Day 3 - Official Work Day Start

(day 3 posting is delayed to day 4 as wi-fi is not being cooperative).

Today was the official start of our assignment with our CSC/NGO client kickoff meeting. Essentially, all the CSC team member and all the NGO clients came together to introduce the projects and the team members on both sides. So just a 2 sec background – there are 14 IBM CSC team members and we are all broken up into subgroups of 3s (with one group having 2). Each subgroup is paired up with one NGO to complete a project in the next 4 weeks. So essentially, we are doing 5 projects simultaneously in the next 4 weeks.  No pressure right?! I guess that’s why they pick the smartest and brightest :-)

The projects are all just so impressive – spanning from financial systems, data management, project management, and IT management – with organizations that do amazing work in support of social and economic development in Recife. You just had such a sense of pride of working for these NGOs and that you can truly have a lasting impact on the work you leave behind after 4 weeks. The level of motivation, excitement, and anticipation could really be felt in the room.

I am will be working on recommending a financial systems for the Núcleo de Apoio a Criança com Câncer (NACC) – and translated that is Support Center for Children with Cancer (think of the Ronald McDonald House for kids with cancer). We met our clients today for the first time, and I remember during my assignment in China there was a very apt term for how I feel right now – cultural fatigue. There is just so much information and so much data thrown at you at once in a different language/style that you are just so focused and concentrating so hard to understand everything for such a long period of time. We have English translator, but it’s still hard focusing on making out the correct terms, phrases, and accents. Your brain is just on overload essentially. 

NACC gave us a tour of their facilities where the children and families are housed – it was very inspiring, but emotional too. Seeing the children with cancer was very emotional for me – being a parent, I just wanted to run home and hug my boys tight. I am truly blessed in having my two healthy boys. I can’t imagine going through what these families do, but it’s amazing that there are organizations like NACC to provide support and assistance. I just hope we can make a difference for them…

Lesson of the day: hug and kiss your loved ones every chance you get.