What I do at work

So you may be wondering what I am ACTUALLY doing in South Sudan when I am not contemplating tropical diseases or new vegetables.  I am Head of Communications for UNDP.  Meaning I speak to the press, pitch stories, write newsletters and articles, get publications published, try and make sure everyone is putting out a consistent message.  So my job is sort of like what I did at the Food Bank but talking about all the things I learned at SAIS.  

Look! Female ministers signing the agreement

At first I was unsure about returning to public affairs and if this was the professional direction I wanted to go.  But not anymore.  I have the chance to hear from people how our programs help them, the work my co-workers are doing, why some returned to South Sudan, the challenges and the progress they have seen and they can be pretty amazing stories to hear.  I get to go to events that in the US you’d have to be someone really important to go see.  I went to the signing of an agreement to bring civil servants from Ethiopia, Kenya & Uganda to embed in ministries to help train South Sudanese civil servants on how to set-up systems, design policy and and how to govern on everything from tax reform and setting up courts to establishing methods of policing with integrity and distributing HIV/AIDS medication.  

I also get to interview people who are doing amazing work or sit in as international journalists interview the Head of Office (person in charge of UN program for the country) on their thoughts.   Simply being able to witness this is really fascinating.  I have a lot of cool projects lined up and once I have hired more staff I will also be able to go out to the field and work on projects that help build the capacity of the local media.  

But there is still work to be done.  The editor of The Citizen, an independent newspaper, is frequently thrown in jail for his op-eds criticizing the government.  There is no freedom of information act or statutes to protect free press. And although we are working on getting them through the Legislature,       there is a difference between passing a law and intent.

UN handing over 8 trucks to 8 counties to help the police get to emergencies 

And I am nervous about this position as well.  I was hired to be second in command of the communications unit only to arrive and find that my boss was leaving.  Suddenly I have found myself head of a unit with a staff and I am reporting to a chain-smoking, demanding (in a good way) country director who works 23 hours a day and has had malaria 7 times in 4 years.  I hope I can cut it.