stress

Morals and Motivations in Aid Work

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What motivates aid workers? And do motivations have any bearing on how aid workers experience stress? These are two among many questions I continue to grapple with whilst undertaking field research in Kenya. Whilst family, friends and even strangers we meet at a party may assume that we are selfless heroes, ask aid workers about … Read more

The Role of Staff Welfare in Improving Humanitarian Practice

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Yesterday saw the launch of three reports on humanitarian practice in Nairobi, and also saw me presenting on a panel for one of the reports. The panel was organised by the CHS (Core Humanitarian Standard) Alliance, a network of around 260 humanitarian organisations operating in 160 countries worldwide.   Its work focuses on ensuring the core … Read more

The Realities of a Life in Crisis

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Watching Living in Emergency, a documentary film about doctors from the humanitarian agency Médicins Sans Frontières (MSF) operating in Congo and Liberia, reminded me of the profound emotional challenges and difficult decisions that are part of everyday life for many aid workers. The film tracks the lives of several doctors working in post-conflict Liberia and … Read more

Stress in the Aid Sector: Who Suffers Most and Why?

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Something in my heart snaps. My hands tremble and my eyes burn. For the first time since arriving here I cry. I cry for the dead boy buried in the cornfield. I cry for the hungry man beaten by the police. I cry for the little boy whose hopes of living with family have been … Read more

The Role of Mindfulness in Aidwork

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Using the terms mindfulness or meditation in the work setting of a humanitarian or human rights NGO can often feel inappropriate or irrelevant. In a sector that focuses primarily on caring for others, this method of self-care may seem at best of secondary importance, at worst in contradiction to the principles of selflessness that are associated … Read more