Ms. Dede Yebovi Fadairo, 1973 - 2010
Associate Report Writing Officer (Nigeria)
Dede Yebovi Fadairo, a national of Nigeria, served as an Associate Report Writing Officer for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) since 2005.
Before joining MINUSTAH, Dede worked in the private sector in various positions such as magazine editor and publisher, project manager for an airline, and research associate for the African Centre for Development and Strategic Studies in Nigeria.
Dede also served as an Editorial Consultant for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 2000.
Dede was an active member of MINUSTAH’s staff welfare committee and a colleague emphasized that despite her busy office work, Dede dedicated a lot of time and effort to ensure that the committee functioned properly.
A MINUSTAH co-worker and close friend said, “Dede was like an older sister to me. I remember when I was sick, Dede cooked a soup for me. That is what she did for anyone in need. She loved people. I call her a ‘people’s person.’ She had a kind heart. Her smiles were genuine and she was always smiling.”
Another friend and colleague said, “She touched the lives of countless people, both amongst her colleagues and Haitians alike. Dede was responsible for the livelihood of many Haitian families, including paying their tuition, medical bills and providing food. She was a true philanthropist who impacted the lives of many. Dede is, quite simply, irreplaceable.”
Colleagues and friends alike spoke fondly of Dede’s strengths. One of them mentioned “her devout religious beliefs, her quick and consistent smile, her natural ability to engage in conversation with anyone and make them feel special, the way she made people laugh.”
Another colleague recalled that “people who rarely laughed were always giggling after a few moments with her.”
“Dede was a wonderful friend with a contagious smile and an enormous amount of energy. She was brilliant, beautiful, funny and talented. Most of all, she was a staunch Christian and a loving wife,” said another colleague. “She gave others so much and so generously that sometimes she forgot herself. Nothing was too much for Dede to do for her friends and others around her, giving selflessly for the wellbeing of others.”
Born in Nigeria but educated from primary level in the United Kingdom and Europe, Dede was brought up in a multicultural environment and embraced an international lifestyle. She lived in France and Spain while pursuing her undergraduate studies before moving to the United States.
Dede received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Surrey, England, a postgraduate degree from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, also in Surrey, and a Master’s degree in Journalism and Information from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Dede is survived by her husband James, her mother, brother and sister.