TheJourneyVolume1 - Book - Page 66
#NextGenUNDP
Natasha van Rijn
MADAGASCAR
political, and even physical obstacles to do something
selfless. I am inspired by so many great world leaders,
but increasingly, I get inspired by the so-called “ordinary”
people. These are people who despite the challenges they
face, strive for a better life for their families, communities
and countries. And yet, they seldom receive the recognition they deserve.
Probably the single largest challenge I have faced so
far, was the death of my mother in 2006, while I was
serving the UN in Burundi. My mother died in Brazil, and
my younger sister was in Australia. The three of us being
so far apart at this critical moment was not only difficult
but it also made me question every professional choice
that I had made until then, and this seriously strained
my relationship with the UN flag. What was for me an
emblem of hope and opportunity, had suddenly become
the symbol of my feelings of regret, for being away from
my family when they needed me the most.
It has been a long road towards restoring my sense of
purpose and finding a renewed sense of faith in the world
and wanting to contribute to it again. I am grateful that
I have many close friends and inspirational colleagues,
who were able to hold space for me and guide me through
what has, at times, felt like a difficult choice between my
family and my professional life.
A key turning point in my life would follow after our
mother’s death in 2006. The birth of my now 10-year-old
nephew. Having felt the strong sense of grief and guilt
that came with being far from my mother when she died,
it meant the world to me to be able to travel to Australia
from New York (I was serving in UNDP HQ at the time)
to witness the beginning of a new life. All came full circle
for me through this experience, and I was able to return
to my post in New York with a renewed sense of balance
in doing what I love, while also being present for my
immediate family when they need me.
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BECOMING RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE
I moved from Yemen to Madagascar in 2020, a year that
will long be remembered for the COVID-19 pandemic
and the beginning of a new period in public health. It
has been both rewarding and challenging, exhausting
and thrilling, and interesting and upsetting at the same
time. Since my previous roles have involved working
in and on crisis countries, I feel that I have been well
prepared to continue dealing with crises such as
COVID-19 and climate change
I also feel the all too familiar urgency of responding
to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Southern
Madagascar - the region facing famine-like conditions
due to long-term drought. I have witnessed a degree of
suffering that unfortunately, I have seen before, after
serving in the Central African Republic and Yemen.
One of the most pressing challenges is to support the
government to adopt a long-term strategy that takes
into account the recurring drought, the need for large
scale infrastructure, and a plan for delivering water to
the region’s population in an environmentally sustainable manner, while also responding to COVID-19.
For me, this, along with supporting the electoral
process in 2023 will be the enduring challenge. The
UN system has a real opportunity to activate the nexus
in programs and financing to support the government
to find its way out of the perpetual crisis in southern
Madagascar.
This new emerging world and its challenges, combined
with getting to know Madagascar, its government, and
its people, has been an extremely rewarding experience
even if I admit that we are also struggling to find our feet
as a new team, after months of lockdown. I am optimistic
that UNDP Madagascar will consolidate its gains and
deliver on the new Country Program Document, in a
way that showcases what UNDP can do. n