Class 9

Ogechukwu brings five years of experience in the nonprofit sector with extensive knowledge in addressing socio-economic development issues and organizational capacity building. He earned a Bachelors degree in Automotive Technology Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri in Nigeria. From 2007 to 2011, he worked as the Program Administrator for Self-Help Development Facilitators (SEDFA), a Nigerian nonprofit organization. His responsibilities at SEDFA included fundraising, resource mobilization, monitoring and evaluation as well as project implementation. In this regard, he has been involved in good governance and poverty reduction projects funded by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA); United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Nigeria; European Union (EU); as well as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). He also anchored the application process that led to the granting of SEDFA, a “Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN-ECOSOC)” in 2011.

Host Organization: Service for Peace

Luis has over five years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Luis graduated with a degree in Law from the Autonomous University of Madrid (Spain), and holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Development Aid from the Open University (UK), a Postgraduate Diploma in Development and Gender Relations from the Complutense University of Madrid (Spain) and a MA in Applied Human Rights from the University of York (UK). He worked as a project manager at Fundacion Triangulo for two years, a Spanish LGBT organization working on development cooperation aid and advocacy. During that time, he was in charge of projects in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Panama, Peru, and at a regional level. Since the end of 2009, he has been a member of the Development Cooperation Team, the decision-making board for international advocacy and development cooperation issues at Fundacion Triangulo. He is currently working as a project manager on development aid at Candelita, a Spanish development organization, where he is in charge of productive projects with a gender perspective in Colombia. As a volunteer, Luis has more than 10 years of experience with civil society organizations. He collaborated with the Student Union, Ecologistas en Accion (an environmental organization), and Service Civil International Spain. At this moment, he is part of the Mobilization Team at Equo, a new Spanish political party endorsed by the European Green Party, helping to organize its standing at the next Spanish general election. He published an article last June with the title “Tackling corrective rape in South Africa: the engagement between the LGBT CSOs and the National Human Rights Institutions (Commission for Gender Equality and South African Human Rights Commission) and its role.”

Host Organization: Gay and Lesbian Victory Institute

Luckmore has nine years of experience in the nonprofit sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. He graduated from Wageningen University and Research Center Disaster Studies Department in The Netherlands, with a Masters in International Development. Luckmore worked with Restless Development a British-based international development agency where he started as a volunteer and became an Advocacy Specialist in the areas of youth development, sexual, and reproductive health and rights. He has worked with the Young Voices Network Zimbabwe, a coalition of youth-led and youth-focused nonprofit organizations as an Advocacy Coordinator. Luckmore also served as the Youth Representative in the Zimbabwe National AIDS Council. In 2009 to 2010, with support from UNFPA, CEDPA and CHANGE, he led a regional (Southern Africa) initiative on advocating regional governments to increase funding in adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. As part of his studies in Wageningen University and Research Center, Luckmore worked with the German development agency, GIZ, in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda to revive the youth program among refugee youth. He has been a member of professional associations and students organizations such as AIESEC where he served as Vice President of External Relations for Zimbabwe and Junior Chambers Harare City Chapter. Over the years, Luckmore has developed interest in program monitoring, coordination, and implementation. Through experiences in Uganda and at home, he has developed keen interest on issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights in complex political emergencies.

Host Organization: MSI

Karina holds a Law degree with a specialization in Human Rights and International Law. She studied International Human Rights at UC Berkeley. She received a full scholarship by the Rotary Foundation to obtain her MA in Political Science and a Graduate Certificate in Peace and Conflict Resolution from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her work as an English teacher at Cultura Inglesa (sponsored by the British Council) involved preparing students for the International Legal English Certificate issued by the University of Cambridge as well as discussing human rights in Brazil. While working at Viver NGO, a member of the Ronald McDonald House Charities, she implemented the scholarship program and the bone marrow donation campaign. She interned for UNICEF in Geneva and for the International Center in Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) in Alexandria, VA. She also worked as a researcher for the Research Triangle Institute, supporting literacy education projects in developing countries and as a research assistant for a human rights professor at Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University focusing on the Arab Spring and the Alien Torts Claims Act. Through these experiences, she developed strong project coordination and implementation, policy analysis, research, and management skills. Karina has a strong passion for child rights.

Host Organization: U.S. Fund for UNICEF

Aldo has six years of experience in the nonprofit sector. He holds a degree in Marketing and Communications and two postgraduate diplomas in Fundraising and Project Management & Education and Employment of Youth. Since he was 17 years old, he has been involved with social development organizations. Aldo was a volunteer at Amnesty International Mexico as well as a Program Officer in a human rights foundation. In 2008, he founded the nonprofit organization, Puerta Joven (“Youth Door”), which provides internet access and arts and technology programs to improve the education of the youth in poverty (with a primary focus on indigenous and people with physical disabilities). As the Founder and Program Coordinator, he gained experience to get support and funding for his own programs and projects from international aid agencies and foundations such as: the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), UNPD Mexico, UNESCO Brazil, Oxfam, and the Adobe Foundation. As a fundraiser, he has also done campaigns to get individual donations through media campaigns and mobile phones. Aldo was named Action Partner by Oxfam International Youth Partnerships. He has participated in key global forums like the World Youth Conference, organized by UN agencies where he was a member of the Global Council of NGOs and was also invited to run workshops about Fundraising. Aldo has knowledge in graphic design, web development, social media, and nonprofit marketing.

Host Organization: National Audubon Society

Ahmed Hassoon, a public health consultant, with more than seven years of experience serving vulnerable groups at different capacity for multiple sectors in Iraq. Ahmed earned a degree in General Medicine and Surgery from Baghdad School of Medicine in Iraq. He studied International Health & Development at Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in the United States and is an internationally certified Project Manager (PMP) by the Project Management Institute. His certifications include: Disaster Planning, Global Development & Social Justice, International Development, Monitoring and Evaluation from Tulane University, Emory University, the United State Government, and USAID, respectively. While working at the Iraqi Ministry of Health and several major international organizations, he helped during the conflict and post conflict transition after the 2003 war by focusing on health services for war victims, internally displaced persons,, returnees, women, and children. Ahmed currently works for International Relief and Development as a Health Consultant. He also worked as the Iraq Operations Manager for International Rescue Committee, Capacity Building Coordinator for the Iraqi Ministry of Health, IDP’s Clinic Manager for INTERSOS, and Foundation House Officer for the Iraqi Ministry of Health in several Iraqi Hospitals. Through his field work and education, Ahmed developed a wide experience in public health program design, proposal writing, project management, operations, coordination, business development, and grant management. Ahmed has been awarded the prestigious Hubert Humphrey Fellowship (2010) by the United States Department of State for his dedication to public service in Iraq. Ahmed is fluent in English and Arabic.

Host Organization: International Relief and Development