For UNICEF in Sudan
Anna-Rabea Acker has been working for UNICEF in Sudan for a year as part of the JPO program; She studied political science and development studies in Edinburgh and London. As an Education Officer, the 32-year-old works for the United Nations Children's Fund, together with the government and other organizations and associations in Sudan, to strengthen the education system in the North African country - and to strengthen the right to education, especially for children.
“I was already socially involved abroad during my studies. For example, as part of a health and education program on HIV/AIDS in Rwanda, East Africa, or in a construction planning project in Accra. I have now completed my studies and now work in Sudan - a country where social policy and education reforms represent an enormous challenge due to long-standing conflicts, poverty and the economic situation. The effects on the country are diverse, and two points are particularly important for my work: On the one hand, Sudan is a very young country from a demographic point of view, 43 percent of the population is younger than 15 years. On the other hand, the road to equal opportunities is a rocky one: over 40 percent of children have no access to school education. Many of them do not have the chance to learn reading, writing and arithmetic: the foundation for successful lifelong learning. This has various reasons. First of all, on average, almost half of those starting school cannot be admitted every year because there are not enough schools. In addition, the dropout rate among school children is relatively high. Girls are often not allowed to make the long journey to school alone; in many places, boys have to contribute to the families' income. Education as the basis of a stable society and individual empowerment and opportunity to participate is made more difficult by various external and internal factors.
The work of UNICEF here in Sudan is therefore incredibly important. We work at all levels – from the school community to government advice – providing humanitarian aid and advising on sustainable educational projects.
Personally, I mainly coordinate educational programs in Darfur, a region heavily affected by long-standing conflicts. An example from my current area of work is a school enrollment campaign on the topic of 'Education for Girls'. The focus here is on awareness-raising and public relations work with a targeted approach to families and communities. The aim and content are equal opportunities in access to education and between the sexes - whether in theater groups, on the radio or through workshops and other media.
I am the only European in our international team. My colleagues are Sudanese, others come from Sri Lanka, Somalia and Malawi. Our working language is mostly English; Nevertheless, I am currently learning Arabic at the local Goethe Institute in order to better understand the country and its people.
I feel comfortable here in Khartoum, the city is spacious and - located at the confluence of the white and blue Nile and surrounded by desert - very diverse. Khartoum is also largely safe and, as a white woman, I can move around freely - if the heat, sometimes up to 50 degrees, allows it. If there is a risk of riots in certain areas, we will be informed via text message or email. For example, we were called to attention during the national elections. But it's completely different when I'm traveling in Darfur: There is generally a strict security protocol here. For example, when traveling in this area, this always requires a convoy with an armed escort.
However, in other regions, especially the north, traveling is not a problem. Here, especially near the Nile, very hospitable people live in many places - and those interested in history can visit temples and ruins of the cities of the Nubian Empire. By the way, there are more pyramids in Sudan than in Egypt. And you can explore these undisturbed, often alone and in the absence of tourists.
The conclusion of my career path so far? I still want to be involved in international project work: it is my nature and my talents. It fulfills me.”
DR Congo, Angola, Cameroon
Daniel Ziegler has worked for international organizations in many countries around the world. He is currently working for UNICEF as a Resource Mobilization Officer in Madagascar.
“When I was studying, it was initially clear to me that I wanted to work abroad – at the UN, GIZ or an NGO. I was particularly interested in questions about development dynamics, 'aid effectiveness' and poverty reduction as well as the connection between theory and practice. The theories that I learned during my studies were put to the test every time I went abroad. Some things worked, some things completely different.
My choice of subject – African studies, Arabic studies and business administration – was primarily guided by my personal interests. My community service, which I did in a hostel for asylum seekers, played an important role. There I met many different people - and the stories that brought them to Germany. I wanted to find out more about the situation in their countries of origin in order to better understand the context. Just one day after my last exam, I was on the plane to Angola, where I started as a scholarship holder for the Carlo Schmid program. I have been working in the UN system ever since.
I find the bridge between theory (headquarters) and practice (field) crucial. A career that only focuses on one of these two aspects leaves out important experiences. That’s why mobility is essential. Every few years you change duty stations and start to orientate yourself in a new country, with a (possibly) completely different mentality and culture than the last one. One should not limit one's geographical horizon to Geneva, New York or Rome, but should also be out in the field. The latter provides an insight into the challenges of how development works in practice.
When most people think of Madagascar, they think of movies with criminal penguins and an over-the-top lemur. This idyll is far from reality. Although Madagascar's crisis is a quiet one and the country does not receive much international attention, over 90 percent of the approximately 23 million inhabitants live on less than two US dollars a day. Many indicators in the social sectors are worrying. For example, the country has one of the highest rates of chronic malnutrition, 1.5 million primary school-aged children are out of school, almost half of all girls are married before the age of 18, and only 51 percent of 12 to 23 month old children are fully vaccinated. There has been a polio outbreak that has spread across the entire island for a year. Madagascar also has to contend with repeated natural disasters. There are droughts and locust plagues in the south and cyclones and floods across the country.
My tasks include, among other things, organizing visits from partners who would like to find out on site how UNICEF uses their funds. For example, I recently traveled with a delegation to present our educational program. It was great to see how the participants understood over the course of the days that it is not just about building a school, but that it is just as important to ensure the quality of school materials or the training of teachers and access for the children to make it possible to go to school.
I communicate with my colleagues in English and French. I'm also currently learning Malagasy to get a better understanding of the way people think and mentality. This is also helpful for communicating with the population during project visits or for doing nonsense with the children.
In Kinshasa, I primarily coordinated road construction projects that aimed to connect food-producing areas with the Congo River and thereby with major cities and markets. The first time I flew to the equator for a road project, there was green bush, forest, bamboo and rivers everywhere. But with each subsequent visit, a road that was built by the local population became apparent. A trip that took two days on the motorcycle at the beginning of the project ended up taking just a few hours. Shortly after the road was completed, an Ebola outbreak was reported in the area. The road provided access to the area, allowing humanitarian organizations to quickly provide emergency assistance.
What do you need to bring for this job? The UN core competencies: Integrity, Respect for Diversity and Professionalism. In general, it's good to be team-oriented and have a service-oriented attitude. Planning and organization are important, as is constant motivation to learn new things and keep up to date with technical and other innovations. In a manager role there are other characteristics, especially being visionary and having leadership qualities. It is also helpful, especially in complex contexts, to have a certain tolerance for frustration and to remember the words of the former UN Secretary General, Dag Hammerskjoeld: 'The UN was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell' .”
The Junior Professional Officer Program (JPO Program)
The JPO program offers young university graduates from all disciplines with German citizenship and initial professional experience the opportunity to work as young leaders in the United Nations or one of its over 20 related and specialized organizations. Working as a JPO usually lasts two to three years, and the positions are spread around the world - from Addis Ababa to Washington. The JPO positions are usually advertised twice a year, with the next advertising phase running at the beginning of 2016.
Further information about the Juniors Professional Officer program can be found here.
