EPISODE 9: Umeshawahi wahi kufanya kazi ambayo mda wote unakuwa bize kazini? Work-life balance is a must if don’t wish to go insane.
Baada ya kumaliza ile tripu ya Tabora na Kigoma salama at least nilikuwa nimeboresha uzoefu wa kazi za field kwenye hii ofisi mpya. Kumbuka kwamba nilibaki peke yangu baada ya kukubaliana na dadaB arudi home ila kutokana na kumsoma kwa mda mfupi na kuunganisha na uzoefu wangu wa kule kwa Dr KJ kazi ikawa rahisi sana kwangu. Hapo ndipo nikajua kwa nini waajiri wengi sikuhizi they prefer job experience than grade A academic certificates.
Nikarudi ofisini salama na kwa kushirikiana na dadaB tukasubb report pale na maisha mengine yakaendelea. Baada ya muda na mimi nikawa ni among senior officers pale hata nikawa trusted kuwa-mentor the new employees maswala ya kazi. Anyway it was good experience kwa kweli na niliinjoi sana kazi yangu.
Uzuri wa ile kazi ilikuwa ni kusafiri kitu ambacho nilikuja kugundua kumbe mimi napenda sana kusafiri tena hususani safari za mikoa ya mbali na vijijini nilikuwa napenda sana. Unajua kwenye kusafiri sio tu kuenjoy zile moments za kuwa kwenye gari au flight lakini inasaidia kuexplore new opportunitis na kuongexza network yako na watu tofauti tofauti unaokutana nao. Sasa pale ofisini ilikuwa ukikaa sana hujasafiri basi ni mwezi na nusu au miwili. Lakini kikawaida ilikuwa kila mwezi lazima mtu usafiri walau kwa si chini ya wiki, yaani safari ilikuwa ni lazima kulingana na nature ya kazi hususani kwenye idara yetu. Mimi ilifikia wakati mpaka nikawa nawatania watu kwamba sitakuja kuoa au kuruhusu mke wangu afanye kazi pale ofsini maana ndoa inaweza ikayumba hahaahaa sababu watu kila mara wapo safarini na hivyo mke anaweza kushindwa kutimiza majukumu ya nyumbani vizuri (jokes) with that job nilisafiri kila wilaya unayoijua wewe hapa Tanzania zilikzokuwepo kipindi kile. Utanitajia wapi nisipajue mimi.
Ofisi ilikuwa inakufacilitate kila kitu ukiwa safarini ili uweze kuendelea na majukumu yako ya kazi hata ukiwa nje ya ofisi. Mfano vitendea kazi bora kabisa laptops, vimodem kwa ajili ya internet vyenye unlimited bando nk. Kwanza ilikuwa ni marufuku staff kupanda mabasi haya abiria is either usafiri kwa gari ya ofisi sehemu ambako hakuna viwanja vya ndege au ukodi gari hata ktoka dar mpaka ifakara endapo usafiri wa ndege haupo na magari ya ofisi yapo na shughuli nyingine. Na ilikuwa lazima ulale sehemu yenye hadhi ya juu kulingana na eneo ulilopo ili kuwezesha usalama wako na pia mazingira rafiki ya kuendelea kupiga mzigo. Kifupi ilikuwa ukisafiri unasafiri na dawati lako maana kwa necha ya kazi ilikuwa huwezi kumuachia mtu akushikie shughuli zako maana utamuonea tuu, labda kama mtu ni mgonjwa, amefiwa au likizo za uzazi ilikuwa inaeleweka ila sio safari. Ukisafiri utawezeshwa kila kitu kusafiri na majukumu yako, hakuna kumuachia mtu ofsini.
Kwahiyo life pale ofsini ilikuwa ni mshike mshike, bize mda wote. Mtu kwenda weekend job au kuchelewa kutoka mpka saa tatu usiku ilikuwa ni kawaida sana. Yaani ilikuwa ukiangalia vimeo ulivyonavyo kwenye meza yako unajikuta tuu wenyewe kwa hiari yako jumamosi au jumapili unaingia job walau kwa masaa manne ukapunguze vimeo. Au mara kwa mara unatoka ofsini saa mbili au tatu usiku.
Mfano mimi kwenye portifolio yangu nikajikuta nina kama zaidi ya NGOs 700 ya kuzisimamia. Yaani hapo uhakikishe wameleta report zao za fedha na miradi, report zimekaa sawa, uindize report kwenye system tena kwa kuzitranlate kwa kingereza, kuhakikisha umewatumia fedha za quarter nyingine baada ya kujiridhisha na report ya fedha. Kisha uhakikishe uhakikishe hizo NGOs umezitembelea ili kwenda kuzikagua huko field kama wanatekeleza miradi sawa sawa au wapo wrong ili uwaelekeze. Wakati huo huo uhakikishe unatrain waliokosa funding ili nao wapate fedha maana ofisi ile ilikuwa na wafadhili wengi waliokuwa wanaweka fedha zao ili ziende kwa wadau huko mikoani, kwahiyo mnajikuta mna fedha lakini wanaopata ni wachache so in order to maintain reputation ya ofisi kwa donors ilikuwa ni lazima kwenda huko na huko mikoani kuwafundisha watu jinsi ya kuomba na kupata ruzuku kutoka kwetu kulingana na vigezo vetu ndio mana tukawa tunapokea hata proposal za Kiswahili ilimradi kutombagua mtu.
Sasa kwenye mazingira kama hayo unafanyaje? Watu tulikuwa bize muda wote ukiangalia kazi ni nyingi mpaka unatamani siku ingekuwa na masaa 30 walau unaweza kupata muda mzuri wa kupumzika. Kiukweli kuna watu ambaop hawakuwa na shida sana na kazi waliacha asee. Pia ukiachana na sababu za integrity kuachishwa kazi kama mshikaji wangu Big lakini wengi pia walitimuliwa sababu ya performance issue, hawakuweza kwenda speed ya ofisi. Na katika vitu ambavyo menejiment ilikuwa haiwezi kukuvumilia ni malalamiko kutoka kwa grantees kwamba umewaomba rushwa au umewacheleweshea fedha zao, hapo ulikuwa hueleweki. Kwahiyo unachotakiwa kufanya grantee akileta report yake leo baada ya wiki uwe umeshaireview na kuprocess fedha zake. Hata system ilikuwa inakukumbusha kwamba report ipo due hivyo unatakiwa kuishughulikia. Sasa mtu unasimamia miradi zaidi ya 500 what do you expect. Usipokuwa smart and organized unakuwa chizi. Work-life balance ni kama haikuwepo pale ofsini.
Nakumbuka kuna new employee ndio alikuwa ameajiriwa ana kama mwezi tuu akapiga chini kazi bila kupata kazi nyingine. Yule jamaa alivoajiriwa pale alikuwa amebakiza kama mwezi hivi afunge ndoa. Basi ameingia pale ofsini amekutana na mshike mshike wa kaxi na hakuna ugeni, kwani ugeni ulikuwa mwisho wiki ya kwanza. Sasa yule bwana harusi inaonekana maswala ya kushughulikia maandalizi ya harusi yake alikuwa anayasimamia yeye mwenyewe kwa kiasi kikubawa sijui hata kama alikuwa na kamati yule bwana maana simu yake ilikuwa bize sana na kila kitu anaulizwa yeye. Basi pale mjengoni tukamchangia kama kawaida tena mzigi wa kutosha tuu na kutokana na maandalizi yake akaruhusiwa awe anafanya kazi nusu siku.
Lakini tulikuwa tunabaki na bwana harusi mpaka usiku maana naona alikuwa akiangalia haoni pa kutokea lazima abaki ofsini kupunguza majukumu. Sasa sisi tulikuwa tunafanya kazi kwenye pool ambapo wote mnaonana na kusikilizana. Sasa kuna siku kazi zimepamba moto, basi simu ya bwana harusi ikawa inaita sana akawa hapokei. Mdada mmoja akamwambia bwana harusi pokea simu inaita basi akapokea nadhani sijui kuchanganyikiwa au vipi akaamkia “shikamoo”, sijui akajibiwa nini tukamsikia anasema “mdau nimekwambia atakuja mtu huko huko kuwatembelea wiki ijayo atawasaidia”. Sijui akajibiwa nini akamwambia yule mpigaji simu “ongea na huyu mwenzangu atakuasaidia” akawa amempa yule dada aliyemwambia apokee simu ili aongee na simu yake.
Yule dada akachukua simu akijua anaongea na grantee ii amsaidie bwana harusi kutatua changamoto yake akamuuliza mpigaji una shida gani nikusaidie? Akajibiwa mimi ni mchumba wake na ni mke mtarajiwa wa huyo mwenye simu lakini naona ananiambia vitu ambavyo ambavyo sivielewi, je yuko sawa kwani maana kuna vitu nataka kumwambia kuhusu gauni la harusi. Ndio yule dada kumwambia bwana harusi wewe anayepiga simu ni mkeo sio grantee hebu toka nje ukaongee naye. Aisee ofisi nzima tulibusrst kwa kucheka. Yaani bwana harusi alivurugwa na kazi mpaka akawa amesahau sauti ya mkewe mtarajiwa. Lakini pia inaonekana sijui alivurugwa kiasi gani mpaka akawa anaongelea maswala ya kazi wakati bi harusi anaongelea maswala ya gauni. Ikabidi atoke nje akaongee na mkewe badae akarudi.
Basi harusi ikapita lakini baada ya wiki kama tatu hivi bwana harusi akaandika barua ya kuacha kazi. Sasa HR hakutaka kuiprocess moja kwa moja akawa anamtaka kwanza afikirie mara mbili mbili uamuzi wake labda kama ni ishu ya maslahi na amepata sehemu nzuri zaidi. Basi HR akatufata watu ambao aliona kidogo tupo karibu na bwana harusi ili tuongee naye. Bwana harusi wala hakuficha akatuchana live japo hajapata kazi sehemu nyingine ila mazingira ya kazi pale yamemshinda maana yalikuwa ni busy mno with less work-life balance. Tuakajaribu kumsihi pale avumilie atazoea tuu akagoma kabisa. Jamaa etu mmoja akasema jamani tumuacheni huyu ni mtu mzima anajua analolifanya. Mimi nikaongezea nikasema tena huyu muhehe wa Iringa huko tusije tumalazimisha akajinyongea ofsini halafu ikawa balaa jingine. Basi bwana harusi akaresign kama alivyopanga, mhehe yule ni kweli alikuwa hana kazi maana baada ya hapo vilianzan vizinga kwa sana na tuu vile mkewe alikuwa karibu anajifungua basi alikuwa na uhitaji sana wa pesa. Kwa sisi washkaji zake tulimbusti tulivyoweza lakini nilijifunza kuna watu wana maamuzi magumu na misimamo asee. Unaachaje kazi huna kazi?
Nakumbuka tulimfikishia HR sababu za kwanini yule bwana harusi ameacha kazi na uzuri au ubaya kwenye taarifa za ofisi ya HR waligundua wengi tuu walionekana hawakuwa na performace nzuri kwa sababu hawakuwa na muda wa kutosha wa kuopumzika. So ikawekwa mikakati pale ili kuboresha work-life balance kwa wafanyakazi. Hata menejiment walikuwa wanajua kwamba work-life balance was essential for promoting employee well-being, maintaining job satisfaction, preventing burnout, and creating a positive and productive work environment. Ignoring work-life balance can have adverse effects on individuals and organizations alike, impacting health, relationships, and overall job performance.
Mikakati iliyowekwa ni pamoja na kuongeza wafanyakazi, kwa hiyo ikatafutwa ofisi nyingine yenye uwezxo wa kuaccommodate wafanyakazi wengi zaidi lakini pia likizo ilikuwa ni lazima. Maana before hapo likizo ilikuwa ni optional kwamba mtu unaweza ukalipwa pesa ule mda wa likizo ili uendelee kupiga mzigo, na kwa jinsi kazi zilivokuwa nyingi mtu aliona bora auze baadi ya siku za likizo ili apunguze kazi huku akipokea mshiko. Hii hata mimi nikifanya sana. Basi maisha baada ya hapo yaliendelea kama kawaida na kiukweli work load ilikuwa imepungua sana na tulifanya kazi kwa utulivu na ufanisi mkubwa.
Wadau wangu nilifanya kazi pale kwa miaka mi4 before I shifted to another organization. Based on my job responsibilities as a Program Officer - grants, I have developed a diverse set of skills as followas
Grant Management: Demonstrated ability to review, assess, and select grant applications in accordance with established procedures and regulations.
Communication Skills: Regularly communicated with grant applicants regarding the status of their applications, ensuring accurate and timely information.
Training and Facilitation: Organized and facilitated training sessions on project and financial management for CSOs/NGOs/partners nationwide.
Supervision and Leadership: Successfully supervised over 100 grantees annually in various sectors, including governance, youth, human rights, gender & women empowerment, health and disability.
Capacity Development: Designed and conducted capacity development sessions for grantees, covering project management, financial management, project monitoring and evaluation, and project report writing.
Partnership Management: Worked closely with local partners to identify and address capacity gaps in project grants management.
Monitoring and Evaluation: Conducted field visits to assess and monitor project implementation performance and collect success stories from partners.
Flexibility and Adaptability: Ensured flexibility and high quality of capacity development support provided to partners.
Report Writing: Prepared periodic reports for management purposes and other stakeholders.
Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborated with various stakeholders, including CSOs, CBOs, FBOs, and NGOs, throughout the grant management process.
Project Implementation Oversight: Monitored and assessed project implementation to ensure alignment with goals and objectives.
Time Management: Successfully handled multiple responsibilities and tasks within deadlines.
Analytical Skills: Evaluated grant applications, monitored project performance, and prepared reports, demonstrating strong analytical abilities.
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