• How long have you worked with Muditar? What was your first role?
I have been employed at Muditar since December 2015, which means I have been there for seven years and eight months. My initial position at Muditar was as an infrastructure and community bank project officer. Later, I was promoted to Township Coordinator for Pin Laung Township, M&E officer, and Program Manager.
• Did you work for another organization prior to Muditar? What was your role?
I was a Community Facilitator for the Farmers Field School upland rice project in Southern Shan State, Myanmar from 2011 to 2014 while working at the Metta Foundation.
• What is your favorite program area that you implement in villages and Why?
I have found that the Leadership Program and the Women’s Empowerment Program are my favorite programs offered by Muditar. Through my experience working with Muditar, I have come to understand that empowering individuals and communities is crucial to sustainable community development. This is especially challenging in underserved areas, but through capacity building and development, the community can become self-sufficient and lead their own development. The Leadership Program is particularly fascinating to me and is the one I am most eager to complete.
In addition, I am also interested in the Women’s Empowerment Program. This program focuses on promoting knowledge, skills, and capacity among women to foster gender equality and positive changes in self-esteem, behavior, feelings, and family lifestyle.
• Can you share an experience since working with Muditar that has made you feel particularly rewarded by your work?
Allow me to share two aspects of my work that I find particularly fulfilling. Firstly, I take pride in having honed my skills by assuming greater responsibilities and advancing in my position. Over the course of my eight years of experience, I have developed expertise in program development, data monitoring and evaluation, report writing, critical thinking, and program management. Secondly, the most rewarding result of my efforts is observing communities achieve self-sufficiency through the acquisition of resources, experience, and skilled leadership necessary to sustain their development projects and embark on new ones.
• What is the most challenging part of your job?
I have encountered difficulties in adjusting to evolving roles and responsibilities. I strive to take ownership and focus on tasks to increase productivity while supporting new projects through effective coordination. However, I acknowledge that I need to improve my ability to initiate new project strategies and designs for future programs.
• Who inspired you to do this type of work?
I want to share what led me to become a community development worker, rather than who inspired me. When I finished university, I wasn’t sure what career path I was truly passionate about. But after I started working in the development field, I discovered that this was the type of work I wanted to pursue. Seeing the positive impact and success of non-profit community development activities brought me great satisfaction and motivated me to continue working with Muditar.
• What do you like to do outside of work? Hobbies?
I enjoy playing football with my friends every weekend, and I have also planted over 300 avocado and macadamia trees on my land as long-term cash crops.
It is because of the incredible, dedicated staff in Myanmar and Zambia that Shanta’s work is so powerful. Changing lives through our partnerships is led by staff who share their knowledge to create lasting change through sustainable development projects. Even through times of extreme unrest in Myanmar, these valued members of our community persevere to see partner villages through their six-year commitment to rise out of poverty.
