Blerina Lako: A life-changing journey from Albania, Iraq, Sudan and the Ukraine crisis

From Sudan to Ukraine, 18-year veteran Blerina Lako looks back at her journey as a humanitarian leader from Albania, Iraq to Sudan and now the Ukraine crisis. Her commitment to serving in challenging environments and her belief in the power of today's actions define the essence of this special day.

I am from Albania. Before coming to Ukraine, I worked in Iraq and Sudan, both challenging contexts. It was not difficult for me to decide to work in Ukraine having already worked in difficult environments.

The only challenge I face every time was how my family, especially my children, worried about my health and safety. But they know me well, trust me with confidence that God would take care of me.

I believe everything happens for a reason. I have a degree in literature and my father felt that I would be a good teacher. That was his plan for me, not what God had in mind.

After graduation, I started working as a translator for an international organization, and this opportunity turned out to be game changer leading me to a different path.

From being a translator, I was promoted to project officer, and since then I have worked in various leadership roles in different countries for more than 18 years.

I started this work with the good intention of supporting people and helping them improve their lives, but along the way I have become a better person because of it.

Even in my best dreams, I would have not found a better job than the one I am doing now. God knows my potential, so He gave me this opportunity. Why this job? I love the job and it is where I put 100% of my heart, hands, and mind.

The nights are exhausting when you cannot sleep because of the air alarms, but I wake-up every morning full of gratitude that I have the chance to work and serve another day.

Currently, I am Chief of Party for project funded by USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and supported by ACTED Ukraine and Ukraine Response Consortium.

It comes with a lot of responsibility because we are able to support people impacted by the Ukraine crisis through the generosity of United States taxpayers working closely with different stakeholders, including the six partners who implement the project.

The role gave me the chance to develop policies on how we can better work with partners and move forward the localization agenda, with the purpose to increase the impact of our work and reach more people.

I believe that working with partners and teams well can bring positive change. It gives you a broader perspective and strengthens your own ability to address the challenges and find ways to support people hardest to access.

Working in a difficult environment like Ukraine took me to another level. The nights are exhausting when you cannot sleep because of the air alarms, but I wake-up every morning full of gratitude that I have the chance to work and serve another day.

No matter what challenges, obstacles and difficulties come our way, I am here to serve, I am here to be brave, to have courage and faith, and to overcome what seems impossible.

I find my strength in God and put my trust in Him. I have hope that what I am doing matters. I believe that humanitarian work is within you, from your heart. You are there because it is God’s will.

“It's not easy to do the work that we do. It is not easy to overcome the challenges, but we should remember why we do it and stay strong. Let’s be strong and move forward all together in achieving our mission as humanitarian workers.

Blog by Blerina Lako, Chief of Party, BHA-funded Project I Photos by Oleksandra Shapkina, Communications Officer