Featured Member: Kumar Chandiramani

Kumar first started his humanitarian work in 1999 with Médecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) contributing to their projects in South Sudan, which was recovering from a very difficult famine the previous year. MSF had responded to this famine and was in the process of restructuring its operations to support the post-emergency needs of the population. Leaving behind a career in banking, Kumar has worked for MSF ever since – in China, several African countries, and MSF-Belgium’s headquarters in Brussels.

He is now a Field Coordinator for MSF-Belgium in Nairobi, Kenya, providing access to free health care in the urban slums of Kibera for the most vulnerable populations: pregnant women, children victims of sexual violence, and those affected by communicable and non-communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.

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[Kidnapping] situations can be difficult to deal with and we have had to learn to work in new ways in insecure environments.

- Kumar Chandiramani

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He describes his work as having three dimensions. First, there is the operational level at which Kumar is responsible for project management. Second, he is the link between the field and the coordination offices to ensure that projects reflect the overall organisational vision. Finally, he evaluates the needs on the ground and gives inputs to the headquarters regarding the direction the project should take. Of these different aspects of his work, he particularly likes the fact that he is working in close proximity to the target population, negotiating with various groups in the slums and directly seeing the impact of MSF’s work in the field.

Having started his humanitarian career before the September 11 attacks, he finds that the humanitarian environment has changed, having become more challenging in conflict areas in particular. “I have gone through two situations where there have been kidnappings,” recounts Kumar. “Those situations can be difficult to deal with,” he continues, “and we have had to learn to work in new ways in insecure environments.”

His wife, who also works in the field, and his two accompanying children have helped him cope with the pressure and stress. “While working for the Somalia projects,” Kumar admits, “I may not have managed as well without my family. They have been of tremendous help in keeping my feet on the ground”.

A challenge on a more general level, according to Kumar, is for humanitarian actors to start using better tools to simplify the way that assistance is delivered and to make it more effective. Along these lines, he thinks that PHAP is a stimulating platform for humanitarian professionals to exchange views and ideas and table innovative thinking. In his words, PHAP “is a good platform for networking, which helps us appreciate what professionals in related disciplines are thinking and undertaking.”

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Interview conducted by Lena Zimmer      Text edited by Markus Forsberg