Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Nov - Dec Vol. 9 No.6 | Page 23

People

Kaberuka accepted the award to a standing ovation from
the audience, dedicating it to his staff at the African
Development Bank (AfDB) and to health workers fighting
the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

doctors and nurses fighting the Ebola epidemic in Guinea,
Liberia and Sierra Leone, who are placing themselves in
harm’s way to help others. It is these people who are truly
deserving of this award,” Kaberuka said.

“I would like to dedicate this award to all my colleagues, to
whom I intend to pass on the message of this Forum, and
of its founder, Thierry Hot, Managing Director of Notre
Afrik, in particular. I would also like to pay tribute to the
unsung heroes working tirelessly to promote development
across Africa. The men and women involved in conducting
campaigns, working on projects and delivering workshops
are making a much greater contribution to Africa than
I ever could. I am simply a figurehead with a recognised
name.

A total of five awards were presented at the Forum. Evans
Wadongo (Kenya), an IT engineer, won the Innovation
Award; Marième Jamme (Senegal), leader of the Senegalese
IT hub Jjiguène Hub Tech, took home the Empowering
Women Award; Constant Nemalé (Cameroon), President
of Africa 24, a pan-African TV channel, was given the
Media Leadership Award; and Gervais Koffi Djondo
(Togo), Honorary President of Ecobank, was presented
with the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his
outstanding contribution throughout his career.

“Finally, I would like to dedicate this award to the brave
President Kaberuka meets with Bill Gates
and Gates Foundation executives to explore
opportunities to work together
African Development
Bank Group
President Donald
Kaberuka met with
Bill Gates, co-chair
and trustee of the
Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation, at his
Seattle-area office
on October 14 to
President Donald Kaberuka with Bill Gates
discuss ways to work
together to improve the development of Africa.
Kaberuka also gave a talk that afternoon to a large
audience of Foundation employees.
“We are all in the same boat, trying to get prosperity for
the African people,” he told the larger group, recounting

the two leaders’ discussion.
In their private meeting, Kaberuka and Gates discussed
issues ranging from vaccine delivery to sanitation;
education to financial inclusion.
At top of mind, of course, was Ebola, a health crisis that
has spawned its own economic issues in the affected
countries.
The spread of the virus has highlighted not only the
need for improved health-care systems, but it has also
underscored an issue that threads through many of the
problems Africa faces: a lack of reliable statistics.
“Whether it is health, education, or the kinds of things
we do at the Bank,” Kaberuka said, “we have an issue with
data.”
The key, he believes, is strategic partnerships and focused
efforts.
It’s a question that both organizations are determined to
address with an increasing sense of urgency.
Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • November - December 2014

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