Women in UN Missions – Abyei: Beatrice Lushugurhi

By Elysee Niyigena, Communications Officer, RSCE

The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) is one of the most remote peacekeeping operations. Beatrice Lushugurhi worked with the Regional Service Centre Entebbe (RSCE) for 10 years before joining UNISFA’s Mission Support Centre. In a conversation, she tells us how joining UNISFA was a tough but important decision for her career.

“It was a personal choice” she explains. “In fact, when I joined peacekeeping in 2010, I was coming from the World Food Program (WFP), where I served as Procurement and Program Officer. When the project was phased out, I started looking for a new job, and was offered to join United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).”

Beatrice joined the RSCE in 2013 where she served in different capacities including as Administration Officer in the office of the Chief and Director RSCE: “I enjoyed my time at the RSCE. It was a wonderful experience, and I was fulfilled professionally but I wanted something new to challenge me in a different way and that is Abyei”

A decision to go back to the mission

Her decision to go to Abyei was mostly influenced by personal circumstances: “It was more of a family decision. All my children are in universities, and they require more financial support than before. Before their father died, he was taking care of some part of their education and I was in charge of other things, so it was easier. As a mother, it’s so difficult to leave your children behind and go to a remote area like Abyei. But on the other side, it is a choice you make to give them a good life, to pay for their school fees and get extra income.”

Life in the Mission

Beatrice has worked in other missions like UNAMID, UNOS/ UNISOM and has been in all locations where the mission operates but she says UNISFA is different.

Abyei does not have an airport or a good road network and the best way to get here is by helicopter from Wau in South Sudan: “Thinking that all the time I go for R&R or annual leave I must use helicopter, was a shock of my life. Every time I leave the helicopter, I feel dizzy and have a headache. The second challenge for me was the accommodation in Abyei. I have lived in C-containers before, but the one that was allocated to me in Abyei was really bad, especially in the rainy season, when the room leaked and the place was muddy.”

All activities in the camp are done in the same place. Her accommodation is a short distance to the office, so to keep herself active, she engages in exercise: “My day begins with a one-hour morning walk inside the base. In the evening, I try to exercise with other people and that is how I socialize and get to know people. Afterwards, I go to my room, shower and my day is over, just like that.”

UNISFA, like other missions, has a welfare team that works to ensure that staff wellbeing is catered for. They have established a gym, weekly happy hour for people to connect, and prayer fellowships for Christians and Muslims. For Beatrice, weekends are for resting and connecting with family: “Every Saturday morning, I go to church and in the afternoon, I connect with family on phone. Sometimes we have small parties like birthdays and other celebrations. I cook my food in my accommodation, so I don’t need to go to the cafeteria for breakfast or lunch or dinner.”

RSCE is home for me...

“I saw RSCE being created, saw it grow and change from the sections to service lines. It is like RSCE is in my bones, my blood, my heart, RSCE is home. When my boys finish university and I have fewer financial burdens, I would gladly come back should the possibility present itself. I had good bosses, and they helped me grow professionally. I worked with different people. Interacting with senior colleagues on a daily basis is incomparable. But for now, I need to be in Abyei.”

Nostalgia...

The nature of work in peacekeeping missions is a sacrifice, to put other people’s lives above your own.

Beatrice says she misses so many things in Entebbe: “I miss my church, the fellowship in Entebbe, the gym, Friday lunchtime dance sessions, the cafeteria, Place2Be, the gazebo, I miss everybody, and that’s why when I come for R&R, instead of going home, my first stop is RSCE to say hi to people.”

She continues: “The food in Entebbe is amazing, like fresh food and vegetables that you cannot find here. When I think about it, I cry. But I made a choice and am happy with it for now.”

A message to other women who want to join peacekeeping

“As a woman, I have learned that there is nothing a woman cannot do when she puts her heart in it. You have to challenge yourself and understand that what a man can do, a woman can do better. That is what I tell myself every day. Do not limit your potential.”

Beatrice is motivated by the fact that she gets to see the impact of UN’s work in people’s lives: “Peacekeeping missions are a good place to engage, face-to-face, with the people you serve, the beneficiaries of your work.”

If you want to go to a remote area, like a non-family duty station, remember why you are going there: to serve humanity, to contribute to the mandate of the UN. You must love it, otherwise it will not be easy for you.

A message to RSCE staff who process entitlements

I remember the Director RSCE always told Processors to put humanity first, to think that the person behind the request may be going through difficult emotions. The harsh living conditions in the field are frustrating, so bear with us. After 6 weeks in the field, your brain almost stops working and you need leave. So, especially to those who reject travel requests: pick up the phone and tell someone what they forgot to put on their travel request instead of just rejecting it. Remember we don’t have good internet like in Entebbe.