Honouring the memory of Ms. Virginia Hazzard
New York, October 2, 2008
Thank you for inviting me to honour the Memory of Ms.
Virginia Hazzard. I met her in August, 1980 in Nairobi,
Kenya where I was appointed to work in the UNICEF Regional
Office for East and Southern Africa.
Virginia worked in the UNICEF Kenya Office as a Programme
Officer. This is almost 30 years. Imagine what life was
30 years ago. Imagine life in Kenya then! Imagine the
situation of women in Kenya 30 years ago! This was 5 years
after the first UN Women Conference in the world which
was held in Mexico City, Mexico.
I met Virginia soon after the 2nd UN Women World Conference
in Copenhagen, Denmark. I was privileged to attend both,
the first as a student and the second as a member of the
Zambian government delegation.
The situation of women all over the world was not what
it is today even in these United States.
In Kenya, as is in some parts of Africa, there were
a few women in government and few elsewhere, in other
sectors.
Virginia was committed to the cause of women and their
empowerment. She worked closely and widely with women
in Kenya, both rural and urban and, of all ages. She went
all over Kenya. She worked with leaders to try to make
a difference. She became famous and well known among women
circles in Kenya.
After some years, she left Kenya but returned to the
1985 UN Women Conference held in Kenya. I hosted her in
my home as I was still working with UNICEF.
Then we parted company and disconnected. Lo and behold,
we reconnected when I was appointed as Ambassador of the
Republic of Zambia to the United States of America in
2003. I don’t know how, but she found me.
One day I received a telephone call from Virginia and
we re-connected immediately. We talked much. This time
the main conversation was on the Senior Citizen and Ageing.
I shared with Virginia what my mother, then 82, and now
87, was doing with her group of senior citizens. We kept
on talking and making plans for this group of persons.
Virginia was delighted to hear about the work on and
by the Aged in Zambia. She was particularly pleased to
hear that my mother and her group, CHEMBELE-KALIBE ASSOCIATION
(CHEKA) contributed to the African Union Policy on the
Aged. They were members of Help Age.
Virginia had a way of popping up anywhere. One day,
I was chairing a Panel discussion in the UN Conference
Room 2. After the session, I saw Virginia by the podium.
What a pleasant surprise it was.
Last year, 2007, New York University honoured me with
Distinguished Alumna Award. Virginia attended the ceremony
and we had dinner together, not knowing it was the last
we would see of each other. We made great plans for this
October 2008 meeting on Ageing.
Virginia is not here in flesh but I am privileged to
honour our commitment to meet her, now in her memory.
A memory of good works and activism to the very end.
Her work will live on. Let us all continue where she
has left off.
May Her Soul Rest In Peace.
Dr. Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika
AMBASSADOR
