Photography by DustinRabin.com
My defining experience was when I was working as a volunteer with UNICEF in Somalia in the mid-1990s. I had worked in development before, but I had never experienced war. It's such a profound shock to see how fragile life is in those situations and how little regard there is outside of those countries for what people are actually going through. I just thought there has to be a better way to make a meaningful difference.
You have a young son, and your husband, Dr. Eric Hoskins, is an MPP for the St. Paul's riding in Toronto. How do you find the time and energy to juggle it all?
I'm a high-energy person. I don't even pretend to have balance in my life. That's just the way that I am. Obviously my son and my husband are extremely important, and we always make sure we have our quality time together. And I love what I do. For me there's not really a distinction between my work and my passion.
Has motherhood changed how you approach your work?
I don't take things for granted anymore. More than anything, it makes these issues even more important to me because I don't want my son to inherit a world of suffering and strife and insecurities. I hope when he is my age he's not worrying about terrorist attacks or other kinds of pressures we worry about. I think it gives me a heightened sense of purpose.
Is it important to you that he is aware of what you do and of world issues?
Yes, he's four and a half, and he knows that Mummy works at War Child. He's a little boy, so he's picking things up and pretending to shoot. My husband and I are always having conversations with him about what that means and how we have spent our professional lives making sure people are not shooting one another.
Where do you see War Child going in the next 10 years?
We want to expand our programming, which means increasing our overall revenues. We're focusing on our areas of expertise, so our work in the area of child rights, child access to justice, livelihoods and poverty reduction initiatives. We also do work in the area of education. I'd like to continue to put out messages that are provocative and thought provoking so that people might think a little differently. As long as we're doing that, I will be happy.
Page 2 of 2 -- On page 1, learn more about War Child Canada helps children in war-torn countries.
