TheJourneyVolume1 - Book - Page 84
#NextGenUNDP
Diana Louise Ofwona
Coun tr y o f O r igin :
UNDP Co u n t r y O f f ic e :
Date o f Ap po in tm e n t :
K E N YA
NIGER
A P R I L 2 019
“COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
COMPELS ME. IT’S ONE OF THE MOST
VISIBLE WAYS OF MEASURING THE
VALUE OF DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE.”
I
am the fourth child in a family of 11 children. We were
often referred to by our neighbors as “the football team”
and our parents as the referees. We grew up as a closeknit, interdependent squad which was full of life and
fun. There was never a dull moment in the Ofwona home.
Our parents always protected (perhaps, overly so),
provided for, guided, and loved us immensely. In
retrospect, I think we were our parents’ best friends. My
dad, an engineer, would wake up at 5am each day to read
and summarize the news of the day, from the morning
papers which were delivered to our doorstep. After that he
would drop us off to school in his mini van.
Our dad was so knowledgeable and ahead of his time. He
read everything - local and international news, journals,
books on any topic under the sun. He also believed in the
principle of “nothing but the best.” If we didn’t come first
in class, he would ask: “Whom are you reserving that space
for?” And to encourage us to excel, he would make us read
the school curriculum way ahead of time. He would then
reward every “A” grade we achieved, with an equivalent
of $5. Out of thirteen subjects, I would usually get ten As,
and delightfully earn a whopping $50 - which was a lot of
money at the time.
START THEM EARLY
I therefore learnt very early in life, to seek excellence
and to equate reward with hard work. Meanwhile, mum
managed us like a production line – cleanliness and order
were her mantra. Planning was everything to her. “People
don’t just stumble into life, they plan!”, she would often
say. I think that is why our home never felt crowded even
though we were a full house. Everything was ever so
neatly folded away and in place – always!
The imposing family library had so many books but
what had the most lasting impact on me was the Encyclopedia Britannica. It taught me everything. We had a long
dining table around which we all sat, and during exam
time, mum would prepare a banquet before sending us
off to sit the tests. To this day, I see food as the fuel of the
brain and would never dare to embark on an important
writing project on an empty stomach. Friday was our
family chat day by the hearth. I cherish this moment to
this day. My mum would have us rolling with laughter
as she cracked one joke after another. On Sundays, we
would troop to church in file behind our parents. We also
enjoyed the movies my father took us to each weekend.
And then there were the enchanting safaris during the
holidays across East Africa.
Growing up, I also always longed to discover the four
corners of the earth, to meet new people, learn new
languages and expand my horizons beyond the confines
of formal education. This exposure within Africa and
further ashore, has helped me embrace other cultures,
religions, and people. It has also helped me find it easy to
comfortably fit into both the pan-African and multilateral
settings during my career.
STRONG AND SELF-ASSURED
My upbringing, therefore, shaped me into a self-assured
woman because I was always validated and encouraged.
Living with so many siblings, I learned to share, manage
relationships (even the difficult ones), and to contribute
in a team. I also learned through my upbringing, to be
sensitive to the needs of others and to strive for distinction as a personal brand, so that even if I fell short,
it would still be exceptionally good. Both my parents
were obsessed with this, we just had to be top tier. But
the flipside of my parents’ intense nurturing is that it ›
I learnt very early in
life, to seek excellence and to
equate reward with hard work.”
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