Bangladeshi Alumnus Visits the IIRR Campus after 25 Years
– Josephina J. Vicencio, Communications Intern
A much younger Aminur Rahman walked the halls of the Yen Center some 25 years ago. The training experience is still sharp in his mind. “It was an excellent, beautiful and marvelous program,” reminisces Mr. Rahman of the training course he attended with IIRR in 1986.
Mr. Rahman, who visited the campus with his colleagues on October 28, 2011, was one of the 33 participants in the International Training for Senior Managers held at the Yen Center in 1986. In an interview during his recent visit, he remembered that three-week program as a golden time of intellectual discussion and of amazing visits to the barrios (rural villages) in the area. He recalls participants from Asia, Africa and Latin America and wonderful discussion with staff and resource persons.
The Senior Managers’ program gave him new learnings which helped him advance his career (he was then a training program officer). He incorporated the skills and ideas he learned particularly about participatory monitoring systems into his own training programs and began conducting evaluations for both national and international NGOs. He says that he still uses the techniques of participatory monitoring and evaluation and applies the lessons he learned in his day-to-day work.
The Credo of Rural Reconstruction touched his heart and he brings that focus on the people with him wherever he works. Mr. Rahman is currently the Associate Director of Unnayan Shahojogy Team (UST), a national NGO in Bangladesh which mobilizes resources for the rural poor particularly women and children.
IIRR proudly offers training courses internationally to development professionals, government representatives, community organizers, and leaders in grassroots organizations. Courses always include a field-based learning component where participants learn hands-on and see true participatory development in practice.
The International Trainings for 2011-2012 are listed on our website.
