The Financial Blind Spots of Humanitarian Life
The Financial Blind Spots of Humanitarian Life Tahir Ali Shah This article is adapted and contextualized from ideas originally explored by Anthony Pusatory, Founder of The Seven Pillars. I have expanded the discussion to reflect the realities of Pakistani and globally mobile humanitarian professionals. Most of us entered humanitarian work because we care deeply about impact. We think about vulnerable communities, program design, donor compliance, and field realities. What we rarely think about, at least not seriously, is our own long-term financial stability. We save when we can. Some of us invest in property. Some open savings accounts. A few contribute to formal pension schemes. But very few of us step back and ask a hard question: if my contract ends tomorrow, or if I reach retirement age, am I genuinely prepared? Humanitarian careers are structurally different from stable domestic employment. Contracts are temporary. Funding cycles are uncertain. We move cities and countrie...