TheJourneyVolume1 - Book - Page 27
SERVING THE UNDERSERVED
To keep focus on my life’s goals, working with communities and serving the underserved, is important for me. My
five children always ask me why I am not a house mom. I
just cannot be. I am very comfortable at duty stations in the
field rather than at HQ. And despite the big impact this has
on my family, I get a great degree of personal satisfaction
when I can bring a smile to the faces of women, men, and
young people in the areas I visit for work. I am also happy
when I am able to make significant changes in communi-
U N I T E D N AT I O N S D E V E L O P M E N T P R O G R A M M E
and the cruelty, manages to hide his son, entertains his
wife in the women’s section of the camp, and through his
enduring positive spirit, ensures their survival. For me, no
matter what we face in life, “Life is beautiful” and worth
living, because we always are covered by the Grace of God!
ties facing extreme poverty, abuse, and insecurity.
The COVID-19 crisis did impact my family and my
marriage, and it made me question my choice about
pursuing an international work life. It did not, however,
change my life’s goal. I still believe that UNDP is the best
organization to work with if you want to serve the underserved. And that UNDP is on the right track to shape the
future of international development. Each one of us needs
to believe that.
We also need to continue investing in ourselves,
and the resources which really make an impactful
difference in people’s lives. But, to do so, we should ensure
that the people themselves, are the ones at the center of
their own development. Not the decision-makers, and
definitively not us! n
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