'I don't walk outside and certainly not on my own'

Jamie Terzi, 37, has been living in Kabul for six years. She is assistant country director for Afghanistan with CARE International, an organisation that has worked in the war-torn country since 1961. A psychologist, from Melbourne, she originally was a volunteer with a women's group, before taking on her current role. She plans to leave the country next year.

I get up at about 6.30am and arrive at the office between 7.30am and 8am. I dress conservatively, usually with a long skirt and a long top, though sometimes I wear trousers. I cover my head with a headscarf but not when I am inside the office.

A lot of what I do is office-based. These days, much as I would love to, I hardly ever get out into the field because of security. There's the threat of kidnapping and - more so a year ago - the risk of being caught up in suicide bombings, where you are not necessarily the target but you get stuck in traffic near military or government vehicles or are in front of the wrong building. There's also the threat of ambush. Or just being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

We follow very strict security procedures. We receive Anso [Afghan NGOs Safety Office] reports. Anso is always saying "be vigilant, vary your routes, don't take risks, be aware of your environment". People do that, or their organisations force them to do that, some don't allow people to walk to work - I am not allowed and I haven't driven a car myself here for three years.

In the morning the car comes into my driveway, so I don't actually leave my property if I am not in a car. It is hard for me to vary my route but we try to take a different way when we can.

A lot of people were surprised to learn Gayle Williams had walked to work. The reality is I don't walk outside and certainly not on my own. It is quite unusual for expatriates to walk to work. Maybe she only lived around the corner from the office, but I just wouldn't have done it. She obviously felt safe walking to work. I will have to think about walking that 50m round the corner to my friend's house.

I wouldn't say you are more at risk if you are working for faith-based organisations. What puts us at risk is when our neutrality is compromised. It is very important to make sure that what we do as NGOs is not confused with the activities of the military or private contractors.

Neutrality is important to us because it is what allows us to get into the communities and work with them. It is, in part, our protection.

Security has increased. The Taliban is trying to create a climate where development stops and NGOs leave, they are trying to create a climate of fear to destabilise the country.

I have had friends kidnapped and killed ... when the three women aid workers from the International Rescue Committee and their Afghan driver were killed in August, you can only imagine how the community felt.

I guess people at some point can lose hope and be disheartened. Because I have been here for a while, I don't necessarily feel scared myself - I feel concerned, worried, anxious, you have heightened emotions, and you are running on adrenalin, a part of you closes in and another part of you takes over: that's what life is like here.