Discover the career of a Community Social Mobilization / Field Officer with working experience in Ma
,Meet Patrick Makalani
What industry do you work in and what exactly are your skills?
I work in the field of Community Social Mobilization /Training Officer /Field Officer /Peer Education in HIV prevention.
What inspired you to get into this sort of industry?
Because I meet different people with different stories and am able to help them for example in the awareness and prevention of HIV/AIDS because some of them are discriminated and stigmatised when they are diagnosed HIV/AIDS positive. This concerned me was c which inspired me to be able to one day help them. When I finished high school I joined a youth group at Chitedze Health center.
What qualifications and experience did you have to gain In order to establish yourself and therefore become a professional within your industry?
I have different certificates in my field: A certificate in Action For Behavior Change (ABC), Certificate in JIC training JIC means Join in Cercuit AIDS, Love and Sexuality, Don’t give AIDS a Chance through DED Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst and Certificate of Training Hope Kit Trainers Workshop through the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs (USAID), Malawi School Certificate of Education M.S.C.E and Malawi Junior Certificate of Education. I have ten years experience in my field: I was worked as a Field/ Training Officer for all ages of people from in and out of school, eg Teachers, Patrons/Matrons, Chiefs, Government workers e.g Minister of Youths, Culture, Child protection and different non – Governmental Organisation which helped me to work easily in my field.
What is the most challenging aspect within your field of work?
The most challenge aspect in my field is that most organisations depend high funding, and if there is no funding that means there is no job, and to look for another job is very hard.
How do you manage and overcome these challenges?
I manage to overcome these challenges by establishing some activities that may help us to raise funds in a short while. To work very hard is also one of the strategies that may help the organisation to have at least enough funding because the donor was encouraged to fund the project.
What has been the highlight of your career?
My career highlight is that I have more knowledge and skills in my field because I am a hardworking person. I also have a serious and mature approach to my work and am extremely committed.
If somebody starts as a trainee / beginner within your line of work, what could they earn in salary?
Roughly R2,500.
What can this person expect to earn after 10 years of experience?
Roughly R15000.
Who is your role model and why?
Doctor Mary Shaba because she is a hard working professional and she is well knowledgeable in her field; the area of HIV- AIDS, Gender and Human Rights.
What motivates you to work this hard?
Because a lot of people are suffering due to HIV/ AIDS, even children are suffering because of child trafficking so this motivates me to work hard in this field.
What is your outlook within your industry over the next 5 years?
My outlook is that the percentage of HIV/AIDS, Child Trafficking, Behavior Change among the youth will become history(probably at a slow rate). This is also my vision.
As you know, numerous African countries are being invested in due to their rich minerals. Which country within Africa do you think will be the next hot spot and why?
South Africa because they invested a lot of money in the program of youth, Child protection and fight against human rights for women, even in the deportment of HIV/AIDS they invested more money than my country Malawi.