A Quick Chat with Steve Woodhouse

 

Steve Woodhouse chatted with us this week from his home in Penang, Malaysia. He had just returned from a visit to the UK. Steve told us about Penang and why he and his wife decided to settle there. We also talked about his work post-UNICEF, which included consultancies for various UN agencies, including UNICEF. He also worked for several years on a micro-credit initiative with Barclay's Bank. Steve told us also about the 'gift' he has received through his years with UNICEF, but looking back he also comments that it he had it to do all over again, he would take better note of the limitations in the power of governments in influencing social change.  Instead, he would pay more attention to the empowerment of families, including giving more importance to the role grandparents play.  Grandparents, he notes are often in closer touch with their grandchildren than with their own children.  Finally, he says we all should pay more attention to what we can accomplish with good 'bottom-up' governance, accountable to the people governments serve.