Victor Atiire, Liberia
“To me, [diversity and inclusion] means people from different backgrounds and countries coming together for a common goal as a result of shared experiences, enabling the target goal to have a meaningful and lasting impact.”
As a child, Victor Atiire dreamt of being an engineer working beyond the borders of his home country, Uganda. Working with Tetra Tech has made his childhood dream a reality. Victor currently works as an engineer on the USAID Liberia Municipal Water Project (LMWP) in Sanniquellie, Liberia. “Tetra Tech has provided a platform for me on an international level to have a deeper understanding of quality assurance and monitoring of a water project. As a water engineer, I have received first-hand experience in quality assurance and monitoring of a water supply system from the start of a project to the end.”
LMWP is helping restore water treatment facilities in Liberia to supply clean water to over 30,000 people for the first time in nearly 30 years. Recently, Victor and his team celebrated the completion of three water treatment plants and will support the first two years of system operation and management.
“With a new water system successfully completed, my career and experiences will be valuable in the implementation of other water projects. The challenge and constraints experienced will be an eye opener to smoothly implement other water projects.”
Victor’s experience working on a project team in Liberia came with its challenges. He learned how to work with people who have different viewpoints and ideas of how the project should be implemented. To ensure quality assurance and monitoring, Victor says he plays two roles: as an enforcer of the project’s technical specifications and contract, and as a team player to ensure the implementing partner succeeds. “The main lesson I learned working with Tetra Tech is transparency in whatever is being done. This involved proper documentation of all activities.”
Tetra Tech’s transfer of knowledge and support for capacity building has given Victor a sense of support and empowerment as an engineer. “Professional experience is important and can only be gained by relating to what others have been doing successfully.” He has paid this forward to his colleagues. “I trained and transferred my knowledge to the local engineers so the project had continuity.” He furthers his efforts of ensuring his colleagues feel included and empowered through daily mentoring and one-on-one trainings to provide them with opportunities to develop professionally. “The daily efforts also include encouraging local engineers to take the lead. I go to the site with them and observe how they communicate.”
Victor relates his views on diversity and inclusion to his experiences as a member of the LMWP team. “To me, [diversity and inclusion] means people from different backgrounds and countries coming together for a common goal as a result of shared experiences, enabling the target goal to have a meaningful and lasting impact.” The success of the project as well as the opportunity for immense professional development has inspired Victor to continue a career in international development. “Tetra Tech has guided my professional career in the right path. I feel very proud to be a part of the team and to realize the completion of the water project with local children happily collecting safe drinking water.”
