Farewell

Farewell Katinka

Messages

With the little time I have come to know you and work with you, I can definitely attest to your kind heart and amazing work ethic. I will miss you and the Norwegian chocolates (even the little things such as the sound of you crunching on carrots and apples in the office lol). It has been an absolute pleasure working closely with you. I wish you all the best with your future endeavors. Any organization will be blessed to have you on their team. Cheers, Lebo

Dear Katinka, wishing you all the best with this new chapter. You went out on a high. We, and the climate policy community in South Africa, will continue applying the amazing effort you put into the indicators. Don't get to immersed in the Global North..... as you know, the Global South is more more fun and more in need of your skill and energy. Best wishes, Anton

It is very sad to say goodbye to you as a colleague but I do hope this doesn't mean goodbye as friends.

It's been wonderful working with you and learning from your expertise and experience.

Best of luck with everything in the future.

Sending love,

Pierre and Kate

Dear Katinka,

It has been great working with you. I have learned a lot and enjoyed collaborating. You are such a thoughtful and proactive team mate. You will be greatly missed. Best of luck with your next chapter and enjoy your new adventures!

Best wishes,

Anna (T)

Katinka, words can’t express how much I’m going to miss you in the team. You are my go-to and my support and I’m not quite sure where things are going to head now you’re leaving. But beyond that, I’ll miss your enthusiasm, friendship and supportive words. I know that you will be tremendously successful in whatever comes next and wherever you go will be so lucky to have you! But you will always be part of the CSAG family – as dysfunctional a family as that may be, there is never really a true escape! So I’m going to say best wishes, but not goodbye! Anna S

It was an absolute pleasure working with you in my time in CSAG. I wish you boundless success wherever you go! Tania

Katinka - it is so sad to see you go. I will miss you. But wow - you have grown over the past 11 years. I can’t believe I supervised your Hons in 2009! That is a long time ago. And then your masters and now you have just led a project for National Govt on developing a CRV framework. Amazing how far you have come and how many skills you have developed. I am particularly impressed by your public speaking which I know you hated and now only dislike. But when you speak no-one in the audience has any idea that you don't like it as you are really good. So I have no doubt you will go on to use your skills and character to find ways to contribute to a better world. Hamba Kahle, Gina.

Hi Katinka, I'm going to miss sharing an office, coffee and lunch table with you. I've enjoyed, and been enlightened, by our conversations over the years. We are going to miss you. Cheers Lisa

Dear Katinka

I have always thought that you are such a kind-hearted, sweet & humble human being & it’s been an absolute pleasure working with you over these last few years.

Wishing you everything of the best for whatever ventures lay ahead for you...May it be everything (& more) that you wish & want for yourself!

Go well...Love: Mel xo

All the best with being back on European soil. Buona Fortuna! Lorena

It’s not easy to imagine a CSAG without you. You were there, engaged and interested from the first day I knocked on CSAG's door. Your commitment to any task you set for yourself is truly admirable, I always tell myself "I want to work as hard as Katinka does"! But more than that Katinka what I admire even more deeply is your devotion to justice and equality, how you step up with a voice for the unheard, or misunderstood. We need more voices like you in work places. May we all be as brave as you!

I’m going to miss you, as a colleague, and as a friend. I wish you all the very very best and so look forward to hearing how your new life begins to unfold.

Jess

Dear Katinka, Your leaving is what I imagine losing a finger would be like. One never truly appreciates how important it is until it’s no longer part of the hand, and then whole body panics! What are we going to do without a middle finger?? I really will miss you. Not only your engaging and intelligent conversation (despite my best attempts to derail it), your keen sense of humour, magnetic personality, unbelievable integrity and bravery, and breakfast that is as weird as mine. I will deeply miss Katinka Lung Waagsaether, everything she is and everything she stands for. You are unique within CSAG, we will never be as full without you as we were with you. One thing I must say though is I will be pleased to see the back of your ridiculous work ethic, that kind of thing should seriously stay in Norway, it sets a bad example… :)I can only wish you the very best of success in this new phase of your life. Until we meet again….Det er aldri så galt at det ikke er godt for noe! With tons of love,

Len

Dear Katinka: there's always the challenge of there being too much to say. I think of the days of watching your engagement on the field trips in Dwesa, to standing up in Maputo and confidently and expertly leading a session even though admitting you found it daunting, to the seminars you ran, your diligence, insight and honesty to "do the right thing", and your courage, integrity and diligence to see things through; these make you one of the most amazing people I've known. I hope your time amongst us has been of benefit, and I truly wish you the best for the future. That’s not a cliche, just my heartfelt hope for you. As my favourite author once wrote "[we] must have just enough faith in ourselves to have adventures, and just enough doubt to enjoy them". I hope life brings you great adventures, you are well prepared. Bruce

I have struggled to write something in farewell. Partly because this doesn't feel like goodbye, I know we'll keep in touch and I hope we'll work together again. But partly its also because everything I write seems like it might be dismissed as hyperbole. But to say that you have fundamentally shifted my perspectives on life, on what it is to be human, and on my beloved country is not hyperbole to be dismissed. It is truth. Of course we will remember you very fondly, but your legacy is much more than fond memories. Its a legacy of challenging and being willing to be challenged. Of courage in the face of fear. Of wrestling with deep discomforts. And a legacy of grace and laughter and finding peace in the midst of it all. Thank-you, CJ

Vær selv den forandring du ønsker å se i verden. Piotr

Our gift to you

So sorry to hear you are leaving us and thanks for all your efforts to improve how we look at risk and vulnerability and your efforts to improve transformation. I hope you enjoy the next phase and continue to work on issues dear to your heart. Wishing you all the best for the future. Mark

Wishing you happiness and success wherever you go

All the best.

Natalie

There is going to be a huge Katinka-shaped hole in CSAG in the future. You have brought your big heart into your work in so many ways; in the agendas that you push forward and the support you offer to your peers... A true asset to any working environment. I also feel lucky enough to call you my friend beyond work; thank you for listening to me and sharing your wisdom. I have no doubt that this next stage will bring new, exciting adventures, as well as its own set of challenges that will help you grow (starting off with a global crisis and pandemic). I’ll be thinking of you often.

Lots of love, Alice x

In your name we have donated to the following charities and initiatives:

I have just topped up my contribution to https://ikhayalethemba.org.za/ with a "Katinka premium". Disclaimer: I volunteer on the board, no material interest, but lots of emotional investment. I can vouch for the difference they are making every day at this time in providing food parcels and education conduits to the 106 children and their families that they look after in Imizamo Yethu.

I have donated to Oranjezicht CAN, which is partnered with Athlone.

I have donated to Vuvu’s kitchen for children in Nyanga https://www.facebook.com/Vuvus-Kitchen-for-children-598128120354787/. During the lockdown, Vuvu has increased the number of days she is aiming to feed the kids and has also seen an increase in children coming. She fed 120 kids on Thursday!

I made a donation to the Amava organisation, which is supporting the Vrygrond Community during the time of COVID and beyond.

I have donated to Vuvu’s kitchen.

I have donated to solidarity fund & Footprints 4 Sam …. last one is run by a friend and provides support for critically ill infants/kids.

I have donated to a rural fishing community in the Eastern Cape. https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/johann-stadler#.Xp0_gVJMqKk.gmail

We will miss you at CSAG and best of luck for the future!

I have made a donation to Die Duine Primary School Feeding Scheme in Lotus River.

I have donated to Bonteheuwel Joint Peace Forum.

From The CSAG Team

We have been buying batches of Computicket grocery vouchers every week which a friend of ours is managing the distribution to families in Southfield and surrounding areas. This week’s batch is in Katinka’s name.

I have donated to The Hope Foundation https://www.instagram.com/hope_foundation17/ (based in Cape Town) led by students who are donating food and clothes to orphanage homes. Currently they have been assisting several homes with electricity bills and food.