes, be it governmental or non-governmental. And so, understanding the utilization is one of the first premises that should be taught to SBCC practitioners.
9. What is the best piece of professional advice you've ever received -- and used or implemented?
On a 2012 trip to Nairobi, I was told that I could immensely benefit from being more patient. While that was the only critical remark on my evaluation, I took it very seriously. Over the years, I have seen how this advice has benefited me. Grooming my patience has helped me immensely cultivate my ability to wait for a response, which has enhanced my work capacities as an SBCC professional.
10. If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?
To be honest, I am glad that my daily learning is helping me become a more sustainable professional who learns at every point.
11. What should keep entry-level SBCC enthusiasts up at night?
Not anxiety but curiosity. I see everything from a "participation and BCC" lens now, so whenever I face a professional or personal situation, I try to project my learning on every situation. For the entry-level SBCC enthusiasts, before one actually hops in and develops products and engages with community, reading-reading-reading along with a solid grassroots understanding through visits and questions are a must. An SBCC enthusiast and professional should never shy away from field visits and travel.
12. What professional organizations are you associated with, and in what ways?
Several. They engage us in their plan of activities workshops and giving us skills on different thematic areas.
13. What used to be your biggest weakness?
Development and community local development is a very emotional issue. I feel connected to every human I interact with.
14. What one thing do you still struggle with?
I still struggle with making people understand the immense need to focus on SBCC, because government systems don’t find it important to provide inputs in BCC activities for enhancing development.
15. What are the top 7 technical skills that entry-level SBCC enthusiasts should strive to horn?
- Communication
- Motivation
- Discipline
- Commitment
- Persistence to fact finding, and
- Engagement of all
16. What's the best advice you can give to help plan a career rather than simply work to keep a job?
Never be satisfied. Be a critical thinker.
17. What factors do you consider most often when planning for the future?
I keep in mind the larger impact I am creating. If one is aware of this, planning becomes easier.
18. What developments in the horizon could affect future career opportunities in this field?
Governments and other systems have slowly come to realize how important it is to engage with communities for their benefit and not follow a top-down approach.
19. Can you recommend a "must-read" book that will help us broaden our skills as working professionals or inspire us to reach my highest potential?
Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People"
Favorite quote from the book: "Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny."
20. As a communicator, if you could write a book on a social issue; what would it be and why?
I think my book will be based on real life examples and challenges communities are facing.
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