Dr. Anton Markmiller is CARE’s National Director. He studied Economics, Sociology, Psychology and Education. He has worked for the German Development Service (DED), his last function was at the Permanent Representation of Saarland in Berlin. He spends a lot of time on the road for CARE and considers the travels to project regions an important balance to desk work: “To speak to colleagues and beneficiaries on the ground is the best and most unfiltered possibility to get an impression of the quality of our work.”

Sabine Wilke is CARE Germany’s Director of Media and travels to emergencies and projects to accompany journalists and to report from the ground. “Again and again I am amazed by the family spirit and connection between the CARE colleagues around the world. Even though we come from totally different backgrounds and work in different fields, every one of the 14.000 CARE colleagues shares the same goal: to make poverty history.”

Rick Perera has been working with CARE for more than seven years and spends a lot of time on the road, coordinating media work after natural disasters and conflicts. His job confronts him with both the bright and the dark side of humanitarian work: “On the one hand, it is really motivating to be part of an aid operation and see how people’s situation can improve with the help of CARE. On the other hand it always saddens me to see that in most cases, it’s the poorest of the poor who are affected. That is difficult to accept.” The former journalist speaks fluent German and still keeps a foothold in Berlin despite his globetrotting job routine.

As an Emergency Coordinator, Axel Rottländer is in the thick of things. In case of a crisis, a conflict or a natural disaster, he coordinates the emergency response, liaises with colleagues around the world and travels to the affected region to provide support for the teams. “Emergency relief has to be coordinated properly to help people directly and fast. Sometimes every hour counts, for instance, when epidemics are threatening to spread. Thanks to our work all around the world and our longtime experience, CARE is often one of the first organisations delivering aid in a disaster zone.”

Thomas Schwarz is Director of International Communications and travels to crisis and natural disaster stricken countries to coordinate the PR and media. He spends many hours in a vehicle or plane to travel to remote areas. But once arrived, Thomas Schwarz always remains impressed by the immediate help CARE aid worker are providing even under hard circumstances. “My foreign colleagues who are mostly natives are literally sacrificing themselves in order to help people. They are working 24 hours, hardly get any sleep, organise distributions of emergency kits and look after traumatised people”, explains Thomas Schwarz.

Sandra Bulling is an Emergency Media Officer for CARE International, based in Switzerland. In case of emergencies, she coordinates the media work and travels to support the response on the ground.  Sandra is particularly fascinated with the comprehensive CARE network in more than 70 countries. “There is a wide range of innovative and interesting projects in areas that are well off the beaten tourist track. To see projects with my own eyes, to discuss with native colleagues and to speak with the affected people are the best parts of my work with CARE.”

22 year-old Chandara Tith is a journalism student from the Royal University of Phnom Penh. He spends the summer of 2010 doing an internship in the CARE press office in Bonn. He previously worked for the United Nation Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) as an intern and as a freelance reporter for the LIFT Magazine of the Phnom Penh Post Newspaper in Cambodia. In his blog, he writes about his experiences in Germany as well as his views on Cambodia and the world.

Channy Chheng is 27 and a student of journalism at Royal University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. For the last seven years, he has also been a teacher for history and geography. He worked with CARE Germany-Luxemburg in August and September 2009 as an intern in the press department. In his blog, Channy described his impressions of Germany and working for an NGO.

Soratha Chan from Cambodia has worked at the press department of CARE Deutschland-Luxemburg for two months in summer 2008. The 22 years old journalism student wrote weekly comments about his country into his Cambodian diary. He reported about the problems of the Asian kingdom and the challenges the Cambodians have to face. Every year CARE Deutschland-Luxemburg allows one student of the degree programme Media Management at the Royal University of Phnom Penh to work within the press office.