Staff's Story: Growing in Knowledge and Spirituality with WVI

I am also known as Ade. I have been working at WVI since 2007. I first joined when WVI was still in Aceh during the transition period for the Aceh tsunami response. After three years in Aceh, I worked at the National Office for six months before finally moving to Papua for five years, then to Palu for two years. I have returned to the National Office as a staff in the IT Department in the last three years. 

I was encouraged to join WVI because as a son of Aceh I wanted to help restore my area which was affected by the tsunami at that time. I don't have a lot of money and strength, but I have skills in the IT field and need a platform to channel my skills. Before joining WVI, I had the opportunity to join other international NGOs such as GTZ and Oxfam. I think I only lasted a year in WVI, like the previous NGOs. I was wrong. Now, for more than 10 years I still stay at WVI.

One of the reasons I stayed is because WVI has a different working atmosphere. We are close to each other, even if only as colleagues. At that time, Pak Suryanto, the IT manager who was also my boss, was very kind and cared about me.

When I moved to Jayapura, Papua, I was the only Muslim staff there. But friends warmly welcomed my presence. I got many brothers and foster fathers there although they were of different ethnicities, races, and religions. Even though it is different, it does not become an obstacle for us to get to know each other.

Honestly, when I first joined, I was worried. Where will my work be taken? Will it be used for certain purposes that adversely affect me? It turns out that all my questions are answered day by day. WVI has not had a bad influence on my work. Although WVI is a Christian belief-based institution, everything depends on me. As a Muslim, I am not affected. In the past, when Aceh was hit by the tsunami, many foreigners from various religious and ethnic backgrounds continued to help. This means that they do not see religious differences. Although they are of different religions, I remain close friends with them. I used to watch friends devote. They also sometimes reminded me to pray when the hour arrived. This is a gift for me.

With the devotion and habits of WVI friends to worship, I am motivated to be even more diligent in carrying out my worship. Have I prayed on time? Am I living my other values ​​of worship? Finally, I was encouraged to refresh myself and increase my worship.

As an IT staff, I understand that my skills must also improve with the times. Actually, this happened when I joined WVI in 2007. At that time, my boss was a foreigner, so I also had to improve my English communication skills. Then when I was transferred to Papua, I was immediately tasked with solving sponsorship problems in a short time. With the help of my friends, I slowly adapted to these changes. When I returned to the National Office, I also had to follow the digital transformation from the old system to the new system for better service. Now I need to take care of connectivity for the entire Program Area by mastering some of the current information techniques. 

Many WVI services have impressed me. One of them is a sponsorship program. In our country, there are still many children living below the poverty line. If we don't help them through a sponsorship program, who else can help them?

On the economic development side, I am impressed by the way this organization works. In the past, I attended an event where housewives were trained to manage their finances and make donuts that were unique and had a sale value. Not only that but they were also trained in financial management, including setting aside and using money at home. I think this is an extraordinary approach.

In disaster response, because I was heavily involved in the response, I also learned that disasters make people affected poorly. I am grateful to be involved in the response because I learned new things such as Cash and Voucher Programming and other systems that are used to make results faster.

Written by: Fachruddinsyah Adek, Connectivity Analyst / Digital Workspace Analyst Wahana Visi Indonesia