A Vietnamese in Afghanistan
Born in 1966 in the coastal city of Quy Nhon (Binh Dinh Province), To Thanh Son had won an array of local prizes for mathematics and physics before scoring the highest marks during the entrance examination to the HCM City Polytechnic in 1984. Son is now an IOM staff based in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Fourteen years ago, To Thanh Son filled a position at the HCM City Post Office as a fresh graduate from the city's University of Technology, formerly Polytechnic. At his workplace, Son soon taught himself computer and English.
Three and a half years later, in March 1993, Son resigned from the Post Office and applied for a vacancy at the International Organization for Migration (IOM). After his recruitment, Son became the first and the only in-country Vietnamese to work as an international staff of the IOM, not taking into account overseas Vietnamese. The IOM currently has 93 full members and 36 observers, including Vietnam. The new job required Son to learn more about computer network and applied programming.
In August 2000, Son began to work at the IOM East Timor office, and in March 2002, he was transferred to the international migration agency's office in Afghanistan.
Currently, Son is working at the IOM Afghanistan main office in Kabul. The main office also oversees the operations of branches in Herat, Mazar-e- Sharif, Kandahar, Kunduz, Gadez, Bamyan and Maimana.
According to Son, IOM staff members come from different countries with different levels of economic development and cultures. By the time he worked there, Son says, IOM East Timor office, for example, had 20-plus members with 20 nationalities. To integrate into such a multinational environment, it is necessary to be sociable, sincere and helpful to others, Son insists.
Asked to compare the capabilities of Vietnamese and counterparts from other countries, Son says although their skills are comparable, Vietnamese are often not so good in terms of foreign language command. "Many of them have an excellent mastery of different foreign languages," says Son.
Another element which may prevent Vietnamese from working in foreign countries is their unwillingness to live away from families. Some are also afraid of working in tough or dangerous locations.
To work harmoniously with an international staff, Son says, knowing how to solve differences is vital in addition to professional skills, the ability to work independently and the willingness to work as a team. "I want to emphasize on the ways to compromise disagreements," he says. "I have had intense, fierce debates with colleagues and even bosses. But afterwards, we remain friends or sometimes become closer as we have understood each other better."
By Dinh Bi - Thanh Nien - January 25, 2003.
|