It takes a strong woman, determined to make a difference, to leave two children and family behind to become a peacekeeper serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Fortunately for everyone involved, Ayat Harb from Jordan is exactly that.

“It is clear to me that women are necessary for peace operations to be successful,” she said when we met her, with a shiny UN medal pinned to her chest.

Ayat did not receive it to mark International Women’s Day. She is one of the 50 Jordanian police officers, half of them women, who have just been awarded medals for a job well done serving with the peacekeeping mission. Together, they have spent a year building the capacity of South Sudanese police colleagues, patrolling, and doing their part to uphold the rule of law.

“Witnessing hunger and poverty is distressing, I won’t lie. At the same time, many of the most vulnerable persons I come across are women, and their children, and in South Sudan many of them much prefer to interact with and talk to other women,” Ayat reflects.

Being Jordanian and having been a language teacher for seven years, Ayat Harb has greatly enjoyed the great advantage of speaking Arabic, a version of which is widely used in this part of Africa. Learning basic phrases in other local languages, she says, has also made it easier for her to do her job.

Deciding to become a Blue Helmet far away from home was harder, however. It took a bit of convincing by Jordanian police colleagues who had already served to make the leap of faith.

“My family was definitely concerned about my deployment, but I could tell from others who have been away on similar tour of duties that it would be an invaluable experience that I wouldn’t want to be without. So far, I have not had any regrets.”

Considering the tragic accident that caused her beloved sister’s death, while Ayat was in Aweil, South Sudan, she would have been forgiven for having had them. Instead, she chose to turn part of her grief into something productive.

“My sister’s passing became my motivation to remain strong and work even harder, to honour her memory. She would have liked that.”