Saturday, Lesly Condé, the Consul General of Haiti in Chicago responding to the invitation of the organizers of a tribute evening to 3 great ladies of the Haitian community in Chicago issued a short speech on this occasion that we invite you to share.

Speech of Consul Lesly Condé :

"Ladies and gentlemen,

When I received the invitation to be among you this evening, I had no hesitation because I knew the company would be excellent. I truly relish the opportunity to participate in an event that will bring a bit of gratification to three personalities whom I know to be extraordinary, and whose tireless sense of duty and philanthropy have touched many lives in this Community. With great pleasure, I greet you all on behalf of the Consulate General of Haiti in Chicago.

Given the fact that I am familiar with these three ladies, and that I have collaborated with them both closely and from a distance, I am in a position to say that they deserve every bit of the attention they are receiving this evening. Therefore, I join the Community in expressing to them all my respect and admiration.

Mrs. Kettlie Acacia Luckett is well known and appreciated within this Community. Her enduring patience and sense of equity make her a very competent social worker and a priceless ally for all the members of this Community who, at a time or another, are in need of her expertise. We should consider ourselves lucky to have among us a highly qualified person who is selfless enough to, constantly, put her experience at the service of the Community.

Mrs. Macdanne Edmond is equally well known and admired within this Community in which she practically grew up. This devoted and truly caring mother has been a Skokie resident for over two decades. Her obligations as a mother, which she fulfills admirably, do not stand in the way of her putting her multiple talents at the service of the Community. What makes Mrs. Edmond absolutely priceless is the courtesy with which she treats all her clients; be they paying or non- paying. Moreover, I find her undying love for our Mother Land particularly laudable. I thank her for helping the truly needy.

This evening's third heroin is Mrs. Marie Yolène Malary. She is a social worker with a heart of gold whom the whole Community knows, loves and respects. It has been quite a number of years since she has been putting her competence to work for the benefit of her compatriots; precisely those who are most desperately in need of help and accompaniment. All that is part of her job, but she possesses that additional generosity, and that innate respect for human dignity. She so often goes way beyond what her job entails. For that, the whole Community admires and respects her.

In closing, I must thank this event's organizers who have been kind enough to make me part of it. I also thank these three wonderful ladies for being who they are, and doing what they do because somehow, they have rescued some of my trust in human nature. Finally, thank you all for your hospitality !"

HL/ HaitiLibre