A Most Fulfilling Opportunity For Any Project Manager

Recently, I had a meeting with a friend who consulted me regarding his office computer network. There I was able to meet a young and affable businessman who has a heart for the poor youth. His business is into web development specializing in graphics. As we were discussing some business ideas, he raised his desire to put up a program to help the underprivileged youth and train them in graphic design. I let him explain, but the idea he presented was for me, still very vague. It is a noble intention worthy to be pursued. With careful planning it can be a very fulfilling project. For him and for any project manager.

Since, I was once involved in a program who ministered to youth development and poverty alleviation, as a project manager I offered him some concrete ideas on how to make his noble desire a reality and most importantly, viable and sustainable.

I presented to him three deliverables: Education, Employability or Entrepreneurship, Excellence and Ethics. These three, I believe are the most important aspects in developing the youth to help them gain talents which they can use to alleviate their economic condition and to become responsible citizens of this country.

Education
In my experience with the out of school youth, their academic life starts to wane when they reach an age where they are able to find menial jobs, or worse, a gang where they feel they can belong to. Most are males. Statistics show that males are the most susceptible to drop out of school not only because of poverty but mainly for lack of proper guidance from parents or guardians. When they turn to neighborhood gangs, their lives turn to hooliganism. Sad, but it is very true and this is the reality. Thereafter they are stuck to doing menial jobs most of their lives because they lack the necessary skills or training.

The first process then is to enhance their basic literacy in the three R's - reading, writing and arithmetic. My experience shows that these youth may be able to read, but can only comprehend a little of what they have read. It is understandable since most of them might only have three or four years of schooling.

Fortunately, the education department has a program for these out of school youth. It is called the Non-Formal Education Program or NFE. The youth does not have to be enrolled in a formal school setting but will be taught lessons that can enhance their comprehension guided by an DepEd accredited NFE teacher. After completing the required lessons, a certification shall be awarded to the youth depending on the level of the NFE training - elementary or high school - they received. But this program is not a substitute for the formal education, it is only a stop gap remedy for the youth to catch up on the lost years he should have been in school. Enhancing their capacity to comprehend is the objective of the first deliverable.

Employability or Entrepreneurship
After their comprehension and literacy is satisfied, then it becomes viable to give them skill training to make them employable or better to enhance their entrepreneurial spirit.

Let's get back to what was discussed - graphic design. Teaching them just the basics of graphic designing won't be enough. We have to take into consideration the environment they lived and grew up in. What influenced them. In my experience, I found that their paradigms and creativity, though they may have the talent, are limited. Mainly due to lack of self-confidence or knowledge.

Therefor in designing a curriculum for their graphic design training, how to appreciate art - classical, abstract, contemporary - has to be included. This would then be the foundation of their graphic and artistic talent,confidence and paradigm building.

Excellence and Ethics
Lastly, but importantly, they have to be taught how to love their work or trade and how to be competitive in the real world. Remember they may have come from a home or community environment that is less than desirable. They may have been gang members living on the edge or in conflict with the law. Thus, it is also important that they have to undergo moral and personality development.

Business is governed by ethical standards. There are written or unwritten rules that must be respected. In other words, to succeed, one has to have integrity. He has to earn respectability by being trustworthy not only in his work or trade but in life, whether he is employed or a businessman or tradesman.

Fulfillment of a Project Manager
As in any project or program, it has to be viable and sustainable. There will always be a lot of processes involved. Helping and training the poor to alleviate his economic condition is not an exemption. If is to be done, it has to be done in an exemplary way. The project presented here may be taken as one holistic approach if budget and resources will permit or may be broken down into smaller and more manageable endeavor.

People development are more complex but has a far reaching effect on one's inner being than developing any product or services. But if done with love and  inspiration, it will be the most fulfilling opportunity for any project manager. Nothing beats achieving an objective that benefits people in need. Take my word for it.