NGOs play a major role today in fighting poverty through development and humanitarian interventions in several countries where people are in need. I was working in one of the major and leading NGOs in Yemen and When I first joined, I was really confused and I didn’t know how it operates, it took me about two years and a half through practice and working closely with the different units and supporting offices, in addition to lots of reading through the different internal manuals of each unit and many other external resources online. Only then I became aware, thus, more active and involved and it took me less time to do things while everyone was happy with what I achieved. 2 years later a friend of mine told me about pm4ngos Project Management for Development Professionals (Project DPro) course and I was intrigued, he sent me the link and the electronic book and he explained that he was impressed by it and that he enjoyed it much. He said: “I have recently joined an international NGO, this course really helped me understand how NGOs operate, now I can join meetings with the different managers there with more confidence”. I said well, I am going to have a look and see, because honestly, that friend of mine was smart and him saying that about the Project DPro course was an additional encouragement for me to get the Project DPro certification. I started reading and without knowing I was smiling and nodding my head with every page I read. It is just realistic and straight to point. I wished I had access to it years before. In 2 weeks I had read the course twice and filled my notebook with valuable notes from it. When I was ready, I took the demo exam and I passed, so I took the real one, I passed too, the exam wasn’t easy though, they weren’t just giving away certificates, they were serious about it and I respected that much.
It is important to mention that I had 3 good years of experience in a major NGO in Yemen as I said earlier, so it wasn’t all new to me, yet, it was more focused and it had put all pieces together forming an amazing masterpiece, that I doubt any NGO worker wouldn’t love it and keep it as a valuable resource while planning/managing/monitoring/assisting-with any project.
Recently I am working with one of the biggest, most influencing INGOs in the world, it has been my passion since the very beginning to be a humanitarian worker. Despite my 6 years experience that varies between media, monitoring and evaluation, data management, donor relations and communications, I still find Project DPro valuable whenever I need it, it’s like a a guidance for those willing to make a change, the right way, professionally.
Until today, I won’t forget how Project DPro made me feel when I first had access to it, I was so delighted, well-informed and at peace, unlike many other courses, Project DPro hid nothing, it gave all the knowledge a humanitarian might need, it nurtured the brain as a loving mother nurtures her son, I owe them all the respect they deserve and I wish as many people will benefit from Project DPro the way I did.


Ibrahim Yahia Alwazir