Since I came to Knowledge for
Children, I have recruited a couple of staff and interns. Every time it is an
interesting and often painful procedure. Cameroonian graduates often have a lot
of factual knowledge, but their skills are quite limited in most cases. I call
these people victims of the Cameroonian education system.
Part of the problem is the
system, which only trains people to reproduce what the teachers say and not to
think for themselves. In the Netherlands, I believe factual information is only
a small part of our education. It is often seen as more important to know where
to find the facts and how to use them. Here it is the opposite.
But, often also the people
don’t really understand what is important. For example, we received a request
of a student to do an internship in project management which should focus on
Monitoring and Evaluation. In the period he wanted to come, we were very busy
training teachers and there was no time for serious M&E. So I told him we
couldn’t offer him an internship as the only position available was someone to
support in logistics (put up flipchart sheets, registration). He wanted to do
that and said; that is also project work! (Yes, but it has nothing to do with
project management and even less with M&E). If people do like this, it is
not too strange they don’t have the skills needed.
I have done this for almost
two years. But still I am surprised every time we recruit. Some of the most
interesting cases:
- An applicant who was so boring that my colleagues and I, who did the interview, almost fell asleep. When we asked his strongest point he said; ‘I am really a motivational speaker’.
- A drunk person coming for the interview, talking for minutes without answering any question.
- We were looking for a Program Manager and said a driving license would be an advantage. Then I got a call; ‘Madam I hear you recruit a driver, how can I apply?’ So I said; ‘Sorry we don’t recruit a driver’. And he managed to get angry; ‘Yes Madam, you need a driver!’
- Someone studied oil and gas management. When we asked her motivation for this she said; ‘I have always been very interested in the oil mafia in Nigeria! You know, these people who kidnap Europeans and so’.
- But the worst case was someone who applied as a teacher trainer. He said he had worked in the Teacher Training College Kumbo. When we interviewed him, my colleague asked what he was teaching in this college. Then our applicant managed to call the subject my colleague was teaching himself! He tried saving himself by saying this was long ago, but in the last few years he taught something else. However, he called the subject one of our freelance trainers teaches…
