Masooma has 6 years of experience in the non-profit sector with the United Nations (UN) in Pakistan. She has earned a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the University of Karachi, Pakistan. During her tenure with the UN, Masooma has worked with the World Food Programme as a Food Aid Monitor looking after the planning, implementation, and monitoring related to food assistance in emergencies (2010 floods in Pakistan) to recovery projects including Cash for Work, Food for Work, and Nutrition-specific interventions. Masooma has specific expertise in Cash and Voucher Programming and has also worked with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN as a Cash Working Group Coordinator. During this time she worked to promote efficient response analysis, implementation, and harmonization in cash and voucher projects during emergencies, early recovery, and social protection by bringing together humanitarian organisations and Government to the CWG coordination platform. Cash and vouchers are considered as ways to address basic needs and to protect and re-establish livelihoods, especially when the local market system is functioning during or post disasters.
Over the years, Masooma has been able to develop specific knowledge and skills in the Food Security and Livelihoods Sector, Coordination in Emergencies, and Cash and Voucher Programming. Masooma is passionate about playing an active role towards the betterment of society, continuously developing her knowledge and skills across the various Humanitarian and Development sectors, and applying them to support communities build resilience and sustainable livelihoods.
Host Organization: American Red Cross
Role at Host Organization: Masooma will support the design and implementation of a new disaster preparedness and business continuity initiative, with the opportunity to leverage and enhance skills in disaster preparedness, knowledge management, data analysis, and stakeholder outreach. The primary aim of this initiative is to build disaster resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises, and in turn help make safer communities as the two continuously rely on one another.