“I believe education is what will give a better life and a better future for children.”

Iman S. Abdullah,  Education Officer,  UNICEF Iraq (Centre Zone Office)

Tell us a bit about your background.

I’m from Iraq, born and raised in Baghdad where I’ve spent my whole life. I also studied and got married here. I love Baghdad in spite of the fact that we have for the last 30 years experienced wars, conflicts (all types) with instability that affect everyone, especially children, preventing them from leading normal life as all other children do all over the world. But life still continues. I have a Masters degree in International Relations, Tenders and Global Investments, diploma in Human Rights, Multicultural Understanding and conflict management and BA in English literature. 

I recently completed a 6-month leadership program at Harvard University. This is my sixth year with UNICEF and I have also worked with five other UN agencies in the past, as well as with NGOs. During my career I took posts and tasks in different fields of work, big part of it with education field.  It was mostly my decision to move to another job, when I felt that I gave it what I had. I want to continue developing myself, and this cannot be done without taking on new challenges. Another reason was the security situation within Iraq.  

What do you do?

I am the Education Officer of the Centre Zone Office and I’m in charge of planning, monitoring and managing education programs in 6 central Governorates of Iraq including the capital, Baghdad.  

What’s your working day like?

What I like in my current post is the fact that I’m never bored. I usually wake up at 6 am, prepare lunch for my family in case I did not do that day before, and have breakfast with my husband and/or my children. If I have office work I will go to my office passing a lot of check points. Other days I go for field visits to regular programs or visits IDP or refugee camps, to follow up in distribution materials, assessing needs, planning for non-formal education and/or temporally learning space. For regular programs: designing training packages with authorities, visiting venues of organizing teacher training, visiting child friendly schools that we are supporting, co-facilitating workshops and trainings in different parts of Iraq (urban and rural), sometimes I’m requested to support other UNICEF offices inside Iraq. So you can see why I want to continue with this lovely/challenging job that keeps me always busy. 

How would you describe your job to a 5-year-old?

My job is to make a difference for your future. When you get education, you’ll have better options in your life. You will have the opportunity to choose what you want to do. 

What did you want to be when you were a child?

Teacher. 

How/when did you join UNICEF?

I joined UNICEF in May 2010. I love being part of the UNICEF team and working for children. I believe that education is what will give the option for a better life and a better future for children. 

What are the most satisfying parts of your job?

Field work. Meeting children, seeing teachers implement what they’ve learned during the UNICEF-supported training workshops. Education in emergencies is the start of a normal life for both children and families. 

What’s the most challenging aspect of your job?

It is not easy to measure the impact of our work in a short period of time when you’re working in education. Our education work is a long-term process and needs time to measure.

What’s your best UNICEF experience/memory?

Managing and organizing training workshops for lead trainers and teachers. Once I visited a training venue in Kerbala, then I went to one of the school where its teachers attended a similar training. I saw how one of teacher was using the skills and methods she learned at the UNICEF-supported training. It was really one of the best memories and it made me feel proud to be part of UNICEF team. 

What are your passions? How do you spend your free time?

Reading and traveling. 

What advice would you give others who are seeking a similar job as yours?

My  job is challenging and not easy, but nothing impossible, you can do everything if you just think outside the box.  Keep learning and never stop to learn from others, including children. It’s never too late and you must always keep trying to find solutions for your problems. You also need to take initiatives, be flexible, patient and open-minded in order to to do this job.

Who do you look towards for inspiration?  

The smile of a child going back to school. UNICEF succeeded in opening a tented school in Baghdad for internally displaced children during the Anbar crisis, it was opened at the request of children, parents and teachers. UNICEF supported them on that.  What was most inspiring in this community was not only their passion for education, but their need for quality education

My colleagues don’t know that I’m a mother of five and a grandmother of lovely boy and girl.