Saving lives and changing lives in Djibouti – one grain at a time

She joined WFP in 2002 and she grew a brilliant career at the HLB, one of the key logistics bases in RBN to ensure food transport to the region (Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti, Yemen, Somalia).

Contributing to the Government’s efforts to achieve SDG 2, Zero Hunger in Djibouti, in 2021 WFP reached 126,000 beneficiaries till November through unconditional resource transfers and distributed 2,700 mt of food and USD 4.5 million through cash-based transfers. In the framework of its supply chain services, WFP moved 7.5 thousands MT of goods through the Djibouti – Ethiopia corridor, most of which supported humanitarian operations in Eastern Africa.

What was your journey at the World Food Programme?

I’ve been working at the HLB warehouse for 5 years now, and I am passionate about every aspect of my job. I started as a logistics assistant, then I specialized in operations commodity accounting – operating on the Logistics Execution Support System (LESS) – and since then, I never stopped to grow professionally. When I was asked to become a Warehouse Manager, at the beginning I was scared but now it became a passion !

How is it to work for a WFP warehouse in Djibouti?

There’s no WFP without warehouses. Those facilities are key to ensure that we can reach those in need, stocking great quantities of food and ensuring that product quality is maintained over time. Following WFP corporate procedures, we make sure to stock the materials at the correct temperature and we oversee the bagging activities, facilitating the transport of goods to neighboring countries timely. Sometimes it’s hard since we face several challenges – i.e. delays in transport, sudden requests for cargo storage or infestations – and that’s where the true Supply Chain spirit comes forward! As soon as a problem develops, we come up with timely solutions to maintain business continuity and make sure that WFP never stops to reach its beneficiaries. As a warehouse manager, it is my responsibility to oversee the daily activities, and to take quick decisions when problems arise. In Djibouti, the port operations have increased in volumes and frequency in 2021 and now we facilitate the transport of huge volumes of food in the Horn of Africa.

It’s not easy to be a woman in charge in a manly world, but I never give up.  

Can you tell us more about the day-to-day warehouse work at HLB?

First of all, we plan carefully to understand the space needs in the warehouse and we monitor the containers’ traffic heading to the hub to understand business continuity and the smooth progress of the daily logistics operations. At the same time, when the operations are on-going we perform regular inspections and a careful monitoring of the loading activities: this step is delicate and if there’s a problem I need to find a quick solution! Sometimes it’s not easy to be a woman in a manly world, but over time I earned my colleagues’ respect and now every time that there’s an issue, they come to me to ask for support and guidance. Sometimes when I am home and my kids don’t behave, my husband goes: “Listen to your mother, she’s the Warehouse Manager !"

What is your secret to make everything work smoothly?

You need to know what you are doing. Things need to be handled in different ways according to the type of commodity received. Temperatures should be respected and everything should be kept as clean as possible. When it comes to people management, it’s also important to empower all the employees and give credit to the hard workers, finding the right role for everyone.

What is it that you love more about your job?

Handling all the challenges – for me, nothing is impossible! I enjoy taking effective decisions on the spot and thinking quickly. In my opinion, a manager should facilitate the work of others, not making it harder. It’s with this mind set that I face the day-to-day workload, trying to inspire and guide my colleagues to achieve great goals.

Would you have a getaway message for young women willing to thrive?

I would say: “Believe in yourself and shoot for the moon!” Normally women pass from the back door but you have all the rights and capabilities to enter the job market from the main door without knocking. At the beginning it wasn’t easy for me to be accepted in a manly world but at the end of the day my colleagues trust me and they accepted me as their leader. When I was a kid I remember that I wanted to become the next UN Secretary: I haven’t got there – yet! – but I am proud of my work; the warehouse is my first thought when I wake up and the last one when I go to sleep – together with my beautiful family. Insha Allah, we’ll continue to ensure that WFP saves lives and changes lives in the Horn of Africa. One grain at a time.