Courage to make a change
Up until 2020, Dr Tran Thi Thuy Ha was comfortable in her job. Over 20 years she had worked her way up to the senior position of Director of the Aquaculture Biotechnology Centre at Vietnam's Research Institute for Agriculture No 1. But something was missing.
"I enjoyed my work but I was no longer passionate about it," says Ha. "I wanted to do something different but I had never considered that I could change my job at my age. It would mean starting from the beginning all over again, and that's not something that's normally done if you have a senior government role. It was safe and I didn't dare leave."
But Ha says becoming a Meryl Williams Fellow (MWF) and attending a workshop in January 2020 changed everything. "Before that, I could only think and think, and not make a decision," she says. "But being with the other fellows and trainers motivated me to do something different. I did not know when and how, but I became more confident about moving into a new area, a new career, a new life.
"The fellowship has made me feel much stronger. Learning to understand myself has helped me to see that I can take a chance and do anything I really want to."
So, taking a leap of faith, Ha left her research institute role and started some online study to improve her readiness for a new phase in her life. She relocated her family to Da Nang City and took 6 months to focus on getting her children settled and continuing to build new skills. Her two MWF mentors were supportive, but it was a gamble in the midst of a global pandemic.
Ha took work as a program manager with the non-government organisation (NGO) East Meets West Foundation, which works with underserved populations in South-East Asia to build community resilience with a focus on gender equity.
"The aim is to make life healthier and happier and we are collecting secondary data for data-driven learning," Ha says. "The context map resulting from our project can be used to help prepare a master plan for the city. I am working closely with city staff as well as schools and I am enjoying learning something new.”
As of July 1st 2021, Ha was promoted to Program Director.
“This is a new role, a new challenge but it seems that it fits for me. I also realise that I have a chance to work with all programs and many staff in East Meets West. It is very important to combine and manage the programs as well as set up a new governance system in EMW.”
"It is challenging but very interesting and I am glad to be helpful to communities. I have had to learn very fast, but I am getting to know my abilities. So far so good." In fact, Ha is thriving on the continuous need to grow and improve her own skills.
Importantly, the new role is aligned with Ha's personal values, which she's been able to identify as a MWF. "I realised that I wanted to be involved in bringing happy life to communities and being a part of Eats Meets West allows me to do that," she says. "This change has brought a lot of meaning to my family.
"Becoming a MWF has helped me to understand my dreams. It has taught me that it doesn't matter how old you are or how difficult it seems. There are no barriers but yourself."
Ha was awarded a prestigious Meryl Williams Fellowship in 2020. The Meryl Williams Fellowship is funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and supports female agricultural researchers across the Indo-Pacific to improve their leadership and management skills.