It is Carnival time in Brazil and our employee of the month is Yasmin Wakimoto, who is part of our programme division. With a Master’s in Public Policy and a Bachelor’s in Social Sciences, Yasmin is originally from Rio de Janeiro and is a Carnival lover. This year, the party was even more special because she debuted at the Carnival parade at Marquês de Sapucaí, accompanied by family and friends.
But Yasmin’s passions are also divided between research, international development, literature, vegetarianism and gender equality. In addition to working at WFP Brazil, Yasmin also dedicates her time to book clubs, such as Leia Mulheres (or Read Women), and supports movements such as Não É Não (or No Means No), a group against harassment founded in Rio that gained national recognition, especially during the Carnival period.
Yasmin joined the WFP Brazil team in January 2018. She says she always wanted to work in international development. “I have always had an admiration for the work of the United Nations. I knew it was a work of great impact, and I was very impressed by it”, says Yasmin. For her undergraduate course, she chose Social Sciences, especially after the guidance she received from high school philosophy and social science teachers.
After an experience in the private sector, Yasmin realised that her passion was the third sector, governments or international organizations. She then took a break from her career to pursue a two-year master’s degree, dividing her time between The Hague, in the Netherlands, and York, in England.
Upon completing the degree, she participated in some selection processes until she was approved at WFP Brazil. Originally, her position was focused on research and scientific production, but, as time went by, the work became more focused on direct support to countries. “I am a faithful believer in the power of knowledge, so I think that quality research, data and evidence should be the basis of all good public policy,” she says.
Yasmin adds that, although her work has shifted from research to policies and programs, she still devotes much of her time to knowledge production, writing policy briefs and other documents on specific topics as requested by countries. She also reviews public policies, laws or other documents that countries are producing with the assistance of WFP Brazil.
Another aspect of Yasmin Wakimoto’s work is providing support to countries, which involves direct contact with local WFP offices and governments. And it was in one of those situations that Yasmin experienced her greatest challenge so far.
“The happiest and most challenging moment at the same time was my first field mission, to Lesotho. It was a lot of work, and it will still be during this year. It was very important for me, on the one hand, because it was what I really wanted to do. On the other hand, it was difficult, because it was something totally new. But I think everyone likes the challenge,” she recalls.
Another remarkable moment for Yasmin was the organisation of the study visit that the Uganda delegation made to Brazil in 2019. As part of this project, she worked with professionals from different units, which she sees as an opportunity to develop new skills.
“It is very difficult to organise a study visit with a delegation made up of 17 ministers and advisers, which has significant content, in which all wishes of the visiting government are met, and at the same time the operational function is impeccable”, she says. “I think that all interactions that we have with countries, or the organisation of large events, are always very challenging. But these are also the moments when we learn most and very quickly”.
