images
insight
quote

Interview with Bilquis Taher

"The shortage of specialists in Procurement and Contract Management in my country opens doors to promising opportunities for me."

Bilquis Taher
HR & Admin Officer
World Food Program of the United Nations
Yemen

Master in Procurement and Contract Management | Batch 2022

Please tell us about yourself and your family.

I have a small family consisting of my husband and three kids. I work at the World  Food Program of the United Nations in the Communication Unit. I’m passionate about  everything related to procurement, contracts, and tenders. I dedicate most of my time to studying, working, and reading about everything related to this field.

What drew you to the programme you are studying at UniAthena? Do you think it would help you realize your career goals?

What motivated me to join this program was my previous experience in the field of procurement and contract management. In addition to that, I want to continue what I started after obtaining the CIPM certificate. This program will enhance my experience and broaden my horizons.

What would you like to learn next? What are your next career steps?

Everything related to the field of procurement and contract management is a target for me, and the shortage of specialists in this field in my country opens doors for promising opportunities. I am currently working on developing training material in procurement that guides those with basic knowledge in this field to follow simple steps to avoid them falling into serious issues.

What do you enjoy doing in your leisure time?

Nothing specific, depending on the mood. Sometimes I like to read some books or drink a cup of coffee while I gaze out of my window at the clouds. I like to go out to the suburbs in my car, listen to music, or watch a movie with my children.

Suppose you had to live alone on a deserted island for a month. What are the 3 things you would bring with you?

Since the period is limited and will not exceed a month, I think all I need is a sufficient amount of fresh water, a lighter for cooking, heating, and keeping animals and harmful insects away, and a sharp tool for fishing, chopping wood, digging, and self-defense. That is the worst-case scenario if they forgot about me, otherwise, water, food, and enough books are all I need.

If you face a problem at work, what is the first thing you do?

I’ll take my time to think and analyze to find out the reasons that led to this problem and develop appropriate solutions to it. Maybe I’ll ask for advice from experts.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your life? How did you tackle it?

One of the biggest challenges that I faced and still face every day is to live in a country that does not believe in the right of women to learn and work.

If you could only change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

What I wish to change about myself is my constant waiting for the right time to do things I always wanted to do. I believe that the right time does not come to us, but we are the ones who create it, but this belief is still just an idea that has not yet  seen the light.

What did you want to become when you were a child?

I wanted to become an air hostess, thinking that by doing so I would be able to visit  all countries of the world and learn about all cultures.

What was the last book you read and the last movie you saw?

The last book was Atomic Habits. This book talks about the surprising power of small habits and that success is the product of daily habits - not once-in-a-lifetime transitions. Blind Box was the last movie I saw. It is a film that presents two periods of time,  the five years after the end of the world, and the first days of the beginning of the collapse of all things. It's a horror and science fiction movie.

Who is the person you admire most and why?

If we talk on a personal level, my father is that person, who did not spare any effort to educate and protect us despite his scarce resources. He overwhelmed us with trust and tenderness and made us what we are today. As for public figures, Nawal Al-Saadawi is the lady who broke all the constraints of  the eastern society and fought the worn-out ideas that society tries to drown women  in.

  • Share

    Get in Touch