SAM CLENDON From Christchurch to Kabul
When Sam Clendon (12462) left Christ’s College in 2002, he never imagined that one day he would be working in Afghanistan as an Emergency Programme Officer with the UN World Food Programme. But that is exactly what Sam, aged 31, has been doing for the past decade, working in conflict and post-conflict contexts across the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.
It is a far cry from the hallowed halls of Princeton University in the US, where Sam completed a BA in International Affairs and Public Policy, followed by an MSc in Forced Migration at Oxford University. We caught up with Sam during his recent visit back to Christchurch. The experiences you are having must be so different from life in New Zealand. Khartoum, Sana’a or Nouakchott) is not much different from a regular 9–5 (or more normally 8am–8pm) anywhere else, albeit in locales that might seem more exotic. It’s not for everyone, but I’m an eternal optimist and make the restrictions of living in a conflict environment work for me. What is your working life like in Kabul? I’m not a morning person, so it’s a tough pre-coffee commute of 200m (the World Food Programme’s current guest house and office are in the same compound). Work can run the gamut from the exciting through to the mundane. snow-capped mountain passes in northern Badakhshan, to cheering on buzkashi matches and exploring the Blue Mosque in Mazar, eating pomegranates in rural Nangahar and buying carpets in bazaars in Herat. Some days can be field co-ordination with co-operating partner and I’d argue that the day-to-day experience of life in Kabul (or I’ve been lucky to see much of Afghanistan up close, from
strategic policy engagement with government ministries. The more mundane tasks include budgeting, spreadsheets and internal donor reports. Is there any opportunity for a social life? It’s usually pretty busy, at least I’ve found it so. In a normal week, if we’re not put under lockdown, I manage to get out and about almost every evening – social sports (field hockey at the British Embassy; cross-fit at other UN compounds; and co-ed netball at the Australian Embassy); meeting friends for
drinks and dinner most nights; cultural events, live bands and pub quizzes if you know where to look; parties at the UN, NGO and Embassy compounds every Thursday and Friday; pool parties and volleyball games during summer; BBQ fire pits in winter. I most definitely burn the candle at both ends, and come back to NZ to relax, unwind and completely decompress. All of this is done before midnight. For the first time in my life I have a security-imposed curfew, which
College Issue 32 2017
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