Hugo Pellerin, organisational development advisor, Cameroon
CUSO-VSO connects experienced public servants and government advisors with opportunities to share their skills and knowledge abroad. Hugo Pellerin’s story takes us from Gatineau, Quebec, to the far north of Cameroon.
It’s a long way from Gatineau, Quebec, to Maroua, a dusty city in Cameroon’s Far North Province. Gatineau is a quiet city in Canada’s capital region; Maroua is a provincial capital in an African country on the edge of the Sahel, a market town whose population is about evenly divided between Muslims and Christians.
Yet Hugo Pellerin found his work as a federal public servant was perfect training for his volunteer placement with CUSO-VSO in Cameroon. For two years, Hugo has been partnered with a local community association called RESAEC (Réseau des Animateurs pour l'Éducation de Communautés) that deals with health and education issues. The group works to increase awareness of major health issues – like HIV and AIDS and malaria – in different community groups. They also build awareness of the need for education for both boys and girls.
In Cameroon, there is critical work to be done. The average life expectancy is just 46 years, compared to 80 in Canada, and one-third of the population is illiterate. Hugo works as an organizational development advisor, helping the association build its business and management skills through VSO’s participation and governance program.
Speaking out
The underlying assumption behind this work is that disadvantaged people lack knowledge and power. In order to access the basic services to which they are entitled, they have to be able to participate in decision-making processes. Their voices have to be heard. Once they are able to speak for themselves – and be heard – they can advocate for changes to improve their own lives.
“My work is to build the capacity of the association, of its members, its staff and its beneficiaries,” says Hugo.
He explains that many of the people he works with don’t have the training to do some of the things considered basic in North America – for example, write reports or give an account of how donor money has been spent.
“What I try to do is help them to organize themselves and manage their program in an efficient, sustainable and transparent fashion.”
Hugo was surprised when he arrived in Cameroon to see how basic his own working conditions were.
“When they showed me my office, I was shocked,” he recalls. “The desk was empty. There was no computer – just a pad and a pencil, that’s all.”
That’s when it hit me how extremely limited their resources are: Even a ballpoint pen is a big deal. You have to make do with what’s available.”
The people I work with are mostly volunteers,” he explains. “They don’t have a lot of money, and since phone calls cost a fortune, it’s impossible for them to call. In fact, I’m just about the only person here to use a phone.”
In fact, he said he will often organize meetings – particularly in far-off villages – by having a public service announcement broadcast over the radio. By helping them structure their organization, Hugo has helped RESAEC’s volunteers be more effective. They are the ones telling Hugo what they need.
Sharing knowledge
“We don’t send volunteers out to tell people how to do things,” explains Nefertiti Saleh, CUSO-VSO’s International placement manager for participation and governance. Instead, she says, local people tell CUSO-VSO what they want to achieve, and CUSO-VSO tries to match their needs to the skill sets of volunteers like Hugo.
“There’s a lot of sharing of knowledge both ways,” says Nefertiti, explaining that volunteers share their knowledge with locals – and learn from them along the way.
Hugo speaks proudly of his achievements, and of the organization with which he works. The association started with a self-evaluation exercise of the structure, which led to the launch of a one-year action plan. When completed, says Hugo, the plan should put the association on a solid footing and allow it to run efficiently and effectively in the future. Hugo says the people he works with are largely responsible for that success.
“I am proud to work with such bright and dedicated people,” he says.
