Somalia Kenny Gichuru

My name is Kenny Gichuru; I was born in Nairobi and am a Norwegian citizen.

My humanitarian journey started after working for many years in a Norwegian hospital. I then started working for the Norwegian Peace Corps and from there I was encouraged by friends to apply for this job with CTG.

My role in Somalia is as a medical coordinator with the Somalia National Army support unit, running health programmes. I like working with people, sharing knowledge and building capacity.

I enjoy being out in the field. My career has taken me to many diverse countries: I’ve worked in Norway, South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Thailand and Tanzania.

What can I tell you about the kind of experiences here… I was once in a delegation that went to visit a sector commander. The meeting was held under a neem tree on a hot and dusty afternoon. Our delegation leader was talking to us through an interpreter. We wanted to find out how best we could support the commander and his sector. The first thing he said was that he needed an office building and it must have a conference hall. I thought really? Maybe you should first get an office then you can see if you need a conference hall. That was how quickly I learnt that my task would involve managing expectations.

I feel very good about my work; I learn a lot every day and I meet all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds. I have made good friends and I feel I have had a positive impact on the Somalis I work for.

In my opinion, this kind of work is suitable for people who are mature and mentally strong. It helps if one gets along easily with people. Living conditions require that one is mature enough to look after oneself and make the right decisions, strong enough to be alone but also social enough to live closely with others.

I am positive about the future of Somalia. I think most Somalis are fatigued by the insecurity and the results from the 2017 presidential elections are evidence of this.