Vol. 8, No. 2     Summer 2000

Staff Profile: Caroline Njuki

   Caroline Njuki is UMCOR's new Executive Secretary for World Hunger/Poverty. She brings to UMCOR a wealth of experience and knowledge from many years of working in the international community. Most recently she was a program manager for the World Young Women's Christian Association (World YWCA) and was based in Geneva, Switzerland. Caroline has expertise in gender issues and has worked extensively and passionately for education for women and girls, as an advocate against the trafficking of women and children, to help women gain access to credit and land, and to change age-old attitudes and cultural mores that confine women to the lower echelons of society and are detrimental to their health and welfare.

   Caroline is excited about bringing her past experience to her new position at UMCOR. When asked about her work at UMCOR, Caroline noted that women produce more than 80% of the food in third world countries, yet have little access to land, credit, education and training. Many UMCOR projects address the role and responsibilities of women in providing for the health, education, nurture and welfare of their children and communities. "Working with UMCOR is another way to bring women into the fold– and of course," Caroline said, "to improve the lives of women and children, it is important to include men in the dialogue so that women and men may complement each other, as God intended."

   Caroline is responsible for UMCOR's world hunger/poverty Advance projects and looks forward to the opportunity to find out how we can serve the projects better and ensure that the beneficiaries get the maximum benefit from UMCOR's support. She will also work with United Methodist churches, annual conference hunger coordinators, non-governmental organizations, educational institutes, and other agencies to facilitate UMCOR and the church's involvement in hunger issues.

   Born in Uganda, Caroline came to the United States as a refugee at a young age. She earned her B.A., Masters, and Ph.D degrees here, and has been working on global issues ever since. Caroline loves to travel, and her work has taken her to almost every continent. Being exposed to different cultures has taught her tolerance and appreciation for others. Caroline is married to Frank, has a daughter who is entering college, and cares for her aging mother. To relax, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, reading and movies. We welcome Caroline and the skills and experience she brings to UMCOR!

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