Staying at DDD

When we think about our model, we generally consider DDD a stepping stone; a bridge to a better future. But some people not only start their better future at DDD, they also stay here.

When we think about our model, we generally consider DDD a stepping stone; a bridge to a better future. But some people not only start their better future at DDD, they also stay here.

When DDD opened its office in Vientiane, Laos in 2003, Metta and Phab were two of the first ten data entry operators who hired in the office. Now, seven years later, DDD in Vientiane hires 40 new operators every six months. Metta is the Finance Coordinator for the office and Phab is our Senior Project Manager.

Today, when a new employee starts as a data entry operator in DDD’s Vientiane office, they first go through three months of training, learning IT, typing, English, and other necessary skills. When Metta and Phab started as operators they had just one month to meet the typing standard: 30 words per minute. On their first day, Metta typed 11 words a minute; Phab typed eight. “We had to practice, practice, practice – six hours a day, six days a week. Just typing.”

Phab had graduated from college with a degree in management, but it was impossible for her to find a job, because she had no experience. Then she saw in the newspaper that DDD was looking for people who knew some technology and English. The ad also said that DDD encouraged disabled people to apply. Phab misunderstood: “I thought I was going to work with disabled people, not technology. If I had known that, I probably wouldn’t have applied.”

Metta had studied English at the Vocational School for disabled people before she came to DDD. She was looking for a job but was turned away everywhere she applied, because she has a physical disability. “When I saw DDD’s ad in the newspaper and it advertised for disabled people I thought: finally I meet one of the requirements!” She met with the then General Manager in Vientiane, Mai Siriphongpanh (now DDD’s COO), who encouraged Metta to apply.

Metta and Phab excelled in their first few years as operators and joined the capacity building team to train new operators. “People used to call us a lot at night to ask questions and learn more. They are poor and disabled people, but still they really want to learn. It made me proud of them,” Phab says.

To Metta and Phab, DDD is different from other work places: At DDD, you are given opportunity to grow; even if you don’t have the right skills yet, you will be trained in preparation for more advanced positions. They both experienced that, as they ascended within the organization and eventually became managers. “We help people to grow–not just their skills, but we also educate their mind and their interpersonal skills,” says Metta.

When asked why they are still at DDD, they answer in total agreement: “We want to give the next generation the same opportunity that DDD gave us. That is the reason we are still here. We still work with happiness because of our people.”