George Chaponda
Minister of Agriculture and Water Development in Lilongwe, Malawi
George Chaponda has tried his best to make the world a better place and, despite trying times, he has made a difference for people who’ve had no one else to help them. Born in Nyasaland (present day Malawi) in 1942, his desire to achieve became obvious in his youth, where his performance in secondary school earned him a scholarship at the University of Delhi.
After returning to his homeland, he quickly left again due to the harsh political environment of the time. He opposed the dictator, Dr. Banda, and was forced to flee to Zambia for his safety. He would go on to study at the University of Zambia and once again his outstanding academic work caught the attention of a very prestigious school.
George Chaponda went to the United States to study law on a scholarship from Yale University and during this time he worked at Meridian International in New York as their Chief Legal Advisor. After graduation he decided to enter public service and took a position at UNHCR in 1983.
He worked in various positions within UNHCR for nearly twenty years, performing with distinction in some of the hardest humanitarian situations of the 20 century. He worked in Somalia, Kenya, Thailand and Bangladesh, among many other places that benefited from his dedication to maintaining human rights.
Mr. Chaponda toiled to create legislation that protected the rights of refugees and expedited the voluntary resettlement of displaced peoples in many different places. In 2002 he decided to step down from his last position in UNHCR and return once again to his homeland.
In 2004 he was elected to be an MP and began working in a series of appointed positions within the government of Malawi. He served his nation as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
He also used his extensive diplomatic experience to speed the entry of Chinese development to Malawi, and as a result of his efforts schools and other infrastructure were built. He currently lives in Malawi, where he continues to work to better the living conditions of people who have known the suffering that poverty creates.