i – SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
With the festive season looming at our doors, coupled with excuses from some professors that they were still busy marking exams for the other intake students, classes this month have not been consistent at all. We only had classes in three subjects out six.
Human Resource Management
In this subject we managed to cover two topics in two sessions. Recruitment and Selection Provisions: we discussed the methods and sources at length, which include job posting and job bidding for internal method to identify current employees able of filling the vacant positions, while for external method involve advertising, job fairs, internship and the rest. We looked at the advantages and disadvantages of both methods: internal and external recruitment. As for selection we tackled the different tests applied to assess capable imminent employees to fill a particular position in an organisation. The topic reminded me of the time I was interviewing for a position as a voluntary teacher at Mwange Secondary school and most of the questions were based on aptitude and ability test. Employee training and Development: The purpose being of improving competency and organisational performance. I found it to be an important tool in the management of an organisation especially due to the pace of the today’s modernization and technological advancement that employees need to be developed to keep up with the increased competition in all aspects. And also employee development can act as a motivation to employees because they will be witnesses of their own progress, maturity and competitiveness in their career the longer they stay at your organisation. Most of the stuffs were just new knowledge I had no idea about.
Gender Issues in NGOs
In this subject as well as in the above one, we covered two important topics before entering the festive period. Gender Differences in the workplace: This topic focused much on the differences observed in the workplace. First we tried to analyze the role that both sexes can play and contribute at work or family levels. We found out that women can play an equal role to their male counterparts in both areas; only the nurturing pattern of women had denied them opportunities to make a difference. Despite the changes noticed in the past decades, gender issues in the workplace can still be seen in forms of sexual harassment, lack of equal opportunities for promotion, pay gaps, stereotyping of work by gender, balancing work and family/marriage…these issues cause in turn dysfunctional outcomes like burnout, job and life dissatisfaction, marital conflict, decreased family and occupational well-being and psychological costs and physical complaints. Suggestions to these problems are career and gender awareness programs, provision of appropriate training, modification of women education, social roles, increased and diversified access to the world of work… The second topic we discussed was Patriarchy. It is a lengthy and controversial topic which I consider all notion of gender and gender equality is based on. It refers to the sustenance of men’s supremacy over women in their relationships. It is a socially constructed system not natural that can be change only when men and women understand its origin and dedicate themselves to fight it. Women as victims of patriarchy have been intoxicated to a level where they feel this is how society should be ruled. They do not really understand that they are being deprived of their rights to participate at an equal rate with male counterparts in all aspects of social life. As an NGO student, my job is to impart knowledge into women about this evil system to their development but also to act together with women to make sure this system is abolished and restore women’s right to equal participation in all social activities.
Research Methodology
In this topic we have managed to have one session where we selected two research topics out of the five that we previously proposed for our research proposals. My first topic is “An investigation into school provision for children with special needs in Zambia: a case of Kabwata in Lusaka.” The second topic is “A critical analysis of drug abuse by youths in Zambia: a case of Chawama compound in Lusaka.” The two research proposals are to be submitted on February 3, 2010. These were the only three subjects were we had classes in this month.
ii - PERSONAL ACTIVITIES
I have had few moments where I read my book “End of Poverty” by J. Sachs and a few walks around this avenue in the evenings.
iii - MISCELLENEOUS
I am happy and thankful to the Almighty God that I have reached the end of this year 2009 and I am hopeful to be in 2010. I thank all of you people who have helped me reach this far and the fact that I am still in the struggle to complete my education is another thing to be grateful about. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you All.
