Lady Mariéme welcomed Clementine Nkweta-Salami, Director of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to the iamtheCODE Podcast. The conversation covers their shared passion for service, mentorship, collaboration and leadership.
They discussed her early years in her law practice, where she realised she was far removed from the individuals she wanted to help. She reached out to UNHCR to serve for a few years. But before she knew it, many decades had passed.
“It is important to look behind the numbers and remember that refugees are real people. They have joy and fear, and hope. They want to take care of their families, break a dependent lifestyle and assume full responsibility for themselves and their families. It is challenging to express the joy and satisfaction that you get from this.”
Education has been her passport to achieving her full potential.
“An educated girl grows into an educated woman, and she will be the backbone of her community” Clementine is passionate about mentoring girls to get the best possible education they can.
Clementine sees learning opportunities in everything we do; often it is about finding the confidence to unleash the powers we have within ourselves. Her work story moved from dealing with corporations to individual human beings. She is committed to everyone in all walks of life understanding what protection, support and assist refugees mean.
She shared with Lady Mariéme about her leadership style. “I am like the conductor of an orchestra. Every one comes with the ability to play a particular instrument. My job is to say what piece of music we play, and everyone in the team plays their instrument to the best of their ability. If we don’t listen, then we have a cacophony. When we work well together, we have harmony.”
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Disclaimer: The views expressed during the interview are Clementine’s personal opinion.