Jillian Reilly > Quotes

“Francine’s pace always picked up as she approached Reuben, her arms outstretched for a hug. When they were in a room together, she never strayed far from his ample side, unabashedly besotted. Reuben was Francine’s crown jewel, her black South African management guru who was living proof of empowerment. And, boy, was Reuben empowered. As one of a handful of black South Africans with the combined education, experience, skills and charm to consult to international organizations and donors, he was an anti-apartheid millionaire. Reuben had four cars, each a German luxury brand, and four houses scattered around Johannesburg: one for himself, one for his mother, the others for choice. He’d been on management courses in Boston, co-written articles about South African NGOs for university publications, and claimed to savor a nice glass of Cabernet at the end of a long week.”
― Jillian Reilly, Shame - Confessions of an Aid Worker in Africa

“Francine’s face. “We don’t really use the word ‘teaching’,” she said, using her fingers to form quotation marks. “We train NGO leaders to better manage their organizations.” “Right,” I said, although still not certain how “teaching” was different from “training”. Maybe I wasn’t so smart, after all. “We facilitate staff to be better project managers, financial managers, better people managers.” Francine leaned into the desk to emphasize the word “facilitate”. “And we facilitate organizations to develop long-term strategies, to create sound work plans, and to evaluate their programs. Among other things, of course. So our role is that of a facilitator, not a teacher, as such.” I’d never heard the word “facilitate” used so many times in the same breath. Back then, I had no idea how many times I, myself, would breathlessly use that word during my work in Africa.”
― Jillian Reilly, Shame - Confessions of an Aid Worker in Africa

“His subject that day was an African approach to management called ubuntu, which was all about creating a sense of community and shared responsibility in the workplace. Reuben and other prominent South African business thinkers were excited about ubuntu, a distinctly African take on a subject that seemed so very un-African: management. Francine even had the word ubuntu carved into a piece of teak hanging behind her desk. “The West really has so much to learn from Africa,” she frequently reminded me.”
― Jillian Reilly, Shame - Confessions of an Aid Worker in Africa

“On the last day of voting, when it was all over, after thousands of people had voted and no bombs had gone off, the people of Randfontein opened a bottle of sherry, pouring tiny tots into plastic cups. We raised our cups to toast each other and thanked them for being such gracious hosts. They said it was a pleasure, and I think they meant it. Leftover cookies were put back into a plastic bag, the powdered milk resealed. Tables and voting booths were quickly removed, because an under 16s dance was going to be held there the next night. “Do you think brothers and sisters go with each other?” Sarah joked as we got in the car to drive away. Normalcy, Randfontein style, had resumed.”
― Jillian Reilly, Shame - Confessions of an Aid Worker in Africa