What does your job entail?
I work as a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) advisor at the Netherlands Red Cross. This is a very diverse job. I work directly with our international partners and contribute ideas on how we can ensure that the most vulnerable have access to safe drinking water and clean toilets. Additionally, I partly work for the International Red Cross team in Geneva to enhance the expertise in urban water and sanitation within the Red Cross. I also liaise with other humanitarian organisations like UNICEF and Oxfam, as I coordinate a technical working group on sanitation in emergency contexts.
How did you end up joining the Red Cross?
Before working at the Netherlands Red Cross, I spent a few years in the emergency relief sector. I wanted to return to the Netherlands while continuing to work in emergency relief. Then a colleague shared the vacancy for my current job, and I applied.
What do you enjoy most about the job and the organization?
I enjoy the variety; every day can be completely different. Additionally, I love that emergency relief is central to our work. We can be deployed for short emergency relief missions and are also available to cover for colleagues temporarily on an emergency mission. But the best part is the direct collaboration with colleagues from other Red Cross or Red Crescent societies worldwide.
Can you say something about your development at the Red Cross?
Within my role and team, there is a lot of mutual trust. I have the space to delve into new topics when I can explain the relevance. This way I can continuously develop myself and acquire new knowledge and skills.
Are you, like Marij, motivated to apply your WASH expertise in a humanitarian network? Find our vacancies below or submit a request for a job alert.