My mother has been an incredible source of inspiration in my journey of becoming a nurse. She worked for Ghana’s Ministry of Education, and often took in and cared for children who were in need or unable to get an education. Her humanitarian gesture inspired me to empathize with others, especially with women and children. She cultivated my interest in health promotion, and along the way I’ve seen how the burden of disease is reduced when people are empowered to take control of their health. 

I wanted to be a nurse who could communicate effectively and professionally with patients, who takes good care of them, and who respects patients’ privacy. To better prepare myself, I pursued further education in Nursing and Psychology, Public Health, as well as Health Services Administration. 

Prior to joining the United Nations, I worked as a registered nursing officer at Ghana’s Ministry of Defense. This experience helped me hone my professional skills and develop empathy for people affected by conflict. In Ghana, the Buduburam refugee settlement sheltered more than 12,000 refugees who had fled Liberia’s two civil wars. Each time I drove past the camp, I felt motivated to improve the living conditions of populations suffering from war. That was when the idea of working for the United Nations came to me.

Back then, I couldn’t find any positions at the United Nations that would allow me to directly work with the refugees in Ghana—but I spotted an opportunity to indirectly help people in other countries also affected by conflict. By joining the medical team in charge of maintaining the health of United Nations staff, I could help the refugees by increasing productivity within the organization. 

I applied and was recruited to work at the United Nations Mission in Nepal in 2007. My career with the Organization has since taken me to Kosovo, Congo, Iraq, and right now, Darfur in the Sudan. Working in these areas can be challenging. I remember how vigilant I became when I went on a vacation after the first month in Iraq. Whenever someone in my family banged a door at night, I found myself awake, acting like a soldier on guard. Even so, I have never regretted my decision. I really enjoy my work because I’m fulfilling my dream. Whenever a patient says “thank you” or “God bless you” to me, I feel proud and grateful. 

I am enthusiastic about health education for women and children. I have always considered the lack of knowledge as the real poverty. When I was in Iraq, I had the opportunity to volunteer at a health promotion programme initiated by UN Women and the United Nations Development Programme. I joined the Programme because the lack of reproductive health awareness shocked me to the core. As a medical practitioner, a woman, and a mother, I simply needed to do my part to help them, and sharing information is one way of doing so.   

My journey with the UN has been so rewarding – but I still look forward to going back home one day to assist with Ghana’s health education. I believe when a country puts more effort into improving health awareness, the national health expenditure decreases, which advances a country’s development. It is another way to impact humanity, just as my mom did when I was a child.