“I entered the Patterson School with zeal to obtain the skills that would prepare me for a position in banking. I was drawn to this specific program because of the focus on diplomacy and commerce, its strong reputation, and the emphasis on personal development.   The opportunity to come back to Lusaka for an internship at my country’s Central Bank only seemed to confirm my career aspirations. This professional internship not only exposed me to a wealth of experience at the Bank of Zambia, but also enabled me to reconnect with friends working in various institutions across the government and in the international community. 

I now hold the position in Zambia’s central government of principal economist at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning. One of my primary tasks is to mobilize external financial and technical resources from bilateral and multilateral donors. Currently, I am extensively involved with development planning to address the challenges of climate change.  In June 2010, I was elected co-chair of the Sub-Committee (donors and recipient countries) Meeting of the World Bank’s Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR) -- $720 million has already been pledged to this effort.  Zambia is a leader under the PPCR out of the 8 pilot countries and 2 regional pilots.  I also represent the Ministry on matters related to the Adaptation Fund Board under the UNFCCC. I find these opportunities quite exciting.

As you can imagine, representing my Government at such high profile international fora could never have been possible without the comprehensive approach taken by the Patterson School to prepare students to tackle the challenges of our modern century such as climate change. 

I am putting into practice every day the lessons that I learned at the Patterson School.”