Nathalie Chabbey was born on 19 December 1967 in Ayent, a village in Switzerland’s Rhone Valley. She went to primary school in her hometown and completed her compulsory schooling in the nearby city of Sion. In 1983 she enrolled in the local business trade school, emerging three years later with her degree. She spent the last few months of 1986 in Bournemouth, UK, earning a certificate in English.
In March 1987 Nathalie landed an office job, working for two years as a secretary for the corporate management team at UBS – a major Swiss bank – in Geneva. She then moved to another job as a secretary, this time at an architecture firm in Geneva. She worked there from March 1989 to August 1992, although she took several months off in late 1991 to earn a professional certificate in café and restaurant management. In September 1992 she travelled to southeast Asia for a six-month stint as a volunteer in Calcutta’s (now Kolkata) street clinics. After returning to Geneva in February 1993, she found a job at a hotel, where she worked for around two and a half years. Several months into that role, she applied – unsuccessfully – for a position with the ICRC. In late November 1995, she headed back to Asia, this time for eight months.
Nathalie punctuated her various jobs with private travel, to such places as Central America, North Africa and East Asia. Back in Switzerland, she would fill the gaps by picking up shifts as a substitute waitress in or near her hometown. In addition to volunteering in India, Nathalie supported the Swiss-based Moi pour Toit Foundation, which helps disadvantaged children in Colombia. When she submitted another job application to the ICRC, this time in August 1996, she was ready to take her humanitarian interest to the next level.
Nathalie started at the ICRC in October 1996. Her first position was at the organization’s headquarters, in Geneva, working for the West Africa Task Force. She performed secretarial duties for two heads of sector and the Africa press attaché. Her tasks included file and correspondence management, document preparation and database management. She was particularly noted for her team spirit and respect for others, which she balanced with an ability to work autonomously. Her colleagues considered her personable, dependable and diligent.
Following that half-year assignment, Nathalie was offered a posting in Luanda, Angola, to work as a secretary-administrator. After taking Portuguese lessons in Lisbon – she already spoke French, English and German – she left for Luanda in July 1997. On 3 August, less than three weeks into her assignment, Nathalie was hit by a military lorry while visiting a market in the city with two colleagues and died on the way to hospital. She was 29 years old.
In joining the ICRC, Nathalie acted on a growing humanitarian impulse. She wanted to make the most of her interest in foreign cultures and civilizations, her work experience and her language skills, and she felt she could adapt quite easily to unexpected and challenging situations. Most of all, she was motivated by a desire to work for the benefit of people in need.
