Hello from Bagdad,

Together with my team, I support state institutions in strengthening administrative structures and promoting decentralisation. Specifically, this means that provinces should be able to take on more responsibility – for example, when it comes to improving access to drinking water or making public services more citizen-centred.

What particularly motivates me about the job is working with different people in the various areas of administration in the country. Time and again, this leads to moments of working together on practical solutions – for example, when provinces develop processes so that services are more transparent, better coordinated or more closely aligned with people’s needs. In these discussions, you really get a sense of how much potential there is in Iraq and how willing the people are to break new ground.

Before I came to Iraq, I had already supervised projects in Jordan and Colombia. Working in different environments has shaped my management style: listening, analysing precisely, creating clarity – and supporting teams so that they remain capable of taking action even under challenging conditions. Mindfulness plays an important role in how we interact with one another, view our surroundings and go about our daily work.

I grew up in Brazil, a country where diversity is a given and very different migration backgrounds come together. That experience still shapes me today. It has strengthened my desire to get to know other realities, to engage in dialogue and to find out how collaboration works in different environments. After studying law and gaining a few years of work experience, I moved to Germany to develop my career. That was when I discovered my passion for German development cooperation.

I have now been working for GIZ for over 15 years – in education, in the field of sport for development and now in the governance sector. Working with colleagues and partner institutions to initiate changes that directly benefit people is what motivates me.

GIZ’s international staff live intermittently in Baghdad – I, too, am here for a few weeks and then back in Germany. The balance only works with careful preparation and strong support. It allows me to focus on my work and stay close to my family at the same time.

I am grateful to be able to work in Iraq and contribute to the developments being made in the country. As part of this, it is important to me to work with my colleagues on promoting gender equality. Working together here shows me every day how much is possible when trust and professional expertise come together.

Best regards,

Karina Frainer