Arnaud, what can you tell us about yourself?
My name is Arnaud Tougma and I come from Burkina Faso. I'm 41, married and the father of 3 beautiful children! My original profession is planning economist. But I also have a Master's degree in project management, which since 2009 has enabled me to work with NGOs in defining and implementing development and humanitarian projects. I actually met Planète Enfants & Développement when I was working for GRET. We were working together on a project.
When did you join our team and what is your role?
I joined Planète Enfants & Développement in October 2019, and am currently managing 4 projects in Burkina Faso. My day-to-day scope of work is quite comprehensive, as it varies depending on the stage the projects are at.
At the outset, I explore and analyze the field with local stakeholders to identify the intervention strategy and possible solutions. Next, the project needs to be framed: precise definition of activities, budgets, partners, roles, skills and expectations of each stakeholder, as well as risks and mitigation measures. It also involves defining positions and recruiting the implementation team. Once the project is up and running, I'm in charge of managing the teams: ensuring their safety, their training if necessary, and that they have the resources they need to carry out their work. I regularly go out into the field to see what's been achieved, as well as any difficulties, and to improve our practices. I like this contact with the teams, with our partners and with the people we support. I like to exchange ideas with them at workshops and consultation meetings, to share our experiences and gather opinions and suggestions. It's an important step that will enable me to support the final evaluation of the project and identify successes and areas for improvement.
What I like in all this is to bring something tangible to children, women and men in need, to improve their living conditions. And I appreciate our association's emphasis on quality in what it does.
Do you have any wishes for the future?
In the near future, I would have liked to see peace, security, social cohesion and strong, sustained economic growth... Unfortunately, I'm afraid we still have a long way to go. But together we'll get there. It's a necessity for our children, for a general balance. This is why I hope that Planète Enfants & Développement will further strengthen its actions in Burkina Faso.
