Abha Joshi-Ghani

Abha Joshi-Ghani, born on July 22nd, 1959, in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, India, passed away peacefully on September 23rd surrounded by family and loved ones. She is survived by her son, Booey, her daughter, Noni, her parents, Nirmala Joshi and Harivallabh Joshi, her husband, Ejaz Ghani, her three siblings, Vibha, Arvind, and Rajiv Joshi, as well as many beloved relatives and close friends.

It is hard to capture in words the rich legacy Abha left behind. She was a fiercely loving mother, who doted on her two children, as well as her niece, nephews, and all of her children’s friends. She was a deeply compassionate, gentle, and affectionate friend to so many, and brought people together with the magnetic warmth that emanated from within her, embodying the light that she was named after. She had a wicked sense of humor, a sweet and infectious smile, and was well-known for her inquisitive, optimistic, and loving outlook on life. She saw the beauty in everyone and everything, and always kept an eye out for silver linings - even when she was diagnosed with a terminal disease, which she fought courageously for five years.

Abha had a brilliant, intellectual mind and used it to pursue her life-long passion for strengthening sustainable, livable infrastructure in developing countries. After completing her school education in Bhopal, Abha joined Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi for her undergraduate studies and Jawaharlal Nehru University for her Masters degree in Sociology. She pursued her graduate studies at Oriel College and Templeton College at Oxford and received her MPhil degree in Management Studies from Oxford University.

She worked at the Reserve Bank of India, Credit Suisse, and then went on to continue her career at the World Bank, where she dedicated 30 years to a wide set of development topics ranging from infrastructure finance to urban development, and the growth of Smart Cities. More recently she served as Senior Adviser, Infrastructure, Public-Private Partnership and Guarantees, and was the director at the Learning and Leadership Innovation initiative.

Apart from holding senior management positions at The World Bank, she was a frequent, sharp, and succinct speaker on development issues across various organizations and was a member of the World Economic Forum General Agenda Council on "Future of Cities."

Abha was an innovator at the World Bank, who developed deep and lasting friendships with her colleagues, earning her the Staff Association Excellence in Leadership Award in 2016. She had a keen talent for mentoring, nurturing, and encouraging the next generation, and was a strong advocate for coaching and supporting women. She was generous with her advice and attention, which she distributed to all who came to her for support.

Abha traveled extensively throughout her life and had a keen eye for art, design, cuisine, culture, theater, music, and film. She filled her home with the art of all the countries she visited, including Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, and Egypt. She was an immaculate host who could throw a fantastic party, was always the center of gatherings, and never shied away from being the first one to hit the dance floor. She had a sharp and elegant sense of style and fashion. She adored singing, had a beautiful voice, and always encouraged others to join her. She had a deep love of flowers, gardening, and horticulture, and tended to her garden with deep care. She opened her home to anyone who walked in.

Abha’s compassion, her grace, her elegance, her delicacy, her beauty, and her love touched the lives of everyone whom she shared hers with. She was a beloved mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, mentor, and role model. She will be dearly and profoundly missed by many around the world.