SUMMER SCHOLARS BLOG: Leigh Nusbaum

Leigh with fellow Summer Scholar Ghazal Rezvani in New York, also working virtually for UNFPA-Namibia.

Though this summer—not unlike the past year or two—has been an unusual one, I am incredibly grateful to be named one of the UN Association of New York’s Summer Scholars. This program paired me with the United Nations Population Fund’s Namibia Country Office in their Communications Department.

Namibia itself is an interesting country. It is one of the least densely populated in the world, with a population of about 2.5 million people. It is also home to natural wonders such as the towering sand dunes of Sossusvlei and Swakopmund, the Fish River Canyon, the Namib Desert, abundant wildlife including the “Big 5” in Etosha National Park, breathtaking mountains in Spitzkoppe, as well as a thriving adventure activity scene. I was so looking forward to visiting the “Land of the Brave.” More importantly, I was looking forward to the many exciting events and field visits our small but mighty team in Windhoek was going to organize in person. Because of the pandemic, this in-person experience was sadly not meant to be. But though I worked remotely, I never felt like I was too far removed from the team in Windhoek (Namibia’s capital) and my boss Emma and I made a great team.

Though Namibia is labeled as a politically stable upper middle-income country, it does face many continuing challenges, particularly an issue of inequality. Rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections are higher than they should be, maternal mortality is rising, and there remains an unmet need for family planning, especially during the pandemic. Luckily, UNFPA has a close working relationship with the Namibian government as well as many Namibian CSOs and NGOs. UNFPA leverages these partnerships and works to strengthen sexual and reproductive health services, promote gender equality, and bolster national capacities to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. The agency also helps to produce high-quality demographic data. COVID-19, of course, has made these efforts more difficult for the country office, but despite the pandemic it is managing to conduct successful outreach and put on some impressive events.

My primary role in the communications office was to help spread awareness of the work of UNFPA-Namibia. This included pitching events to the press, drafting press releases, writing articles for the website, creating social media content, and helping draft their annual report. I also kept an eye on both the Namibian and international press for monthly “environmental scans” which helped the office anticipate both potential opportunities and threats to their work.

During my time with UNFPA-Namibia we worked on coverage of a number of events and press conferences with cabinet ministers, discussing topics such as the distribution of menstrual health “dignity kits” which ensure that young girls do not miss school due to their cycle. Perhaps the most exciting, however, was working on our own in-country Generation Equality Forum event featuring Namibia’s Prime Minister, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila—the country’s first female leader. In addition, I got to watch some real rising stars in Namibia’s government and civil society, like the Deputy Minister of Information Technology, Emma Theofelus, who helped spearhead the repeal of a tax on menstrual products in Namibia. Theofelus is only in her mid 20s—younger than I am!—but I am excited to see where she goes in her career. She’s extremely smart and driven to make her country a better place.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how great it was to have a colleague who was stateside, Ghazal, who is also a fellow UNA-NYC Scholar. The picture that I’ve included on my blog was taken on a day we worked in person together on my rooftop (which later hosted a group of the UNA-NYC Scholars as well). Our office paired us with buddies to check in on one another during the pandemic, and Ghazal was mine; having a co-worker in New York with me was nice as opposed to being the sole remote person in my office.

I am so grateful to the staff of UNFPA-Namibia and UNA-NYC for this opportunity. I will always treasure the lessons I have learned and the experience I have gained.

Our Summer Scholars Blog showcases our fellows’ experiences with the UN agencies and non-governmental organizations they worked with this summer. Learn more about our Summer Scholars Fellowship program and this year’s other fellows here.