We request everyone to offer a prayer for Ms Angelita “Angie” Valdez of the Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF) who passed away on April 17, 2012 at around 6 PM, in her hometown of Solano, Nueva Vizcaya province, Philippines. Before AWCF, she worked with NORLU CEDEC, a Philippine co-op federation in the northern Luzon region. Angie was a dedicated co-op and gender advocate and trainer. As a development worker for many years, Angie had the invaluable commitment to issues that she knew will improve the lives of people whom she interacted with in communities and in co-ops in the Asian countries that AWCF works in. Angie always gave her personal touch to all her tasks—from doing office reports to facilitating meetings and training conducts; to mentoring exchange staff from different Asian members of AWCF; to giving inspiring talks for gender advocates in the co-ops as she rallied them to pursue their advocacy and gain strength from one another, beginning (and ending) workshops with them with their group hugs.Angie always found meaning, and took time to explain those, in things that happened in her work, in her life, and in the lives of people whom she cared for and loved dearly. Sudden as her passing is, we as Angie’s colleagues and friends may as well view her demise the way that Angie would have wanted us to see its meaning, that is, not as an end but merely a pause—to inspire and enable us to reflect on how we, too, could be even more effective instruments to helping make life a little better for others. And also, simply, how to love and enjoy life.
Angie's remains lie in state at the family residence in Solano. Interment details are still being finalized as of this posting.
