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COVER STORIES: THE CHALLENGE OF
HUMANITARIAN AID
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Fulfilling a Dream
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See Voices from the Field
It’s been a long, winding journey for Heinz Henghuber—from
the executive suites of Microsoft through the rebel-held areas
of Sierra Leone to the classrooms of the Fletcher and Friedman
schools.
The 43-year-old German is one of five students currently enrolled
in the five-year-old Master of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance
(MAHA) program, an intensive one-year joint degree offered by
the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and the
Fletcher School.
Although a little older than the average MAHA student, Henghuber
is typical in many ways. He hails from abroad, has significant
field experience, and plans to resume his humanitarian work
when the program ends, ideally in a more senior role. He was
drawn to Tufts because of its superb reputation in humanitarian
circles.
“The program gives me the academic background that will
support my work in the field,” says Henghuber, who hopes
to return to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF or
Doctors Without Borders) upon completion of his degree. Before
arriving at Tufts, Henghuber did two stints with the organization,
first serving in Sierra Leone as a financial coordinator for
MSF’s emergency medical assistance projects, then in Afghanistan,
where he supervised a healthcare program in an isolated rural
area.
The only program of its type in the country, the humanitarian
master’s gives its students a thorough grounding in the
theoretical as well as the pragmatic.
“Humanitarian workers have commitment, courage, and many
specific skills, but I have yet to meet one who actually trained
for his or her job,” says Peter Walker. “Often,
they rapidly gain field experience, then realize there are big
gaps in their knowledge, analyses, and skills. That’s
where the MAHA degree comes in.”
For instance, in one course Henghuber examines the ethics and
moral values that inform humanitarian action and development.
In another, he is creating a mock relief organization, learning
about the practicalities of advocacy and fundraising.
In a sense, Henghuber’s career path has come full circle.
In his early 20s, he worked as a nurse’s aide in a home
for the disabled, and even traveled to India to work with Mother
Theresa’s Missionaries of Charity. But he ultimately used
his degree in business administration to climb the corporate
ladder at Microsoft, eventually becoming the head of finance
and administration for the company’s Swiss and Austrian
operations.
“One of my dreams when I left the for-profit world was
to spend a year in the U.S. studying something I felt passionate
about,” says Henghuber. “The MAHA program fulfills
that dream.”—VR
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