When people think of humanitarian emergency aid, they usually picture doctors saving lives in makeshift tents. But the reality of today’s crisis response missions involves more than that. It consists largely of logistics, infrastructure, and—increasingly—cybersecurity. Our colleague Dr. Corinna Schäfer is a co-founder of CADUS and currently heads the IT department. In this interview, she tells us what drives her and how she came to join CADUS.

How do you introduce yourself and your role to someone who isn’t familiar with your work?

I head up the IT department at CADUS. We make sure that there are enough functioning means of communication in the field and that our people on site know how to use them. This also includes data protection. As a humanitarian organization, we bear a very special ethical responsibility in this area: If sensitive data about our local colleagues on the ground falls into the wrong hands, it can be life-threatening. And last but not least, my heart is set on a very practical issue: water. I’m frequently deployed to work on WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) projects, most recently in Sudan.

Market research in a store for sanitary supplies in Port Sudan, Sudan, 2025. Photo: CADUS

What was your path to humanitarian emergency aid like?

I have experienced many such moments, so it is difficult to pick just one. But I was deeply impressed by my assignment in Gaza at the beginning of 2024. As an international team, we had many privileges. A fixed departure date, coordinated accommodation. Our colleagues on the ground don’t have any of that. They live in the middle of this war situation with no end date and have no choice but to carry on every day.

You’ve been on many assignments for CADUS. Can you share a moment with us when you thought, “This is exactly why I’m here”?

Before CADUS, I first trained as a nurse, then studied social work, and later earned my Ph.D. in Media and Cultural Studies with a thesis on German colonialism. I became interested in humanitarian aid relatively early on during my studies. At the time, however, the field unfortunately relied heavily on racist stereotypes and perpetuated “white saviorism.”* So we founded CADUS to help combat that. What also appealed to me—and still does to this day—is the innovative approach to problem-solving in our daily work

How has your work at CADUS changed over the years?

In the early days, there were no fixed departments, everyone just did everything. Initially, I was responsible for putting together the operational teams, then I was increasingly involved in research and innovation and finally I was on the management team for a while.

But the desire to return to more “hands-on” work and to have time for more in-depth topics led me back to specific projects. When the IT manager at the time left the organization, I took over those responsibilities. Since then, the demands have grown so significantly that a separate department has been created.

Corinna with the CADUS team at the Trauma Stabilization Point of the Palestine Red Crescent in Gaza, 2024. Photo: CADUS

What did this work teach you about yourself that you didn’t know before you joined CADUS?

I have found that I can remain very calm in really dangerous situations and react with great concentration. Anyone who knows me in my private life knows that I sometimes get stressed when problems arise. But when I’m on a mission, my focus works. I’ve learned that I can rely on my own actions in tricky situations and adapt quickly to new dynamics.

With everything that’s happening in the world, is there anything that gives you hope?

It gives me hope to keep encountering people who find themselves in the most difficult situations and yet refuse to let it get them down—instead, they find the strength to change their world.
And it gives me hope that we are not alone. There are so many different groups, initiatives, and organizations that practice unconditional solidarity. They aren’t concerned with what they get in return, but simply with creating a better life for everyone and standing by others in need.

*White savior: This term refers to a white person who provides help to non-white people in a self-serving manner in order to boost their own self-worth. A white savior is therefore distinct from an ally. The often unintended but real consequence is the devaluation of poor, non-white people. Examples of this include photos or travelogues by white people depicting their encounters with children living in poverty. White saviorism is frequently criticized in the context of international charity projects. Source: NdM