Ramazan Jumazada is CIPE Afghanistan’s program manager for its USAID-funded business association network development project. In addition to his daily work to build the capacity of the Afghanistan International Chamber of Commerce, he is also responsible for overseeing elements of the project that occur in the provinces. This includes assisting AICC’s branch offices with development issues as well as working with a number of other provincial associations on a variety of projects. Because of this, Ramazan is on the road a great deal having made trips to Mazar e Sharif, Tarin Kowt (twice), Konduz, Herat, Bamyan and Jalalabad over the last six weeks. This doesn’t even count his trip to Istanbul, Turkey in early April for CIPE’s Field Office Conference.
“There is so much going on,” Ramazan says as he prepares to leave for yet another trip, “that sometimes it is hard to keep up, but fortunately our associations are gaining strength and AICC is helping us fulfill the demand for services”. As a former program manager at the Agha Khan Foundation, Ramazan was trained under a structured management system that allows him to oversee a number of activities at once. “My job at CIPE is much different than my former position, but I think working with the Agha Khan Foundation gave me the skills to be successful here”.
Since he joined CIPE eight months ago, Ramazan has been integral to the successful implementation of the business association network project. His efforts were reflected in the excellent evaluation CIPE received on its USAID mid-term audit. “I am very proud that we received such high commendations from USAID,” Ramazan said in his usual understated way, “but there is so much that needs to be done that I cannot dwell on it. Every day is a new challenge”.
Ramazan’s frequent trips have provided him with some interesting experiences. In Uruzgan Province he mediated a dispute between two tribal factions over who was going to run the newly formed Chamber of Commerce. After an hour-long debate, both sides shook hands and agreed to democratically elect the organization’s leaders. In Mazar e Sharif, he facilitated the creation of AICC’s branch office and advised the leadership on governance issues, while still finding time to attend a buskashi match (Afghanistan’s national sport). “This job puts in situations that I never thought I would be in,” Ramazan says with a smile, “but I love every minute of it. Mark (McCord, CIPE’s Chief of Party) and Tim (Bisbee, CIPE’s Deputy Chief of Party) are great mentors and they teach me new things every day”. “In fact, I think they purposely put me in situations that are complicated so that I will learn how to react to adversity. I really appreciate them for that”.
Today, Ramazan is in Bamyan and soon he will be in Kandahar with CIPE’s Chief of Party. The joke at the CIPE Afghanistan office is that he should have his own television show called, “On the Road with Ramazan”. Watch for it on a satellite television near you.
Published Date: June 06, 2006