A glimpse into my 25 years working and serving with…

On this date 6 February, in 2001, I started working for the United Nations (UN) at the then International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), in my hometown Arusha, Tanzania.
Today, 6 February 2026, marks 25 years of working and serving with the United Nations.

Then I was only 19 years old, fresh from high school, almost no clue of what the UN was all about. My pre-occupation then was how I flunked my A-level exams and what my future would be as becoming a Medical Doctor was clearly out of bounds. I did not have the required pass marks.

That morning of 6 February 2001, I was still in bed, recovering from a nasty pneumonia that put me down, when I received a call that I needed to report to the ICTR offices. My phone must have been the then legendary Nokia 3310. If you know you know…lols. I quickly freshened up, abandoned my recovery journey and it was the beggining of a completely new working life and experience packed journey with the UN.

I actually don’t remember if I was excited about this opportunity. I was literally going with the motions or maybe I was “moonstruck” with the whole thing.

If I could summarize this journey, I would say “Trust the Process”, I had no much control over anything really, I was like clay soil in water, ready to be molded. I went with the flow, I allowed myself to be molded, I listened and observed. I was curios to learn, improve and be better if not the best at what I do. Creativity, I think it is was is now termed innovation, and problem-solving have always been a part of me in this journey. Translating complex issues into simple, easy to absorb bite-size information and solutions.

My Aunty reminded me to be respectful at work. Address everyone as either Mr, Mrs, or Ms as appropriate – she said. First cultural shock…, my colleagues at work didn’t relate to this kind of mannerism, they were operating on first name basis. Do I stick to what my parent told me or blend in the new culture?

My first job was handling records in the Personnel Section then. I have since handled records and seeing the transition from physical to digital records to managing data. I transitioned from knowing nothing about the UN, let alone anything about records, and with no formal higher education to being skilled in Infomation Management and writing a Dissertation on The role of data and innovation in building strategic foresight capabilities in Peacekeeping Operations. I moved from the comfort of my home country to Sudan where I met some of the most amazing human beings. I saw one Country becoming two Countries, I then moved to South Sudan seeing the joy of a Country becoming independent, to experiencing two full blown out civil wars and now into post-conflict reconstruction – talk about resilient people. I now also wear another hat of experience in crisis management and building organizational resilience in a world full of uncertainties.

The in between 2001 and 2026 is an overwhelmingly rich experience that cannot be fully captured in this short story. It spans far beyond learning salutations, the rules and regulations, writing styles, the protocols to be observed, the bureaucracy, the ability to work with people from across the globe and cultures, experiencing wars and living in post conflict zones, the rich connections and friendships made along the way. I also met my wife in the UN. I am truly grateful.

Don’t get it twisted, I wasn’t spoilt at 19, I owned a Nokia 3310 because my Aunty never allowed us to be idle. I worked part-time at her restaurant as a waiter for pocket-money, she also got me a sales person position at a mobile phone’s sales outlet. I am so grateful and thankful to my Aunty for this exposure, because, it was at her restaurant that this whole UN journey started.

One of the Chief of Personnel at ICTR then, used to visit my Aunt’s restaurant after work for a glass of white wine, I would serve him too. He once asked my Aunt, what is this intelligent young man doing here? Soon after, I was called for an entry test at the ICTR – I passed and after months of not hearing from them, I forgot about it, until that call on 6 Feb 2021.

The UN is a trendmendously huge organizational and it has been valuable and awesome to work with in this phase of 25 years of my life. Whereas, I have only worked with the Tribunal and the Department of Peace Operations, these entities are in themselves huge yet represent only a fraction of what the UN is and does. 25 years later, I have learnt so much yet I feel there is still so much more to learn about the UN.

What is next for me? I have been molded and well packaged. I still carry the same values. I still have room to be further molded, I remain curious, open to learning, innovative, doing better if not the best at what I do, enjoying critical thinking, keen to solve problems and creating impact. Ok, please read this with a touch of my humbleness, I am just excited and proud of myself today.

I will keep you posted…