A hot, very hot summer at the international office of CESO Montreal
By Apollinaire Ihaza
The beginning of the summer of 2007 has been strange. Usually, after the effervescence of the closing of the annual tax period at the end of March, the month of June takes on a rather slow rhythm at the Montreal office. The majority of the volunteer advisers, including recruiters, prefer swinging their golf clubs or perusing a long novel to fulfil their leisure activities since the long awaited nice weather is finally here. The staff equally takes advantage of this period to plan dreamed of vacations, here or elsewhere!
This year though, the events seem to mix up this routine!
Indeed, some volunteers were an exception to this habit and responded positively to the urgent demands of our partners on the field. Thus, 12 VAs will make their way to Africa during the months of June and July, namely six to Burkina Faso, four to Cameroon, and two to Senegal. They are leaving to join the sun of Africa, leaving behind the sun shining on top of Quebec!
Let us underline as well the conference of the international team that occurred from June 11 to 15, with all the representatives of CESO from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe that came to Toronto. According to everyone, this meeting was a great success (1). Following this meeting, the representatives from Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Senegal came to Montreal, which resulted in three days of intense work with the International Services team, the recruiters and the Lead VAs. The Senegalese representative, the newest of the troop, summarizes his experience in Montreal: “this trip has allowed me to really recognize the challenges of the Montreal office. I will double my efforts to perform even better…”
The presence of the African representatives of CESO also allowed the organization of a public engagement activity. So, a meeting between them and the African diaspora of Montreal occurred, where the exchanges were generous, enthusiastic and constructive. Through diverse initiatives, the Africans of here already engage themselves in the improvement of living conditions on the continent. And they believe they could get involved even more through CESO…
Another important event has coloured the summer at CESO: the signing of the partnership between CESO and The City of Montreal. This agreement is the result of two years of consulting, and will allow CESO to involve civil servants and retired individuals of the City in certain assignments in the field, particularly in the areas where the expertise is missing from its roster. Also, projects which both CESO and the City of Montreal have a common interest in, will be jointly executed, particularly to fulfill developmental needs in the urban areas of Africa and Haiti.
Finally, CESO is starting its activities in Benin, where the organization will work in support of the SMEs. Apollinaire Ihaza, Contract director for Africa, will visit Benin in July to recruit the CESO representative and make all necessary contacts on a political and business level in order to successfully start this project. Ten assignments are planned over the course of this fiscal year in this country.
A busy summer for the whole international team at CESO!
(1) For more details, consult the CESO website (www.ceso-saco.com)
The beginning of the summer of 2007 has been strange. Usually, after the effervescence of the closing of the annual tax period at the end of March, the month of June takes on a rather slow rhythm at the Montreal office. The majority of the volunteer advisers, including recruiters, prefer swinging their golf clubs or perusing a long novel to fulfil their leisure activities since the long awaited nice weather is finally here. The staff equally takes advantage of this period to plan dreamed of vacations, here or elsewhere!
This year though, the events seem to mix up this routine!
Indeed, some volunteers were an exception to this habit and responded positively to the urgent demands of our partners on the field. Thus, 12 VAs will make their way to Africa during the months of June and July, namely six to Burkina Faso, four to Cameroon, and two to Senegal. They are leaving to join the sun of Africa, leaving behind the sun shining on top of Quebec!
Let us underline as well the conference of the international team that occurred from June 11 to 15, with all the representatives of CESO from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe that came to Toronto. According to everyone, this meeting was a great success (1). Following this meeting, the representatives from Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Senegal came to Montreal, which resulted in three days of intense work with the International Services team, the recruiters and the Lead VAs. The Senegalese representative, the newest of the troop, summarizes his experience in Montreal: “this trip has allowed me to really recognize the challenges of the Montreal office. I will double my efforts to perform even better…”
The presence of the African representatives of CESO also allowed the organization of a public engagement activity. So, a meeting between them and the African diaspora of Montreal occurred, where the exchanges were generous, enthusiastic and constructive. Through diverse initiatives, the Africans of here already engage themselves in the improvement of living conditions on the continent. And they believe they could get involved even more through CESO…
Another important event has coloured the summer at CESO: the signing of the partnership between CESO and The City of Montreal. This agreement is the result of two years of consulting, and will allow CESO to involve civil servants and retired individuals of the City in certain assignments in the field, particularly in the areas where the expertise is missing from its roster. Also, projects which both CESO and the City of Montreal have a common interest in, will be jointly executed, particularly to fulfill developmental needs in the urban areas of Africa and Haiti.
Finally, CESO is starting its activities in Benin, where the organization will work in support of the SMEs. Apollinaire Ihaza, Contract director for Africa, will visit Benin in July to recruit the CESO representative and make all necessary contacts on a political and business level in order to successfully start this project. Ten assignments are planned over the course of this fiscal year in this country.
A busy summer for the whole international team at CESO!
(1) For more details, consult the CESO website (www.ceso-saco.com)