Greetings all especially UNICEF folks.
I just heard that our dear friend and colleague Sandra Haji Ahmed passed away in White Plains hospital.
Many of us will remember her in Human Resources and organizing all those early days emergency trainings round the regions. She went on to work across the road in UN HQ and mentored many people’s careers. Her own history also so interesting from Trinidad and Somalia. Her father was a well known diplomat and ASG at UN HQ in the days before Somalia broke up and consumed itself.
A lovely human being and quiet professional. She will be missed. Angela
From Sandra's son, Kamal
Thank you so much for your kind words and prayers. I’m not sure where you’re located but we will be having a memorial service in NYC tentatively on the 15th of March. All local friends and ex colleagues are more than welcome to come. I will send more details as we figure them out.
Kamal Haji - kamalhaji914@gmail.com
I can only echo Angela's comments about Sandra as a compassionate and kind human and a 100% professional. I don't think I would have mentally survived my first few years in UNICEF in emergency duty stations without her support. Rest in Peace Sandra.
ReplyDeleteI so so sorry to hear this. Sandra was very special, a great and super professional colleague and a dear friend. Stanley and I are sending heartfelt condolences and warm thoughts to her family
ReplyDeleteJohn and I are very sad to learn of the passing of Sandra Haji Ahmed. She was a rare human being….so efficient in her work and also so warm and kind in her personal relationships. For me Sandra embodied the best of the United Nations and of our multicultural world. My friendship with Sandra began almost as soon as I met her and over the years it grew deeper. Our world is much poorer without Sandra. Rest in Peace, Sandra.
ReplyDeleteMy deepest condolences. I cherish many memories of Sandra through my days under the Iraq Emergency in the immediate aftermath of the First Gulf War. Yes she was a highly respected professional and her support was exemplary. May her soul rest in peace!
ReplyDeleteTruly sad to learn about Sandra. One of the earliest people in the Training Section. Always positive, always calm with a disarming smile. People like her made UNICEF a great place to be. She was an enriching presence and her departure leaves a void. May she rest in peace. Habib
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind words and prayers. I’m not sure where you’re located but we will be having a memorial service in NYC tentatively on the 15th of March. All local friends and ex colleagues are more than welcome to come. I will send more details as we figure them out.
ReplyDeleteKamal - kamalhaji914@gmail.com
May she rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteI was in touch with Nancy Raphael who was spending a lot of time with Sandra during her final weeks...great kudos to Nancy and so very sad that Sandra has left us...such a super great friend full of life,committment to our cause.hard working,intelligent ,a gifted trainer and a wonderful human being RIP.
ReplyDeleteWith you in my heart, I will share this most powerful Irish blessing. May it bring solace for all of us who loved you so much:
ReplyDelete“May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
May the rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.”
Thank you for being part of my life.
This is really sad news. Her name immediately brought to mind that warm embracing smile while we were also aware of the personal tragedy that lay beneath. Sandra was a wonderful person and a friend to everyone. She defined grace and sincerity. May she rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteA very sad it is!
ReplyDeleteMy first steps at UNICEF put me under Sandra’s kind and human leadership as she figuratively handed over the baton from humanitarian action in the training and staff development section.
I observed how wonderful a human being was, how effectively and caringly she led us through the challenges of the time.
A wonderful person and a gentle soul has left this world and her memories will live forever in us as she forged many a colleague’s character and career. I am one of those.
I recounted many times - and will undoubtedly do so again and again - to many younger colleagues how gently and effectively I saw Sandra respond to many a challenge. My sincerest condolences to Sandra’s family on their loss.
Incredibly sad. She was such a considerate and gentle soul. Sandra was also extremely talented and generous in sharing her expertise. She leaves behind a beautiful legacy of her kindness with her strength.
ReplyDeleteAs we say in French: une grande dame est partie!. Sandra only left positive souvenirs.
ReplyDeleteWe were fortunate to have her in our lives.
May her soul rest in eternal peace,
Caroe diem dear all.
Sad news indeed. A true friend, a great professional and a remarkable team player. Have many fond memories of Sandra. One that stands out is the first ever workshop on programming for children with the ANC before the party took reins of the government. It was a tough workshop with heavy political undertones at the outset. Our team with Sandra and Rodney navigated well. Good bye Sandra. I shall miss you my friend.
ReplyDeleteI am heartbroken. She was my mentor, my role model, my friend. I remember fondly all the many workshops we cofacilated in NYHQ, in Ethiopia, in Kenya…No one who experienced her intelligence, her commitment, her humour, her gentle smile can ever forget her. I never will.
ReplyDeleteSandra was very special. We became friends when my family and I were in Mozambique and she and hers were in Zimbabwe in the mid-80s, and she was first testing out her wings as a trainer and subsequent HR guru. We co-organized workshops on several continents and both loved the dancing that was an integral part of those (in the evenings, of course). With her calm demeanour, her gentle smile - and frequent laughter - few knew of her family tragedy. She later nursed her husband back to health after a terrible car crash as they were on their way to my 50th birthday party in Stamford. Little appeared to fluster her. She sought counsel discreetly - but was much better known and loved for the counsel and mentorship that she generously provided to so many. Sandra was a lovely, warm person, yet likewise a rigorous and consummate professional. May her soul rest in peace. Patsy and I send our deepest condolences to Sandra's family
ReplyDeleteA very sad day it is!
ReplyDeleteMy first steps at UNICEF put me under Sandra’s kind and human leadership as she figuratively handed over to me the baton (or the magic marker) for humanitarian action in the training and staff development section.
I spent a year under her leadership and observed first hand how wonderful a human being she was and how effectively and caringly she led us through the challenges of the time.
A wonderful person and a gentle soul has left this world and her memories will live forever in us as she forged many a colleague’s character and career. I am one of those.
I recounted many times - and will undoubtedly do so again and again - to many younger colleagues how gently and effectively I saw Sandra respond to many a challenge.
My sincerest condolences to Sandra’s family on their loss. May she rest in eternal peace!
I am saddened by the news. My heartfelt condolences to the family. We never met- we connected through many emails over the years. Sandra was professional, kind. Rest in peace!
ReplyDeleteSo sad and hard to believe. I remember her passion, vigour, and especially her empathy and infectious commitment to doing what’s right. She was a wonderful trainer, mentor and example of the UNs best. And what a smile and sparkle in her eye.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for letting us know. We are fortunate to have known Sandra and experienced her light. May she rest in eternal peace.
ReplyDeleteSandra and I entered the wonderful world of personality type together in the 90s and especially explored our J and P-ness, in other words, our degree of comfort in organisation. We were often poles apart, challenging each other to understand our « gifts differing ». I remember, for example, deliberately not booking transport from the ski slopes in France back to Geneva so that I was « open to all possibilities » as Sandra would have been, including hitchhiking! She managed to convince me to extend a mission beyond Morocco, to add on workshops in Cameroon and Myanmar. « And then you and I can do a week together in Vietnam », said with such a beaming smile that it was impossible to say no. To this day she inspires me!
ReplyDeleteThank you Sandra.
The huge outpouring on here is a tribute to how much Sandra was respected, admired and loved by her colleagues and friends.I worked with Sandra over many years and have the same views as expressed by many in this group.Sandra was special for so many reasons…she was a top class professional in her field and her energy for work had no limits…she had endless patience and could always be relied on to finish a job….and all combined together in a wonderful kind and caring personality which we all loved so much. Dear Sandra……rest in peace …love
ReplyDeleteSandra was a key figure during our Harare days - always greeting you with positivity and warmth. Her footprints with the UNICEF boomer generation speaks for itself. Travel well Sandra
ReplyDeleteMy sincere heartfelt condolences to the entire family. Sandra , my best friend and mentor. She always had a positive attitude and a warm compelling spirit. She was a natural leader who led by principle, respect and kindness. Rest in peace, may love, support and faith keep your family always.
ReplyDeleteRest in peace
ReplyDeleteI am saddened by the news of Sandra's passing. May she Rest in Power among the Beautiful Stars in our awesome galaxy. My condolences and sympathy to her lovedones, her family and her dear friends.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear may she be at peace. She was a true professional a lady with a warm loving smile.
ReplyDeleteSo very sad and shocked to hear that Sandra has left us. She was a dear friend who I first met when she was in Zimbabwe. We became good friends in New York. She was always so positive
ReplyDeleteSo caring and her ever present smile could light up the world!! It certainly did mine.Rest in peace dearest Sandra .and may the heavens light up with you snile and good cheer. My heartfelt condolences to the family
So many X-UNICEF colleagues have expressed their warm accolades and heart-felt appreciation for Sandra Hadji Ahmed in such touching & eloquent terms that it would be superfluous for me to try to add much more. I too recall her fondly as a superb trainer, a warm personality, an epitome of professionalism. I was aware of two tragic events in her family which would have devastated most mortals, but Sandra managed to overcome them and did not allow them to slow her down. In everyone of my encounters with Sandra, including in staff training and orientation sessions as well as in gatherings of friends and family, she was bubbling with warmth, humour and positivity that inspired us all. May her gentle & noble soul rest in eternal peace and continue to inspire us all.
ReplyDeleteBoth Sara and I are shocked and saddened at hearing the news of Sandra. We both knew Sandra before she joined UNICEF in Nairobi Kenya in the late 1970’s. She was a was hired by both John Balcolm and Don Allen to help with editorial work in the then UNICEF EARO. She was a warm kind hearted colleague and friend throughout my UNICEF career and our paths crossed again in the Caribbean and in New York. Our heart felt condolences to her family and friends.
ReplyDeleteWith fond memories of our days in East Africa. You were lovely and gentle. You helped us navigate the ups and downs of our work. You were exceptionally strong in dealing with personal tragedy. Goodbye dear friend. Angels are lucky to dance with you.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear of Sandra's passing. She was such a lovely warm person and a great colleague. In my first years in Bangladesh, I co-created Visualisation in Participatory Programmes (VIPP) with Timmi Tillman and Maruja Salas, who were based in Germany. As soon as Sandra heard about it and saw the first manual, she invited the three of us to New York to train her training group. She saw the value of the methods in democratizing training, planning, and program formulation and VIPP spread to many UNICEF country offices through training of facilitators. She was open to innovation and experimentation. Today, VIPP is still being used by some UN agencies and by a number of NGOs in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Sandra and her team really helped with that.
ReplyDeleteActually the NY training group is listed as developing the first VIPP manual along with UNICEF Bangladesh.
DeleteSuch very sad news. Heartfelt condolences to Sandra's family and the many friends she left behind.
ReplyDeleteSandra and I worked together in New York. She was a pioneer in UNICEF anchoring learning and staff development in the organization. She brought passion and comradely to her work, was an exquisite writer, and a gifted team leader with a capacity to make all colleagues feel important. She was very special. May she rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteI had the privilege of working with Sandra in Zimbabwe and other locations in ESAR on the regional child rights training program. I recall clearly a lovely evening at her home with her family and colleagues, watching her teach her beautiful, young daughter how to welcome friends and how to pass the canapés! Her gentle leadership continued after UNICEF through her work on the Governing Board of AFICS here in New York. My deepest sympathies to her family. She will be remembered and missed.
ReplyDeleteAs you know we went to graduate school together,t to executive coaching together, and up until one month before she died we continued to work together.
ReplyDeleteI will miss her beyond words but she is finally at peace. Sandra would be so heartened to see all these wonderful outpourings of love for such a unique and incredible individual. She was everything everybody said about her and so much more. I am so blessed and privileged to have called her my dear friend, my buddy, my learning partner and my "sister". Sandra died like she lived, with dignity, courage, integrity and with a smile on her face. We are all blessed to have had her in our lives. Forever, Nancy
Thank you all for your kind words. I truly appreciate your support during this difficult time.
ReplyDeleteIf you would like to attend, the memorial service will be held on March 15th at the Bronxville Women’s Club, 135 Midland Ave, Bronxville, NY 10708. For anyone who would like to reach out, they can contact me at +1 914-409-7426 .
Thank you again for your thoughtfulness and for honoring my mother’s memory. Your condolences mean a great deal to me and my family.
Warm regards,
Kamal
In a nutshell Sandra was a magnificent person all around - she inspired goodness and everything the charter of the UN stood for and she was an outstanding professional, from the first day I met Sandra for workshops activities with Evaluation Office .
ReplyDeleteSandra was also a humanist and graceful in every circumstances.
Rhea