A week in my . . . development agency: ‘We are having a tangible impact on life-and-death scenarios’

I have been based in Central and West Africa for two years and prior to that I was working as the director of programmes in Dublin. I started this sort of work in 2001 when I volunteered with local agencies in India and Uganda and then got a job with Goal, where I worked until I got my current job.

I have a sister in Australia and four brothers in Ireland with my mother. I’m from Inagh in Co Clare. My dad died of motor neurone disease last May and my girlfriend, Anna, is based in the UK so it can be hard being away from everyone for long stretches.

My role involves supporting Plan’s programmes in 14 countries.

I manage a group of 25 specialists who support our country teams, strengthening the quality of our interventions in countries so they make the greatest difference for children and prioritising Plan Ireland’s areas of response throughout the Ebola outbreak.

Over the past two years we have carried out interventions in places such as Timbuktu in Mali and Central African Republic where conflict broke out through in-country fighting.

Since March 2013, Plan has been playing a key role fighting Ebola in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone where I have been leading Plan’s response. We also have interventions in countries such as Niger and parts of Burkina Faso that are affected by drought and lack of food.

No routine

There isn’t much routine here, particularly during the past year, as the Ebola outbreak has consumed almost all of my working life. When an epidemic like this strikes, it’s a constant battle to try to predict how it will spread and to foresee what its consequences might be. Every day has different challenges, such as trying to ensure that children’s education can continue when schools close, or that villages that have been quarantined due to Ebola receive regular food and water.

I’ve spent much of the past few years travelling throughout the worst-hit countries, overseeing Plan Ireland’s response and trying to ensure the budget is spent effectively. This has involved checking that our clinics are adequately stocked with medical supplies, ensuring food delivery is getting to those most in need, making sure that Plan Ireland’s supported burial teams have the proper protective clothing, and ensuring people who have died are buried safely and with dignity.

Communication has also been a big part of my role throughout the Ebola crisis. One of the principal reasons Ebola spread as it did was that people were uninformed about it. An important part of my role has been trying to convince people that Ebola is a real threat and not some government plot or act of witchcraft.

Another daily aspect of my job has been to try to ensure that Plan Ireland has an adequate number of skilled staff in the worst-hit countries. At times, it has been a struggle convincing people to go and work in the region. They have understandable fears about their safety, so trying to reassure them that that any danger will be negligible has been a real challenge.

On top of Ebola, there is still a lot of work to do supporting the other 11 countries that Plan works in, especially those such as Central African Republic that are hit by conflict. Working with Plan’s team members to ensure our response is timely, appropriate and that staff have good safety procedures in place is very important.

My week involves many flights, long days and engagements with government officials, communities and young people to understand their needs and try to prioritise them and get adequate funding to meet them.

Next challenge

The best part of my job has been that every day, particularly during the last 12 months of the Ebola epidemic, I feel that we are having a tangible impact on life-and-death scenarios.

With support from people in Ireland and beyond, Plan Ireland has been able to help fight the battle against Ebola and numbers of new cases of the virus are dropping. While there is no room for complacency, it looks as if we are finally getting to grips with it. Sadly, this has come at a heavy cost with more than 9,000 deaths.

The next challenge is to deal with the aftermath of the disease. An estimated 16,000 children have been orphaned, livelihoods destroyed and educations interrupted. While Ebola may no longer be in the headlines, there is a huge job ahead to try to get countries like Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone back on their feet. The frustrating thing was that following decades of unrest, these countries had been showing real signs of progress, and that has been curtailed by Ebola.

I’m hoping that the next phase of my job, which will be co-ordinating the effort to get children back to school, making sure there’s no resurgence of the disease, and helping communities prosper again, will be the best part. To ensure that this happens, we need continued response from the international community and the Irish public.

Over the past year, the most burdensome aspect has been knowing that I have responsibility for overseeing the safety of hundreds of colleagues who are directly tackling the Ebola outbreak or responding to the needs of children and youth in the middle of conflict.

On a personal level, I do miss home at times. Sometimes, it's just the little things; my local club won its hurling championship last year, and my brother was the manager. I would have loved to have been there for the celebrations. On other occasions it's family stuff. For example, I lost my dad last year, so not being around my mother and siblings as much as I'd like has been tough. Also, my nephews and nieces are growing up so fast; I do regret not being there for big days such as birthdays and communions. And, of course, trying to have a long-distance relationship in the midst of the recent mayhem has not been easy but the knowledge that I am doing what I can to help people keeps me going." Out of hours

When I manage to get some time off, I usually want to just unwind and chill in my apartment. Watch Ireland beat England in the rugby, listen to Clare’s hurling endeavours, Skype with family, watch some TV, swim or read: it’s simple but nice.

When I get longer periods off, then I like to head home to Co Clare and help out on the family farm. This time of year, the sheep are lambing and it’s very busy. And June to July is silage time. Working on the farm is a nice change from my job and it’s great to see everyone at home – family, friends and everyone else – and to get back to basics doing things I grew up doing and miss when I’m away.

[ plan.ie/ebola ]