Membership News

Vassana Barclay

Membership Committee Chair

Hello to:

Nancy Hughart, who is from the US. Her husband works for the World Bank. Nancy and her family lived in Dhaka from 1985 to 1988 and are enjoying being back. Her recently married daughter lives in California, where she attends graduate school. Nancy’s professional interest is in public health (maternal and child health/evaluation). She also enjoys gardening, photography, traveling and walking.

Shirley Randell, who is from Australia and Vanuatu, works for UNDP. She has lived and worked in many Asia/Pacific countries including Papua New Guinea, Fiji Islands, Solomon Islands and Sri Lanka. She has four adult children and six grandchildren who hope to visit her in Bangladesh. She is interested in fitness, cinema, theatre, and friendship over good food and wine.

Goodbye to:

Me! This is my last issue as Editor of Womun. My husband and I are moving to Cambodia after two years in Bangladesh. I’d like to thank all of you who contributed articles, experiences, information and thoughts to the newsletter. I could not have done it without your help. Thanks also to our photographers Jean Sack and Phoebe David, who have done a great job. I would like to give a special thanks to our designer and layout artist, Binoy Khisha of UNDP, who worked so uncomplainingly and efficiently each month, despite his own heavy workload.

I really enjoyed working with UNWA. It was a rewarding experience and certainly made my stay in Dhaka easier and more fun. I hope UNWA will continue to help newcomers to settle in and make them to feel welcome. Any new country can be lonely and frightening if you cannot share your troubles with anyone. I’d like to thank all my wonderful UNWA friends without whom I would have packed my bags and left long ago! Good luck to the new board and keep up the good work! I shall be following your progress closely on the website.    ~ Minoli de Soysa