GVL Creating Needed Careers; As Indonesian-Trained Liberian Chemist Takes Assignment By Frederick Gaye In Profile Daily In every undertaking, sustainability is paramount among many activities that keep up such an undertaking. The traditional definition of sustainability calls for policies and strategies that meet society’s present economic, social and environmental needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. For plantation that has to do with manufacturing, Chemistry is crucial to finding sustainable solutions to far-reaching challenges, including: energy provision, environmental protection, food protection, water safety and healthcare. Efforts to build the skills of Liberians for this sector were hampered by the civil war, thus leading many young people to flood the political field. To address this human resource drought, oil palm company, Golden Veroleum Liberia (GVL), through its cadet program, sent some Liberians to Indonesia last year for studies in various engineering fields. The cadets returned late last year and GVL promised to incorporate them. Among them is Jerome Hinneh Smith, a trained Chemist, who takes up assignment today at GVL’s office in Sorroken, Grand Kru County, in the Environmental Sustainability Department. Smith, in an exclusive interview with the In Profile Daily (IP) on Wednesday, January 7, 2015, explained his success story-from his selection for the cadet program, studying in Indonesia and his return-and how he has come from ‘nowhere to somewhere’. Smith said since he graduated from the University of Liberia with BSc Degree in Chemistry, he was not doing anything until his selection for the GVL Cadet program, saying, “I have worked with GVL for nine months now.” Following is an excerpt of the interview with Chemist Jerome Hinneh Smith at the GVL Monrovia Office: IP: Good afternoon and welcome to this interview Smith: Thank you very much... I appreciate it. IP: What’s your name? Smith: I am Jerome Hinneh Smith IP: Which sector of GVL do you work in? Smith: Environmental Sustainability Department IP: How long have you worked with GVL? Smith: Nine Months IP: Tell us about the CADET program, how were you selected? Smith: I saw the advertisement in the newspaper and I applied; after a while, I was shortlisted for a written test, which I did and afterward I was called for an interview. From my experience, the entire process was based on merit. IP: How do you see the career program? Smith: From my frank opinion, this fascinating program, as I will term it, is timely and intervening and above all it is indeed contributing immensely to the human capital development of this country - Liberia. I say this because I am a Liberian and I benefited from it. IP: How has this program benefited you? Smith: Of all the benefits that came along during this program, the most remarkable of them all is the fact that it enabled me to achieve foreign education and one thing I have always said is that I didn’t only come back to Liberia with theory; I also came back with practical experience. And I am potent enough to contribute to the rebuilding of this country and in a more positive way. IP: What could you say is a possible success because of the CADET program? Smith: Back in College [University of Liberia] I read general Chemistry, but because of this program, I have a great potential now in a particular field of chemistry. IP: What milestone or significant task were you able to achieve? Smith: I was able to understand the process of water treatment for domestic use and that of the boiler – equipment that uses pure water to produce steam for power generation; I also understood the analysis of Crude Palm Oil as it relates to its quality for market purposes and the losses that occur during the production process. Based on my result from the analysis of quality and losses, the engineering process takes actions that are appropriate to improve quality and reduce losses. IP: What departments at GVL/personnel were vital to this outcome, how? Smith: The Department of Career and Education, under the managerial stewardship of Madam Jean Hannah-Thompson, has been the focus point of this program; ranging from the advertisement to the recruitment process and that of the training and all that came along with the entire program. IP: What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them during your stay in Indonesia? Smith: There were challenges; but one easily recorded one is the issue of language. Even though the lessons were given and explained in English, when we went for the On Job Training (OJT) at the factory, more than eighty percent of the employees were non-English speakers. In order to survive as per our academic agenda, we made it our business to learn the everyday Bahasa Indonesia like “how are you, what are you doing, what is this, etc….” We overcame the challenge of language by learning the everyday Bahasa Indonesia and we also wrote down difficult questions. Those questions were given to the mentors who could speak English in order for us to get a better explanation. IP: What lessons were learned during the period of professional studies? Smith: During the period of my studies I learned all of the various processes involved in the operation of a Palm Oil Mill-that is from the entry of Fresh Fruit Bunch into the factory to the dispatch of Crude Palm Oil, I learned how to check the efficiency of major equipment in the factory, I learned about water treatment for both domestic use and that of the boiler, I learned how to treat the waste from the Palm Oil Mill so that it doesn’t affect the environment negatively and when the waste is treated, it can be used as fertilizer, I also learned how to analyze the quality of Crude Palm Oil and to also account for the losses incurred during processing. IP: How has collaborating and partnering with GVL in this endeavor benefitted the overall mission of your personal goals and objectives? Smith: Well, I like to firstly extend thanks and appreciation to GVL for engaging in such a program that has left me with so much achievement in my academic sojourn. It is not that they just trained me, but I am being provided with a job to practice what I have learned in order to build my career. IP: What career path are you passionate about? Smith: I am a Chemist and I am passionate of being in an environment where I am collecting samples, carrying out critical chemical analyses and making decisions that benefit a particular entity, group of people or any given society based on the results from a particular analysis and I am again grateful to GVL for providing me with the necessary expertise and environment to foster my career. IP: What do you intend to do with the skills acquired from the training? Smith: As I join the Environmental Department of GVL, I intend to use the skills acquired during the training to enhance the strength and effectiveness of the department for the betterment of the company and the entire Liberian populace. IP: What had been your last educational opportunity before GVL’s? Smith: Never. This is my first opportunity, and like I said earlier, I am grateful to GVL. IP: How do you intend to transform GVL? Smith: I intend to transform GVL by being more proactive and effective in my duties and responsibilities. IP: How do you intend to transfer the knowledge acquired to other GVL’s staff or colleagues whom you work with directly? Smith: I intend to transfer this knowledge through constant interactions with staff or colleagues about job related issues and to also organize small training sessions if necessary. IP: What was a memory that made you decide that you were going to be a success? Smith: Honestly, I left Liberia with a premeditated mind of taking every lesson as serious and important just as all other lessons; so if I will have to record an incident that made me decide that I am going to be a success, it will be the time I did my first presentation and I noticed from the lecturers’ comments that my pluses far outnumbered my minuses. IP: How do you describe this opportunity? Smith: Rewarding IP: Why you think that you are different from others who have benefited from this cadet program? Smith: My willingness and ability to serve the company to an extent where I can leave an indelible mark speaks volume to this question. IP: How soon do we expect to see you implementing all you have learned with GVL and Liberia at large? Smith: Effective January 9, 2015, I take assignment and that commences my implementation at GVL. IP: What message do you have for your colleagues out there who are seeking similar opportunity? Smith: In response to this question, I would like to begin by saying, success equals preparedness plus opportunity. In this regard, I will strongly admonish my colleagues out there to prepare themselves so that they can be qualified enough to seize the next available opportunity. IP: Is there any other thing that you want to talk about that we didn’t mention in this interview? Please don’t hesitate to express it? Smith: At this juncture, I would so much like to extend many thanks and appreciation to GVL for providing me with this all-rewarding opportunity. IP: Thanks for talking with the In Profile Daily Newspaper Smith: Thanks to you and management also and you are always welcome here.
Posted on: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 13:01:35 +0000
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