Soumya Guha (PFM 2002-04) is currently working as Country Director of Plan International in Lao PDR. He is responsible for the overall programs, positioning, and legal representation of the organization. Plan International as some of you may know is an independent global development and humanitarian organization working for child rights and gender equality. You can read more about this fascinating organization here https://plan-international.org/about-plan-international.
At Plan International in Lao PDR, Soumya feels he is privileged to work with and for young people especially girls from different ethnic groups. What makes the work exciting is that he has a wide stakeholder group to discuss, consult, co-create, and scale-up. This includes the Government, the civil society, the UN, corporates, partners including young people’s organizations and different donors – individuals and institutions.
One exciting work, currently he is involved is about developing and actualizing the ‘Noi Framework‘ in partnership with the Government, UN, and civil society partners. ‘Noi’ is a little girl in the Lao language and represents all adolescent girls in Laos. The Noi Framework is made up of five key indicators from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that best determines the life of Noi. These indicators are child marriage, teenage pregnancy, child labor, adolescent anemia, and out-of-school rates. The idea is to track these indicators over the life of Noi as she grows from a 13-year-old to a 25-year-old confident woman by 2030 – the end date of the SDGs. It is basically to highlight how the development partners and importantly the Government is doing to make Noi optimize her potential.
At Plan International, he makes sure to highlight, push and prod if the progress is uneven as is often the case. The Lao PDR Government recently used the Noi Framework in its voluntary report to the UN General Assembly. Soumya with his team is also promoting it so that other countries in the Asia Pacific and indeed globally can customize the ‘Noi Framework’ and use it to mainstream and highlight the unique development challenges and opportunities that adolescent girls and boys face.
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Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role?
A. It’s been exciting, at times hard but never dull! I joined UNICEF from the IIFM campus and was working in one of the remotest districts of Madhya Pradesh – Shivpuri – for two years. There were still some Chambal dacoits at that time in Shivpuri! The work was around piloting a child-centered village planning model. We would ask the community about what their aspirations are centering around children. Then look at what they could do, what needs support from the Government, and what has to be fully externally supported. It was a great immersion into participatory processes and decentralized planning. UNICEF’s District Planning Model was largely based on the good work that happened in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh during those times.
From UNICEF Madhya Pradesh I moved to Delhi in ORBIS International. This was following the footsteps of my wife who found a better job than she had in Bhopal. ORBIS International is a brilliant organization whose mission is to eliminate childhood blindness. Their motto is that the most vulnerable should have the best care. Terrific isn’t it? If you think about this. It makes complete sense. The most vulnerable need to have the best care as if something goes wrong with say an eye surgery, they don’t have the wherewithal to get it right. One learning piece I did with a few colleagues there is to right up ORBIS’s approach. You can find it here http://www.vision2020india.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/67_jceh.pdf I have worked in different states of India through ORBIS International and Plan India. This includes Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Orissa, Bihar, Kerala among others. This gave me quite a rich cultural perspective and helped me later in my international work.
The first international work that I did after was with Plan International in Liberia, West Africa, A completely different context – a country that was never colonized, a country that had the first female and Noble Laureate President in Ellen Johnson Serleaf – but also a country devastated by 14 years of civil war. It was a tough place to work but the people themselves were joyous, humble, and welcoming. They have faced a lot of strife but there is a lot to learn from the way they are trying to build back.
I went to Bangladesh next and again it was different and exciting. My ability to speak the Bengali language – I am from Kolkata – made a huge difference in connecting with the staff and the community as well as with the Government. I have done some of my best work in Bangladesh. Will share with you an example in the next section. So keep reading. I am currently in Laos. It is a beautiful country with the most gentle, welcoming, and nice people you would see. A country largely without Covid-19 too!
Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?
A. There are quite a few. However, if there is one that stands out for me. It is this thing about taking a calculated risk and not being fearful about failure. Here’s an illustration. We worked with the Prime Minister’s Office in Bangladesh to co-create and then nationally scale up a technology-enabled solution to combat child marriage that allows the age verification of a prospective bride or groom through a simple click on a mobile phone application. This will potentially impact the lives of 12 million girls.
When we were trying to conceptualize this, there have been often that people in respected positions of power saying – this won’t work, you are taking on too much! why not pilot and then scale? All good advice perhaps but we didn’t listen. To listen meant giving up on the lives of so many girls who would get married before they turn 18. What happens to their schooling, to their future, and indeed to their dreams? There was a real urgency here and we decided not to play safe. The project finally got funded. Deep work is happening through it in the districts with the highest prevalence rates of child marriage in Bangladesh.
Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role?
A. The fact that we spend most of our working day in thinking, working, and advocating for and with children especially girls from ethnic groups. Their smile, joy, and vibrancy are worth every minute of hard work. The other thing that motivates me is the team members we have. They are all brilliant and exciting to work with. The final thing I like is I do get time to read. I have some control over what I will do and when!
Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?
A. Certainly yes. I knew that I have come to the right place since my interview and GD days i.e., the first visit to the IIFM campus. I think the questions they asked in the interview to test for congruence made me feel so. The Professors were all genuine and the coursework meant a lot of time spent in nature through your field visits and the two OTs.
The exposure to rural development and indeed forestry was rich. So I did get a sense of confidence to stand my ground in the complex life that comes after IIFM especially if one chooses development and environment.
Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your careers? What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles.
A. The biggest influence perhaps is from the books that I read at the IIFM campus but not necessarily from the course !! One such was the insightful work of Robert Chambers titled ‘Putting the last first‘. Go and have a read of this. It poignantly asks the question ‘who is last’ and why? and why we need to put them first in development. It is a masterpiece for someone new to participatory rural development.
I learned a lot from my batchmates who in their ways were unique. Niraj Bansod who later went on to become an IAS officer was so humble. Kunal Sharma is such an ‘eco sync’ as was Sai. Sachin Bansal was so professional and currently a top-notch Financial Analyst. Vishal Arghode was quiet and professional on campus and now a strong professor at IIM Nagpur. We had a diverse and strong PGP batch 2002-2004 and a wonderful M-Phil batch sharing the beautiful campus with us.
Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?
A. There are many. Once we were moving to the canteen and the lights went out! By the way, when the light goes out in IIFM, it’s actually great. It means that the competition is less as the ones who study too hard have to be in the lawn with the ones who don’t. Quite an equalizer! Back to the canteen story. So we were walking and I just instinctively stopped my friend Sachin Badkas from stepping on to something. It was a snake! I knew I had something in sync with the environment that day.
We were attached to the Rajasthan Forest Department for a month and a half and had a wonderful exposure to wildlife management in that fascinating state. We met Fateh Singh Rathode, one of India’s foremost wildlife conservationists at Ranthambore National Park. He used to say that he can’t sleep well without seeing a tiger every day. ‘Uhoy logh thik he; dekh liye toh acha nind ata he‘…..almost his exact words. That’s the deep care that man personified for the tiger and through it for the ecosystem.
Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, alumni.. Anything else!!) or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?
A. I think the diversity of the course is an advantage. So one side you are learning environmental science and forestry and on the other marketing management and quantitative techniques. One also had an opportunity to dig deeper with the specialization. Then you have this chance to test out what you have learned through the two organizational trainings. So it gives you breadth as well as a means to try out what excites you. This was the case definitely in 2002-2004. So I choose to work in Development and others went into the environment and quite a few to the corporate and within it the financial sector.
There was this all-round grooming which gave us a chance to choose what’s interests us and what suits one temperament. There is a big likelihood that I will concentrate on combating climate change moving forward in my way and the course at IIFM with its interdisciplinary nature will play an important role in that as well. One additional aspect that worked for me was the practicing of leadership that IIFM provides through its different on-campus activities, student forums, sports, and culture. This provides a good grooming ground for leadership in the future.
Q.The best buddies / seniors /faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share?
A. I have shared some of my batch mates from whom I learned in a previous question. Each member of our batch was unique in a way or two. My roommate was Anique Junaid. We jelled well. He is a brilliant professional working in the forestry and allied industries sector internationally.
IIFM has some of the most wonderful professors from whom I have learned the basics of environmental and development management. Prof. Prodyut Bhattacharya and Prof. Rekha Singhal not just for their expertise but also for their personalities; Prof. Rathore for his humbleness in spite of his razor-sharp intellect, Prof. Amitabh Pandey for his deep understanding of anthropology and care for the student community – just a few of our remarkable Professors at IIFM from whom I have learned in class but also by observing them as they went about their work.
Q. As an alumnus, what’s your advice to freshers or those who are joining IIFM to get the best out of the 2 years there?
A. For the once lucky to be at IIFM; I would say immerse, observe, read, converse and reflect around environmental and development management. Go deep into the areas that you like and not be shallow in terms of understanding. Don’t get too occupied with the competition. Try to learn the concepts, principles, the perspectives. The grades would follow.
Develop those friendships and maintain them after campus life is over as it will be. Sorry for that. Choose and try to get the job, research work, or entrepreneurial venture that most interests you, an area that you are most likely to work hard and not feel tired. This is the area that you stand the most chance to master and excel in. The money and career prospects follow for the ones who are good at what they do and not the other way round. For those who are contemplating IIFM; choose it if you have a heart for environmental or development management.
If you want to work for others and especially for the environment do come to IIFM. You will thrive here and in your career thereafter. If environment or development doesn’t ring a bell for you then this is not the B School for you. My advice is then the same. Choose something that you truly care for.
Q. What is your typical day at the office?
A. I don’t have a typical day and that’s great for me. So there will be a week in the month that I will travel to the communities where we have projects. I will interact with young people and perhaps come up with a good idea around what next needs to happen. At times I will be in these big Government and UN meetings. I would hopefully make good sense talks from evidence having visited and interacted with those about whom the policies are being made. Some days are quite like this one; when I am penning down my thoughts about IIFM!
Q. Would you like to share about your typical weekends.. Hobbies.. Family..
A. I love to learn and I am currently doing an online Master’s in Sustainable Development from Sussex University. I have two beautiful and engaging twin daughters and they keep both parents busy over the weekend otherwise.
Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors, ..
A. In my formative years, the Bengali writer Saratchandra Chattayapadhyay had a great influence on me. I think my understanding of equality and empathy for the marginalized were seeded through his writings. If you can, do read Srikanto and Pather Dabi. In recent times I am fascinated by the work of the historian Yuval Noah Harari and his books ‘Sapiens‘, ‘Homo Deus‘ and ‘21 Lessons for the 21st century‘. Read his books or watch his Ted talks.
Q. IIFM is driven by alumni’s passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students?
A. I am happy to have conversations with the current batch. We did one and it felt great and hopefully was useful for the students. I am happy to do direct engagement sessions with the new batch as well as grooming sessions with the passing out batch. This is now easy to do over tech platforms. Happy to also connect in other ways that the students may want.
Q. What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there? What do you think is a positive change and what is not?
A. I understand that there are now three clear streams from the beginning. This might have some advantages and there could be some concerns. It’s best to have some knowledge management around this. I was impressed with the thoughtfulness, quality of questioning, and sincerity of the current batch at IIFM during the live session I did. It was wonderful and their questions reflect a strong discourse that’s happening on campus.
Q. Any suggestions on who from our alumni you want to get profiled/interviewed here?
A. Our 2002-2004 batch was brilliant. Biased as I may sound about my batch, here are just some among many others whom you should interview – Kunal Sharma, Sai, Vishal Arghode, Sachin Bansal, Niraj Bansod. Thanks again for this opportunity to fondly remember and reflect on our days @IIFM.