All-Rounder: Karen Hobday
Our Gender and Hygiene Promotion Advisor, Karen Hobday, embodies what it means to be an all-rounder, with a fascinating academic and professional journey that has led her to where she is today. It’s a journey that has taken her from Canada, to Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Australia, and now Singapore.
Read our interview with Karen about what’s she’s learned in her many roles about the importance of diverse experiences, fostering a broad skill set, and how children are the ultimate training to be an all-rounder!
What is your background? Tell us a bit about your journey and path you have traveled so far.
My background is in the field of public health; both in long term stable situations and short term humanitarian roles. After a couple of eye-opening volunteer trips, first to Jamaica in high school and then later to Ethiopia, I knew that I wanted a career that focused on working to improve the lives of disadvantaged people. I went on to study international development and political science at the University of Toronto. During my studies I was an intern with Care International, an NGO, in Zambia. It was 2004 during the height of the HIV epidemic and I conducted research to inform Care’s home-based care program design for people living with HIV/AIDs. This experience made me realise the importance of practical or formative research and also my passion for working in public health.
This led me to undertaking a Master in Public Health and then into the field to work in East Timor, where I worked for 4 years. I loved working in East Timor; I learned the local language and discovered a great deal about the history, politics and social situations of the country. I then joined a humanitarian roster (RedR Australia) to diversify my career and was deployed to Pakistan to respond to the 2011 floods. A year later I moved to Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo to work as a Program Manager for a program working with survivors of sexual violence. This program was founded by Dr Denis Mukwege, the recent winner of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize. I was privileged to have this opportunity and can say hands down it was my most challenging but rewarding work to date.
I moved to Darwin, Australia in 2013 to be with my then partner and my now husband. I worked with the Northern Territory Department of Health on Indigenous health programs in remote communities. This was also eye-opening as the disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians are immense, particularly in health outcomes.
In 2015–2016, I had the opportunity to work with the World Health Organization in Geneva to support their humanitarian work in Yemen, South Sudan and DRC. This was a very different role that involved more politics and strategy than on-the-ground work. It was fascinating to learn about the work at the country, regional and headquarter level and to play a coordination role with various partners.
I decided to undertake a PhD in implementation science in maternal health to hone in on two of my passions: practical research and women’s health. Specifically, I am examining a program to distribute a medication (misoprostol) to prevent post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) in Mozambique. Globally, PPH is one of the leading causes of maternal deaths and misoprostol is a life saving medication, particularly for women who birth at home without access to a medical professional. Misoprostol can be self-administered and can prevent haemorrhage after the baby has been born. I also have teaching experience and lecture for a couple of courses at Charles Darwin University.
I moved to Singapore in 2017 and have had two children here while finishing the writing stage of my PhD. My daughter is 6 weeks old and my son is 2. In my opinion, having children is a fantastic qualification to be an all-rounder as they always keep you on your toes and throw you into new and challenging situations! I am currently training to be a birth doula to marry my academic skills with practical hands-on skills. I learned about Asia P3 Hub through a colleague and have been an advisor with them in the area of gender and hygiene promotion. I’ve enjoyed learning more about multi-sectoral partnerships, particularly private or corporate partners and how they can enhance NGO work. Seeing how the Hub works to expand traditional strategies to incorporate innovative solutions through partnerships has also been exciting.
The roles you’ve held and the different contexts you’ve worked in illustrate versatility and adaptability. Why is being an ‘all-rounder’ important– and how has it helped you be successful?
Being an all-rounder is important for succeeding because it means you can adapt and handle many situations. I pride myself in being able to work with people from different backgrounds and personalities. Being able to learn quickly and jump in where needed is important in humanitarian work. At the same time the communication skills and patience that are essential in longer term positions can be applied across the board. I strongly believe that most problems have a solution, and being an all-rounder provides me with a diverse set of skills that helps to solve problems independently or with others.
How do multi-sector partnerships (MSP) play a role in your work? Partnerships are not just about shared values, but also about trust. How do you cultivate trust in partnerships?
Genuinely listening to people, especially the people whose community you are a guest in, is of utmost importance in order to cultivate trust. Respect and honesty are also essential values that lead to strong partnerships. I feel that what you give out you may get back in return, so it is good to check your ego. Being humble in new situations will also go a long way to gaining trust. When people see that you are genuine and have an open mindset to learning, it will also help to generate trust.
What advice or wisdom from your life would you pass on to others who are just beginning their journey to become an all-rounder, or desire to embark on such a path?
My journey has been very diverse and rich. I have met phenomenal people and have been involved in many incredible experiences. Being an all-rounder involves taking risks and leaving your comfort zone. I suggest following your passions and accepting opportunities that arise, even if they aren’t exactly related to where you thought you might be. Enjoy taking courses and expanding your skills where possible, it’s always good to have a broad skill set to assist in your next job.
We hope you learned a lot from this interview. If you want to read more from our All-Rounder series, click HERE.
