MOREAU INTEGRATION 3 CHIZOMA DURU INTEGRATION 3 I’M A WOMAN, PHENOMENALLY. PHENOMENAL WOMAN, THAT’S ME! We are gathered here today to celebrate but not to mourn, we are assembled to pay our respects to a life well lived. I remember when Chizoma lived, she always made me promise that her funeral would be more like a party than a memorial. “Why?” I would ask her, and she would respond that we celebrate those who have lived well, enjoyed their time on earth and done their part in ensuring that others have better grounds to walk on. That was , a fearless African woman. I believe one of the most remarkable things about Dr. Duru was her mastery of the art of intentionality and reflection. I remember that she would always reiterate a quote from Poco Iyer that said “It’s easy to feel as if we’re standing two inches away from a huge canvas that’s noisy and crowded and changing every microsecond. It’s only by stepping farther back and standing still that we can begin to see what that canvas really means and to take in the larger picture” (Why we need to slow down our lives by Pico Iyer-Moreau FYE Week 1). This quote reflected throughout her life as she always put her mental health and well being first. She practiced reflection and intentionality in everything she did. She ensured that she was intentional about the time she spent doing yoga, the time she spent working on projects, the time she spent with her loved ones and even the time she spent with herself. Do not get me wrong, she was a busy woman, and that was her reasoning for why her intentionality was paramount. She never let those around her forget to do these things as well. She encouraged us to take days off, allocate us-time, build strong relationships and explained that these were the recipes to productivity. “It is precisely those who are busiest who need to give themselves a break”(Why we need to slow down our lives by Pico Iyer-Moreau FYE Week 1), she always said and carried out. Moreover, her reflective techniques were always evolving, whether by engaging in conversation with a companion to learn more about herself, journalling or simply just dishing out constructive self-criticism to ensure that she continued to improve. She defined the balance of having self love but still striving for self-improvement. (Reflection with my mum- Moreau FYE Week 5) Chizoma, was a table shaker. She didn’t enter spaces to blend into their practices but she was an agent of change. She was one of the most transformative women I had ever met, and I saw it in everything she put her heart into. She was a crucial part of the advocacy for women’s presence in politics in Africa, she promoted the intra continental economic relationships between African countries, and she was a formidable figure and voice for African women everywhere. “Mama Africa”, I would call her, because her passions for Pan Africanism and Women’s Empowerment were practically written on her forehead. I believe the most beautiful thing about this aspect of Chizoma’s personality was the fact that she was committed to delivering excellence after excellence, and would not dish out or receive anything less. However, she wouldn’t oppress you into improvement, she would hold your hand and walk with you, till you see the potential for greatness in yourself. She would hold you accountable, motivate you to be the most formidable version of yourself, engage in passionate conversations and still remain your bestest friend. She always spoke about how she owed a lot of these passions to Notre Dame, and most importantly Father Hesburgh. Even though she never met him she was inspired by his ability to declare things like “I decided if I was going to be president I had to shake things up” ( "Hesburgh" Produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley - Moreau FYE Week 2), and the fact that people around him were aware that “Hesburgh didn’t accept anything less than excellence” ( "Hesburgh" Produced by Jerry Barca and Christine O'Malley - Moreau FYE Week 2). Dr. Duru was a career woman, in and out. People around her often classified her as a “Doyenne” or a “Boss lady”. However, she was not just an average lady in the workforce, she was a phenomenal woman who always did jobs that would not just enrich her person but improve the lives of the people around her. Her passion was her people. She ensured that whatever she laid her hands on would in some way find itself back to her community, her country and the African continent at large. During her professional degrees, she ensured she engrossed herself in knowledge that would be beneficial to her community, she started her own Non profit at the age of 20, dedicated her life to humanitarian work and eventually slowed down to become a professor at the University of Cape Town, where she aimed to instill the same fire for community development that she had in her students, so they could become community builders. In all her classes and conversations about vocation she would always ask her students to ask themselves “The three questions”, by Father Micheal Himes, which were “What gives you joy, what are you really good at, and what do the people around you need?” ( "Three Key Questions" adapted from Fr. Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week 4). She expressed that those were the questions that led her to lead a life of happiness because she gave the people around her a reason to smile. She also never let anyone around her forget that change is constant, so if we decide that our interests change, we should practice flexibility and chase our dreams, because careers aren’t built in a day. They are built, remodeled, demolished and rebuilt many times over before people find their perfect fit. She agreed very greatly with Dr. Donald Super, when he said “ He contended that success depends in part on how well a person can identify and implement career self-concepts” ("Navigating Your Career Journey” by the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development- Moreau FYE Week 6). This is why I never failed to call her a mother figure and a visionary in all our lives. Whenever I spoke to her about how she was able to attain all these things, she told me that it was not by her might but by God’s grace and favor. She once said to me that she interacted with a story about Jihoon Kim, while she was at University at Notre Dame and the words he shared stuck with him. He said “ I will use these 5 minutes, to not just pray about myself but pray for others, pray for my loved ones and I will utilize these 5 minutes and do something about it https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41039/modules/items/149873 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41039/modules/items/149873 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41039/modules/items/149873 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41039/modules/items/149873 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41039/modules/items/149885 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41039/modules/items/149885 https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ instead of just focusing on what we can not do” (“5 Minutes” (Aria Swarr, Grotto) Moreau FYE Week 6). She explained that Jihoon Kim became disabled after a ski accident, but he still had a positive outlook on life, so what was her excuse! This was one of the many reasons why she was extremely kind to others, always had a smile on her face and kept us all in her prayers. She loved with her whole heart and shared that love with everyone around her. She shared with me that she may not be able to do everything and help everyone but she will give 150% to those who she can help and that which she can do. I would argue that she gave 200%. Especially to the people she loved. She was extremely intentional about keeping good people around her and maintaining positive relationships . She solidified her beliefs in the fact that no one person deserved life more than another, and everyone was equally worthy of love, care and affection. She would often add that if we wouldn’t believe her, we should take it from the words of Pope Francis: “Quite a few years of life have strengthened my conviction that each and everyone’s existence is deeply tied to that of others: life is not merely passing by, life is about interactions” (“Why the only future worth building includes everyone” by His Holiness Pope Francis, TED Conferences- Moreau FYE Week 8). It is because of this overwhelming love and kindness that we are seated here, celebrating the life of a phenomenally, phenomenal woman like Chizoma Edenavo Antan Duru. So to our professor, mother, wife, teacher, role model and above all our best friend. We will forever cherish your memory, we will forever reminisce about your contagious laughs, when we walk by nature we will take some time to smell the roses and above all we will love people more than we know how to. I am glad to have crossed paths with you and I am proud that your life was the epitome of a life well lived. https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41039/modules/items/149918 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41039/modules/items/149932 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41039/modules/items/149932 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/41039/modules/items/149932