A Day at the Office of a Humanitarian Worker

Bucharest, ROMANIA - While interviewing Ervin, it's quite logical to first ask: What qualifications does one need in order to be eligible for a long trip in a foreign country? The good news is that humanitarian organizations are usually quite flexible.

You don’t need a certain qualification in order to work in the humanitarian field. Every organization, be it for-profit or non-profit, needs people that have competencies and skills in different areas: administration, project development, management, economy, experts (medical experts, technical experts and architects), public relations.

One can actually have a diploma in almost any field in their pocket and go "on field" with a humanitarian organization. Ervin is an example himself. 

I graduated from the Faculty of Law and worked with a few organizations focused on defending human rights and offering assistance to refugees. I eventually got 'on field' with a Polish organization. But without exaggerating, I must recognize that I had to start all over again and learn everything I didn’t know.

He eventually became an expert in project development and this specialization allowed him to travel all over the world.

After the tsunami (in Southeast Asia), I started coordinating a project in Sri Lanka. Its aim was reconstructing schools on the East Coast, a region seriously affected by the giant wave. Then I focused on management and I became the head of mission of the same organization in Southern Sudan. And now I am back in Sri Lanka. I coordinate two projects: one is building a medical center and the other is about water sanity.”

So what's a day at the "office" like for a humanitarian worker? There are no ordinary days in this profession. The assignments one receives vary greatly based on your specialization and on what you've learned by experience.

As I work on projects, 50 per cent of my time is spent on office work and the other 50 per cent is dedicated to field work. I love my job because, on the one hand, I can have direct contact with the project beneficiaries and, on the other hand, I can apply the juridical knowledge I have to solving procedures, contract issues, etc.

Photos taken by Bartis Ervin in Batticoloa, Sri Lanka.

But as in any other job, there are downsides. What are the risks one has to face when deciding to live in a country affected by extreme poverty, conflict or epidemics? 

It all depends on the conditions you’re working in. There are countries where your life is really endangered; you can be kidnapped or killed. In other countries, the risks are more medical. It is about health issues. But there are also countries where you can live an absolutely normal life.

Some places are better than others.  Though there is rarely time for humanitarian workers to prepare for their next destination, they have to think carefully about the conditions they might face.

In South Sudan, I was shot at a few times or, at least, I can say that they tried to shoot me.  I had malaria and once, following an incident, I had to undergo surgery directly in the operation theatre in a Medecins sans Frontieres tent.

This is definitely not a job for the faint-hearted. I lived in a tent for nine months. My “shower” was a bucket and a glass. You can’t talk about comfort in this case. However, in capitals such as Tbilisi, Nairobi or Colombo you can live in luxury conditions you could never afford in Europe.

At the moment, I live in Ampara, Sri Lanka. After the South Sudan experience, I’d say we have excellent accommodations here.  My colleague and I live in a five-room house with a kitchen and a living room. We have Wi-Fi and a shower with hot water. Another great thing here in Ampara is that I can really enjoy riding around on a bike as I am no longer forced to use the car all the time.”

Ervin created a profile for an inappropriate candidate for humanitarian work.

Don’t try this job if:

• You are faint-hearted (you heard it earlier too).
• You love a quiet, peaceful life and adventures were never a favorite.
• You don’t enjoy helping other people.
• You are not open and tolerant enough to live in another culture.
• You don’t like the idea of starting again from zero in an unknown country.
  

 
Finally, what are the rewards of humanitarian work? Ervin is still very enthusiastic about his job.

Even if it gets very frustrating at times when there are project problems and I miss my home, most of the time I feel really happy about working in this field.  I have a very interesting job, I live in interesting countries and I usually meet extraordinary people. It is really, really hard to get bored.

Last, but not the least, though I don’t consider myself an idealistic person, I believe my work gives me the chance to help people that are not as lucky as we were to be born in Europe.