“I first learned about the United Nations through the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda, where the main character in the movie had a UN emblem on his uniform. As a child, seeing that, the UN was like a team of brave men and women willing to risk their lives during a humanitarian crisis.”
Many years after first seeing that emblem on screen, 26-year-old Alexis Esekia, from Milne Bay and Central Province, wears that emblem himself, working as the Monitoring and Evaluation and Knowledge Management Associate with the United Nations Population Fund.
Nearing the completion of his tertiary studies at the Divine Word University in Madang Province, Alexis would keep an eye out for any job openings with the UN and would apply when there was an opportunity. His first break came with an internship opportunity in 2021.
“I was successful in securing a Communications Internship with the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative, based in the Resident Coordinator's Office,” shared Alexis. “It was a dream come true for me. Through my internship, I became familiar with the different UN agencies and their different mandates and how it is interlinked together.”
The UN Resident Coordinator leads the country team which consists of the heads of each UN agency working in Papua New Guinea.
“During my 7-month role with the RCO, I sometimes provided communications support to the UNFPA team and it was during this time I gained insights on the important work and support UNFPA was providing to the country, especially in strengthening the healthcare systems.”
Alexis joined UNFPA as the Young and Emerging Evaluator in November 2021 and the rest, as they say, is history.
He shared how UNFPA plays an important role in supporting sexual & reproductive health in PNG, both in support of services and commodities, and advocacy for people’s rights in accessing them.
“This is a need and a gap that must be addressed, especially for our adolescents and teenagers in the remote parts of PNG.”
When asked what his advice to young graduates who want to join the UN would be, Alexis they should use every opportunity to learn as much as they can and always ask questions.
“Most importantly, you must be passionate about what you do. Being passionate will drive you to be better and excel in your tasks which means you will contribute more meaningfully.”
