A chat with Tauseef

Contributed by Farzana Rasheed/Tauseef Ahmad

Tauseef, our new Hardware Expert, has completed 2 months with us. We asked him a few questions: 

Q. How is Pakistan different from Liberia? Weather? Day to day living? Were you pleasantly surprised or shocked?

The biggest challenge for me thus far has been language. I am still trying to understand Liberian English. It seems people 'shorten' the words which confuses me. 

I feel lucky to have come to work in  Liberia when there are electricity problems back home. In the summertime, it gets very hot and unbearable. 

I was shocked to experience petty bribing when I landed at the Roberts International Airport. I had no idea that it also exist outside of Pakistan! 

Q. How is IT different from Pakistan here in Liberia?

IT is definitely more advanced in Pakistan. Since I mainly deal in hardware, I have noticed that more Multi Function printers are used in Liberia than in Pakistan. 

Q. What were you doing in Pakistan? Were you working for a similar company or a different job? How is your everyday work different?

I was doing a day job as well as managing my own workshop in my city of Rabwah. In the mornings, I used to work as a hardware engineer in a community office from 8 AM to 2 PM. From 5 to 9 PM I used to work from my own workshop where I was repairing motherboards, doing toner re-fills, and repairing laptops. 

I like to learn every day and sort out different kind of hardware issues.  

Q. Are you able to diagnose and repair hardware like back in Pakistan? Is it easy to find parts? Is it easy to diagnose problems?

We do not have an extensive parts market as we do back home. I was always able to get parts from bigger cities such as Lahore or Faisalabad for repairs but in Liberia, the options are limited. We often end up importing parts from the USA which consumes times. In my 2 months' experience, I see that the main chips are damaged/faulty which cannot be resolved without an automatic heat station. 

I am working on equipping the NATC lab with better diagnostics and repair tools. I am also planning on stocking chips. 

Q. Are electricity issues the same?

We also have electricity shortages in Pakistan but do not have power surges like we do here in Liberia which can damage electronics. 

Q. Is your trouble shooting the same? Do you go through the same diagnostics steps to analyses problems or do you now have to add some other issues?

Yes the diagnosing and repair procedures are the same. I did add some new ideas and diagnostic methods because in Liberia we have big printers troubleshooting. 

Q. Do you enjoy working with your Liberian colleagues?

Yes I am enjoy working with my colleagues. They all are friendly and very good people I met with here in NATC. I am struggling with language issues but am trying to learn Liberian English as quickly as I can!

Q. What do you hope for in your new job at NATC?

To learn as much as I can.