05 June 2008

N'Djamena, Chad: The IT helpdesk supports civilian staff at the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) – looking after both software and hardware. My team of five looks after an office of over 250 people. I keep MINURCAT connected.

In Chad, almost no IT infrastructure exists, so the IT team could only set up a wireless connection that inevitably often collapses. That's why you'll never find any of the IT staff in their offices for more than 30 minutes. We are on the go all the time, ensuring MINURCAT's civilian and police staff are up and running too.

I generally get to work around 7 a.m. to check my jobs before the rest of the MINURCAT office staff arrive at 8 a.m. And from then, there's always one problem or another that needs fixing, usually connections that don't function or paper jams in the printer…

When like the MINURCAT staff you are doing deeply important work, you can get impatient when that happens. That's the thing – I not only have to fix the equipment but also have to be patient with people who don't understand why their computers are not working. And in the huge hall where six different sections are based, whenever I have solved one issue there is another person who needs help.

Sometimes I have to help with the smallest things too, scanners, printers and so on, and there's rarely time for breaks. For example, reinstalling anti-virus software for a whole section takes time so it's best to do it over the lunch hour when no-one is around. That means I have to grab my own lunch when I can.

Since MINURCAT is quite a new mission, things have yet to settle down. There is so much to be done that few people leave the office at five: 8 p.m. is the earliest I leave. Sometimes I'll even get a call at 10 in the evening, and will guide the user by telephone.

Finally, when need be I have to fill in for other people. Just before I went on leave, the asset manager left so I had to help manage the warehouse, making sure people received the items they needed on time. Simultaneously, I had to help other staff with their IT problems.

This is my first UNV assignment. I started in March 2008, and will probably extend to December. I have three years of IT experience, plus the relevant qualifications, but I really wanted to help people in Chad. I used to work in the UN office in Burundi, so my time as a UNV volunteer gives me international experience too.

That's why I do it. It is very hard work indeed, no doubt, but without myself and the other IT staff it would be more difficult for MINURCAT to function.