Posted: 08/11/2010
We are all gathered here to celebrate the legacy of the man who has made the past 10 years of ICCO historic and momentous in many ways. I consider it an honour to have been able to travel from India to join so many friends this evening in a tribute to Jack.
I first met Jack at a partner consultation here in the Netherlands in the year 2001. That was a brief encounter that ended in a promise to come to India some day. I then had the privilige of hosting him on 2 visits to India, one in March 2009, and the other in August 2009. August 2009 was a momentous period in the history of Asha and of our nation. 137 children from the slums of Delhi, who had been battling conditions of harsh poverty all their lives, found places at one of India’s best institutions of higher learning, Delhi University. Jack, as the head of ICCO, our largest partner in this initiative, was the Guest of Honour at this event, at which India’s Home Minister
Mr. P. Chidambaram, was the Chief Guest.
During that visit, he spent a great deal of time in a number of slums, with the many students visiting them in their homes. He exuded great energy and enthusiasm, engaged freely with the students, and motivated them with his warm words of encouragement. He came across to us all as a person of great drive, diligence and humour, as well as a sensitive and caring spirit.
For Asha, it is an immense privilige to be a partner with ICCO, an organization that believes that men and women were born for high ideals and noble purposes. This is demonstrated by the skills and talents of the ICCO team, all of whom are people with vision and passion for a world free from poverty and injustice. I extend my warmest congratulations, and best wishes to Jack’s successor Mr Marinus Verwey. I am sure that he will be able to respond to the new challenges ICCO is facing, with new thinking and new tools that will be supported by the great team culture at ICCO.
I would also like to thank you, Jack, for paying tribute to Asha’s accomplishments and future goals by becoming an Asha Ambassador and directing your farewell gifts to Asha.
I am sure you will all agree that today is an occasion for congratulations and honour, and great celebration. So, to a person with extraordinary gifts and a heart of gold, I say that as you leave these fields, and go for new and exciting discoveries, I hope you have all the best prosperity and fulfillment in your future endeavours. There is no doubt that you will make a success of future opportunities as you have here. May we say ‘Totzeins’ instead of ‘goodbye’, which is connected with pain. ‘Goodbye’ can hurt, but ‘Totzeins’ can be said with joy.
I end my tribute to you with an Irish toast that reads like this:
May your days be many, and your troubles be few
May all God’s blessings descend on you
May peace be within you, May your heart be strong
May you find what you are seeking, wherever you roam.
Transformation of lives is possible through educating and creating awareness about health and hygiene and empowering people to lobby for their rights. I truly believe that these people can completely change their lives. We are only here to help them.
Sweeta, Senior Programme Assistant, Asha
