Abdoulaye Sawadogo, Head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Haiti, works to ensure effective duty of care to his team while managing the response on the ground:
As Head of Office, my role is multi-fold. First and foremost, it is my responsibility to ensure that OCHA and the entire humanitarian community are supporting the Haitian government in responding to the pressing needs of the most vulnerable people.
I also provide strategic support to our Humanitarian Coordinator.
Engaging with humanitarian partners and government entities constitute part of my core daily activities. My work would be meaningless without these essential collaborations – which are both strategic and technical.
How is the upsurge of insecurity and violence in Haiti affecting your team?
The past few months have been difficult for everyone, but more so for national staff because this is their country, all of them have been affected in various ways, and some were directly in harm’s way.
At the height of the crisis, I held staff meetings up to three times a week, to provide a safe space for staff to express their concerns about safety, access to medical care, and to raise any questions they had.
Outside work, we often organize social gatherings with music, food, and drinks for staff and their families, which creates a strong sense of community and belonging.
And although these social events mostly take place in the capital city, Port-au-Prince, I do not neglect my colleagues in the regions.
I regularly visit field-based colleagues, make it a point to commend them for their hard work in a very challenging environment, and listen to their concerns. ?I do not want anyone to feel any less or forgotten.
You are leaving Haiti soon…
I am, and my biggest hope is to return as soon as possible, but this time as a tourist.
Because that day, it will mean that the country is safe again, that its brave and resilient people can finally have some respite and live in peace, and that everyone will be able to fully appreciate Haiti’s beauty.
They don’t call it Ayiti Chérie –"My beloved Haiti" – for nothing. This country, its beauty, its welcoming and generous people are aspects that stay with you for a long time.
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