Meet the Mercy Corps team: Samar, Yemen

As part of our Meet Mercy Corps series, we’re celebrating some of our incredible staff members around the world. Meet Samar, a Senior Programme Officer in Yemen.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Samar and I joined Mercy Corps four years ago, I’m now a Senior Programme Officer for our water, health and sanitation projects (WASH). Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the Middle East and with the recent conflict, more than 80% of the population are in need of aid. Our WASH projects provide hygiene supplies and increase across to water and sanitation for the most vulnerable families. Mercy Corps constructs and rehabilitates water systems, irrigation channels, toilet facilities and other community infrastructure. Part of our programming also promotes proper hygiene in schools and communities.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My day starts with giving our security focal point an update on program activities, then I check in with team members who are out visiting our program sites to ensure that everything is going smoothly. Then my day involves lots of different tasks to ensure that our programming is the best it can be. This involves communicating with communities and local authorities, preparing donor reports, coordinating with finance colleagues, training staff, solving problems. Let’s just say I usually have a long list of tasks!

What motivates you?

I’m motivated by seeing that my team have energy and are doing their very best to support others. Also to see a smile on a woman or child that you have helped is very motivating.

What do you do in your spare time?

I usually like to spend my weekends hanging out with my team members and having fun. I like to do a lot of cooking, especially fish as it is my best dish.