Who is UNFPA?

In our latest feature, we are sharing profiles of select UNFPA staff from around the world to showcase the breadth and lifesaving quality of UNFPA’s work.

Henriette Eke Mbula

Henriette Eke Mbula is the Midwifery Adviser for UNFPA’s Country Office in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “I made a promise to pregnant mothers and myself,” she said, “to multiply the number of persons with my competencies and values.” Mbula first became a midwife to help others avoid the pain she went through after losing a close family member to complications during pregnancy.  

In 2011, the country’s national midwifery association lacked any active members. Thanks to Mbula’s hard work, there are now more than 1,000 members. She has also personally helped to train more than 5,000 midwives that work throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo helping to make childbirth safe for everyone.  

But Mbula does more than train and recruit midwives. She advises UNFPA management and national partners on monitoring, advocacy, resource mobilization and oversight on all things related to midwifery. Regardless of the task, however, all of her work revolves around bringing down what she refers to as, “alarmingly high maternal and new born death rates.” 

What is most rewarding about her work, she says, “is the satisfaction and joy of beneficiaries of my services at all levels.”

Reginald Clerie

Reginald Clerie is the Security Focal Point for UNFPA’s Country Office in Haiti. Trained as a police officer in the United States for the Haitian National Police, Clerie is a strong advocate for the safety of his coworkers. Months after joining UNFPA in Haiti, Clerie provided security and logistical backup for the UNFPA response to Hurricane Matthew.   

On Friday July 6th, 2018, he demonstrated his dedication and commitment even further. When the country erupted into riots and demonstrations protesting an increase in fuel prices, Clerie was stuck in traffic on his way home.  

Clerie, with no hope of getting his car out of traffic, decided to travel on foot to his office to check on the safety of his colleagues. After an hour of dodging rocks and gangs, Clerie was back with his staff in their office where they would stay for three days. “During the recent unrest in Haiti,” says one of Cherie’s colleagues, “Reggie’s decision to return to the office reflects a commitment to others that cannot be found in a job description.” 

“As a father of three girls,” says Clerie, “working for an organization that has such a positive impact on the population in general especially on young girls gives me the strength to work harder every day.”