The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Zambia has announced the appointment of Ms. Penelope Campbell to the position of Country Representative, effective April 2022. Ms. Campbell, who joins the Zambia Country Office from UNICEF Somalia, presented her credentials to Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Stanley Kakubo, MP, at his office in Lusaka today.
“One of the reasons that we have increased the Constituency Development Fund has to do with empowering young people with opportunities to do business. We want to do this consistently, with the goal of an economic multiplier effect at the local level,” he said.
Ms. Campbell has served UNICEF for the last 20 years, most recently as Chief of Health in the Somalia office. Prior to that, Ms. Campbell served in South Sudan, Liberia, Myanmar, Jamaica, Cambodia, East and Southern Africa, and the UK. She has led multiple global programmes focusing on Health, Nutrition, HIV & emergency response.
Her posting to the country will be effective until 2027, during which time she will lead UNICEF Zambia’s efforts, in partnership with the Government of Zambia, UN agencies, cooperating partners, and others, to ensure the Zambia Country Office meets its goal to mainstream disability, youth engagement, climate and innovation in its programming.
“I am immensely privileged to join the Zambia Country Office and to have the opportunity to work with a team of people who are leaders in their fields,” Ms. Campbell said. “As an office, we are at a critical moment as we develop our next 5-year Country Programme Document. As a nation, Zambia is at a critical moment having recently voted a new government into power. We must harness both opportunities to build on UNICEF’s work in Zambia and to drive children’s rights forward. As you know, Zambia has got a very young population with over 50% below age 14 and many more below age 24. Having the youth at the heart of the agenda is something that we are committed to as UNICEF Zambia, and to supporting the Government at this crucial moment.”
Ms. Campbell holds an MSc (Distinction) in Health Education & Health Promotion and BSc (Hons) in Nursing Studies from King’s College, University of London.
She moves to Zambia accompanied by her husband with whom she has three children.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UNICEF Zambia.
