My work for the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem Municipal Assembly
“It is my conviction that to make a positive impact on the lives of people in any meaningful development effort, governance and local service delivery issues should be a very key issue to address. Therefore I wanted to gain deeper theoretical knowledge in Local Service Delivery & MDG’s and the practical skills to enable me actively participate in conceptualising, designing, implementing, monitor and evaluating appropriate local governance and service delivery policies and programmes that address community concerns and specialised needs of vulnerable and marginalised people in a multicultural context.”

Experience in the Netherlands
“ My experience at the Amstelveen Municipality was enormous and every single expectation I had was met. I was taken through several useful presentations before we went out for field visits and tours to project sites and facilities. The people were very nice to me and the Mayor was very good. The work environment in the Municipality of Amstelveen is very impressive.”

Back-Home-Action plan
“The three most important subjects where I got more input on in the Talent programme, during the training course, as well as the internship, and which I also take with me in my back-home-action plan, are:

1. Building of a comprehensive gender database -> in order to increase gender mainstreaming and effective stakeholder participation in service delivery.
2. Ensuring very effective participation in the planning
process – > I realise now that many projects we have started in the past have failed because we have not involved the people sufficiently. In addition, if people are not aware of the projects that are implemented by the government, they cannot hold us accountable.
3. Setting up committees to design an effective sanitation strategy -> we really need to improve the awareness of the importance of the MDG’s. They are not mere keywords in a centrally led development strategy, but true goals to be accomplished by the local government together with the citizens.”

Fuseini Labaran