Poni Abraham

𝟔 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐆𝐎 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝.

When I started working, I thought the formula was simple; Work hard. Do your job well. Get promoted.
I was wrong.😅

Here are six lessons I wish I had learned earlier:

𝟏. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧…
Your job description defines your responsibilities today. It doesn’t have to define your potential.

If you want to become a manager, start developing managerial judgement.
If you want to lead communications, learn strategy; not just content.
If you want to lead an organisation, start thinking beyond your own department. Prepare for the next role before you get the title.

𝟐. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐲.
Know your work. Understand the bigger picture. Solve problems. Become the person people can trust when something needs to be done properly.

𝟑. 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫.
Build genuine professional relationships before you need them.
Today’s colleague could be tomorrow’s partner. Today’s connection could become tomorrow’s opportunity.

𝟒. 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞; 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐭.
Don’t just say, “I work hard.”

Be able to explain:
What problem you solved; What you contributed; What changed because of your work… etc
That’s professional visibility.

𝟓. 𝐎𝐰𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫.
Your organisation can employ you. Your supervisor can mentor you. Your colleagues can support you.
But your career is your responsibility.

Learn. Network. Apply. Experiment. Build something. Keep moving. Don’t wait for someone to discover your potential.

𝟔. 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤.
This one will save you later.
Keep your reports, campaigns, strategies, publications, events, partnerships, results, testimonials and best work.

Because one day someone will ask: “What have you achieved?”

And “I worked really hard” is not evidence. 😂

Don’t just build experience. Build competence, relationships, visibility and proof around that experience.

Your future CV, promotion, interview, consultancy or business may depend on it.

And if you’re already working in the NGO sector:

What is one thing you wish someone had told you when you started?

Cheers….
Poni Abraham~~ 🌹🥀…

It’s only in my Community where the Evaluation of an event becomes an even itself…!
And it’s okay!
We love it like that…!
😂😂😂😂😂😂

Watch your mouth, so that you don’t have to watch your back…!
For so much of the information used against you, generated from your mouth…!

But my people….😳😳😳!
The evaluation of the last festival today will become another “Mini-Festival”😅😅😅😅

Anyway, as long as there’s food and dancing till morning, who are we to complain🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️

Please if you conducted business or provided services during the festival, we’d love to hear from you, kindly come and attend the evaluation this afternoon….
And if you’re looking for a better way to spend your night, join us at the ground as we dance till morning…

Venue is the Point Investment Compound in Mauna

My brother bought me these hand-made crochet earrings last month… I forgot about them completely and just saw them today inside my bag….
I decided to wear them to complete my Friday look…😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

The Caretaker of Somebody’s heart, until further notice…
This Constituency doesn’t have elections…!😅😅😅
And just so you know, the one who’s responsible for this smile is from Bari… 😹😹😹😹

THE ELECTIONS ARE ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU.🇸🇸🇸🇸

Right now, we have potentially 3 presidential candidates, more than 25 gubernatorial candidates, an estimated 500+ parliamentary candidates, plus commissioners and candidates for other elective political positions.

That means we could be looking at roughly 650–750 political contenders competing for different positions across the country.

Now, forget the politics for a minute. Think about the opportunity…🤔

Every single one of these candidates will need people.

They will need campaign managers….
They will need campaign strategists….
They will need PR and communications professionals….
They will need brand consultants and campaign advisers….
They will need photographers and videographers….
They will need social media managers and digital content creators….
They will need designers….
They will need researchers, mobilizers, event planners and community engagement specialists….
And yes, they will need people who know how to tell a good story….

So if you are a young person with skills in any of these areas, this is your time to start positioning yourself.

Don’t wait for someone to discover you….
Make yourself discoverable….
Update your CV….
Clean up your professional profile….
Build your portfolio….
Put together a simple campaign proposal….
Develop a community engagement strategy…
Prepare samples of your work….
Identify the candidates whose campaigns align with your skills and interests….

And then?
Introduce yourself….
Don’t just sit and wait for a phone call…
Start engaging your potential employers directly…
Send the proposal….
Make the call….
Request the meeting….
Show them what you can bring to their campaign….

Because opportunities don’t always come looking for you…!
Sometimes, you have to identify them and go after them…!

The competition will be high…
The timeframe is short…
So position yourself early...

And one more thing;
If you get the job, remember that it is a job….
Do your work professionally….
Don’t become emotionally invested in every political disagreement….
Don’t make every campaign argument your personal battle….
Don’t lose yourself because of somebody else’s political ambitions….
And unless absolutely necessary, don’t take everything personally…

Most importantly, stay safe!
Politics can be exciting. It can also be unpredictable…
So do your work, protect your reputation, protect your relationships, and know when to step back…

For the young people interested in communications, media, PR, strategy, branding, digital content, research, mobilization and community engagement:

This election season could also be your classroom, your portfolio, your network and your next career opportunity. Don’t just watch the campaigns happen.

Find your place in the work. Knock on those opportunity doors door, push them open, walk right through in, and see what you could discover from the inside😊😊

Position yourself! Start now! Have a great day. ❤️🇸🇸

Poni Abraham,
The Unbothered Queen… ~🌹🥀~

SO, WHAT NOW? 🇸🇸

So, it has finally happened….!
After years of extensions, transitional arrangements, political negotiations and postponements, there is something strangely significant about finally seeing the country move into an actual election period.

I know the process is not perfect…✊🏾
I know there are serious questions around the process, the political environment, preparedness and whether everyone will have a genuinely equal opportunity to participate.

And I know some people will look at everything happening and say, “But Poni, what exactly are we celebrating?” 😂
Well, that’s a Fair question...!

But for me, there is something worth acknowledging here; We cannot remain in transition forever!

At some point, a country has to take a step. This may most likely be a messy step. Maybe the elections won’t even be fair. Maybe it will expose problems we have spent years avoiding. Maybe it will even create new problems.

But perhaps, just perhaps, it can also open a door that has remained closed for far too long...🤔
Because for me, this is the first faulty step towards the right direction…!

And then, now comes the part I find most interesting.

WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR POLITICIANS NOW? 😂

For years, political positions have come with offices, convoys, security, allowances, influence and access.
Now many of those positions have suddenly disappeared.

So what happens when the office disappears? Where does the Honourable go? Back to the people? 👀

Because suddenly, the constituency matters again.
Suddenly, the people you haven’t visited in five years may become very important.

Suddenly, that road to your constituency that you couldn’t remember may need to be found.

Suddenly, the community that only existed in your campaign speeches has a physical location. 😂

And this is where elections become interesting.

Politics becomes personal when you have to knock on people’s doors and ask them for their vote.

You cannot hide behind a government title forever.
You cannot campaign with “I am the Minister of…” when the ministerial office is no longer yours.

At some point, the question becomes:

What have you actually done?
What did you stand for?
Who did you represent?
What changed because you were there?
What will you tell the people when you return to them?

And perhaps this is the biggest opportunity in all of this.

For the first time in a very long time, our politicians may have to reconnect with the people without the comfort of government office standing between them.

Of course, the next three months will raise many questions.

Will the political space remain open?
Will parties be able to organize?
Will citizens be able to participate meaningfully?
Will the institutions conducting the elections be able to do their work?
And will we, as citizens, actually pay attention beyond the excitement of campaign season?

Because elections are not just about politicians;
They are also about us.
The people who vote.
The people who don’t vote.
The people who ask questions.
The people who don’t.
The people who remember promises.
And the people who forget them the moment the music starts playing at a political rally. 😂

So yes, I am watching this moment with cautious hope.
Not because I think everything is suddenly fixed.

But because we have finally reached a point where the conversation has to move from “when?” to “what next?”

And that, my friends, is where the real story begins.

Let us watch.
Let us ask questions.
Let us pay attention.

And most importantly, let us see what happens when our politicians have to find their way back to the people.

Poni Abraham,
The Unbothered Queen… ~🌹🥀~

😂😹😂