Harina Hafitz, Finance Officer, WFP
Harina Hafitz brought energy and positivity to her work and friendships. In her role as a finance officer on WFP’s supply chain, her flamboyancy and charm were matched by her versatility.
Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, Harina was the oldest of three children. After studying tourism and economics, she joined an international airline in Vietnam – perhaps inspired by her brother Andi, who worked in the aviation industry. (For more than 20 years, Harina kept a little model plane on her desk.)
It was while working in a travel agency in Jakarta that she met her Italian husband, Edoardo de Gregorio. He was with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation.
After Edoardo’s postings in various countries, the couple settled in Rome in 1999, where Harina joined WFP’s finance division.
They had two children, Alessandro, 26 and Elena, 23. Harina was a matriarch to the Indonesian WFP community. She loved to cook and organise “international lunches” – bringing people together.
Talented and adventurous, Harina’s economics expertise was central in each role she took: in Turkey, supporting WFP’s Iraq operation in 2003. After Pakistan’s 2005 earthquake, in the UN Humanitarian Air Service, which combined humanitarian work and flying. Then in 2008, she entered the WFP Aviation Service, supporting emergencies such as Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.
While finance was a strength, shoes were her weakness – her collection was much-admired by colleagues; Harina was known for her high heels… as well as her high ideals.
Biographical information and photo provided by WFP.