About me

---

With a Master’s degree in Development Studies and Medical Anthropology and professional qualifications in non-fiction creative writing, I am a writer, editor and communication specialist. 

I have more than 20 years of experience in the humanitarian and development fields with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), other United Nations agencies, government ministries and NGOs.

I was raised in Croatia, Zambia, Norway, Tanzania and France. I speak my mother tongue, Croatian, as well as English and French. I also have a working knowledge of Spanish and basic Swahili. 

After volunteering for the British NGO, WaterAid, in London, I started my career as a press officer with the UNICEF Rwanda humanitarian programme in 1995. We worked round the clock to provide relief and recovery services to children and families affected by the genocide in the country. 

I have since worked as a fieldworker and consultant in a number of development, conflict and recovery contexts including Kosovo, Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya and Uganda.  I thrive when I travel, and am able to hit the ground running in diverse situations. 

I have a 11-year-old daughter who is the apple of my eye. I want to teach her that it is possible to be passionate about work while also taking the time to cook a meal for friends or to go out dancing. 

Balance is important to me - in how I approach life and work.

When I’m not working, you can find me sketching, having a cup of Kenyan brew or groaning through a Boot Camp class.