TheJourneyVolume1 - Book - Page 24
#NextGenUNDP
Nicole Flora Kouassi
Coun tr y o f O r igin :
UNDP Co u n t r y O f f ic e :
Date o f Ap po in tm e n t :
C ÔT E D’ I VO I R E
BU R U N D I
A P R I L 2 019
“I ALWAYS WANTED MY CAREER
TO BE PEOPLE-ORIENTED
AND SERVING THE UNDERSERVED.”
I
was born in Côte d’Ivoire, in a family of seven girls and
two boys. By profession, I am a Doctor of Medicine
from the University of Côte d’Ivoire, as well as a
holder of a Master’s in Public Health from the Johns
Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Growing up, my father instilled in us the passion to
aim high and the importance of becoming highly skilled
professionals. In our home, my father was also more of
a city-oriented person who would encourage us to dress,
speak, and present ourselves in some western way, while
my mother, on the other hand, was more traditional and
instilled in us our cultural values including speaking our
language and even encouraged us to cook. However,
excelling in school, was the main driver of our upbringing
and failure was not an option.
My sisters and I went to an all-girls Catholic school,
where, from the very onset, we learnt the importance of
planning for our future, meeting our career goals, and
how to be independent.
Growing up, I had a speech impediment. I could not
pronounce some letters of the alphabet, especially
the letter “R” and people would tease me for it. I was
therefore very shy and used to avoid speaking in public.
But, I developed a strong passion for books and reading.
When the time came for me to choose my career path,
I decided to become a medical doctor. My father wanted
me to become a pharmacist. My choice of profession,
therefore, went against his wish, and this led to a conflict
between us. But, I found my inner strength to fight for
what I believed in and went for it.
I always wanted my career to be people-oriented and
becoming a medical doctor and later a public health
specialist was my way of achieving that. I believe that if it
wasn’t for my father’s opposition, being a part of Doctors
Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières), would
have been my first step in international affairs, because I
enjoy attending to the underprivileged, as well as helping
shape policies and impacting decision-making. And now
that I am working at UNDP, I realize I could not escape
an international career after all.
MY JOURNEY TO RR
Prior to my appointment as Resident Representative in
Burundi, I served as UNDP Deputy Resident Representative
Niger. Between 2014 and 2016, I held the positions of Senior
Specialist for United Nations Coherence and Coordination
at the UNDP Office of External Relations and Advocacy.
And before that, Deputy Resident Representative for UNDP
Program and Operations in Djibouti between 2010 – 2014.
After serving UNDP for about 14 years in the above
capacities, I had reached the level where I felt and
believed that I could become a Resident Representative. I
had tried several times to be on “the list” for assessment.
So, when the delinking process under the UN Reforms
was initiated, I saw it as an opportunity for me to make
the jump.
My upbringing and environment may have shaped me
into an introvert, but nonetheless, I have strong capabilities, and I may be calm and quiet, but I possess resolute
inner strengths and a strong sense of leadership.
In the Country Offices where I have had the privilege
to serve, colleagues have referred to me as “la force
tranquille” (the quiet force) or “la main de fer dans un
gant de velour.” (the iron fist in a velvet glove).
Expressing myself in public, as this job demands,
remains a challenging experience and the international
development work environment is particularly attentive
to those who are adept at employing a language and how
they speak. As an introvert who at most times is obligated
to speak in a different language (I have no problem
speaking in French), I tend to close myself into my safety ›
To keep focus on my life’s
goals, working with communities
and serving the underserved, is
important for me.”
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