"I hated to see lifeless children's bodies lined up on the concrete floor, in the front pages of newspapers," says Hiro, recalling his struggling days as a UNV volunteer in Sri Lanka a few years ago. "It brought tears to my eyescseven o'clock in the morning, standing on a busy street. Everything seemed normal except that I found myself crying."
Hiroyuki Takita became the UNV Programme Officer in October, 2008 after serving for six months as UNV Monitoring & Evaluation Officer with United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) Philippines. Prior to the Philippines, he worked in several different countries - Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Jordan, Mongolia, USA, Cambodia and Thailand - for several different organizations and projects.
"A rolling stone, you may call. This is the price you have to pay for doing what makes your life fulfilling; moving from country to country, settling in nowhere," says Hiro with a smile. Ten years ago, he was working in a travel agency in New York City. One day he suddenly packed all his belongings in his ten-year old Volkswagen and left New York City for Alaska.
"A typical young idealist who is hardly predictable...who only follows his instinct. Many people called me crazy because I had a stable job and, I admit, life would have been easier if I had stayed there." It took him almost three weeks to get to the border and see the sign saying 'WELCOME TO ALASKA'. "I never had that feeling before and probably won't again. It was a sense of accomplishment...like opening a door to another world."
Like it or not, the Programme Officer has to work like an octopus, doing multiple tasks at the same time, but only with two hands. Hiro estimates 60-70% of his work hours are spent at his computer, updating the website, writing various documents, and responding to email flowing in incessantly. Despite these responsibilities, he keeps a positive outlook on his assignment: "I'm not sure about a lot of things but I am sure about one thing: no matter how distant my work seems, I am working for people, the people who deserve a better future. If I lose that feeling, I won't be here."
Asked about his impressions about the Philippines, Hiro says, "The Philippines is more developed than any other countries I've worked in over the past few years. In Manila, you don't have to sit still in darkness for hours wondering when electricity comes back on. However, I often miss the delight one cold Coke or bowl of warm soup can bring into your life when working in remote villages. You can get everything you need in Manila but they won't bring in as much challenge and pleasure in my life."
Rather than be discouraged by his assignments, Hiro chose to leave a comfortable and promising life behind him to live a life of service. According to him, its one way of being strong not only for himself but for people who are in need of a better future.
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Interviewed and written by Francheska Garcia, UNV Communications Intern
Editted by Louise Pine, Online Volunteer
