Soumashree Sen
India (Host: Women's World Banking)Soumashree brings over six years of expertise in diplomacy, strategic partnerships, and policy advocacy, with a strong focus on advancing gender equality and inclusive governance. She graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree from Tata Institute of Social Sciences and secured a 100% academic scholarship as a Global UGrad-Fulbright Scholar from the U.S. Department of Education. She has been nominated to represent India at international forums, including the Asian Development Bank, VSO UK, and Plan International. As a Governance and Strategy consultant at the Chief Minister’s Office in Kolkata, she specializes in establishing strategic partnerships and driving policy reforms to advance inclusive governance. A notable accomplishment is the implementation of a state-level grievance redressal system, enhancing bureaucratic accountability and empowering citizens through improved public service delivery and participatory democracy, fortifying government-citizen cooperation. She has collaborated closely with senior political figures across 11 Ministries, including Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assembly to devise effective strategies and crafted policies that leveraged communication channels to convey compelling value propositions to the electorate. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Soumashree collaborated with Samhita, an impact consultancy, playing a pivotal role in building strategic partnerships for REVIVE, a multi-stakeholder platform dedicated to empowering women economically through blended finance and technical support. Notable partners include Google, MSDF, Atlantic Council, and JPAL. Previously, she worked at Aangan Trust, where she focused on child rights advocacy and creating safe spaces for women and children. She collaborated with the communications team to execute successful social media campaigns, raising awareness around trafficking and child harm. Soumashree aspires to advance the cause of gender equality and promote inclusive governance through impactful policy changes and partnership-building initiatives.
Host Organization: Women’s World Banking
Role at Host Organization: As a Strategy and Stakeholder Management Fellow, Soumashree will work closely with the Head of the Brand, Marketing & Communications (BMC) team and also engage with the team on specific projects and initiatives that are instrumental to (1) enhance WWB’s external brand awareness and to internally (2) strengthen the BMC position as an expert strategic advisor and quality focused execution partner to the whole organization partner to the broader organization including senior management. The Fellow will also support the review and refinement of the current brand and marketing strategy, as well as to work with the team on the internal stakeholder engagement model to developing effective and efficient collaboration processes.
Nitisha Pandey
India (Host: Generation)Selorm is a dedicated and dynamic professional who is deeply committed to driving positive change and sustainable development across Africa. Armed with a Master’s in Business Administration, Selorm possesses a rich tapestry of skills encompassing project management, research, and social enterprise development. He is a visionary founder and lead strategist at Ecowillow Ghana, fostering environmental governance and nurturing youth talents. Selorm’s extensive engagement with various organizations, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and ActionAid Ghana, demonstrates his passion for societal progress. As a seasoned researcher and recruitment consultant, he has led initiatives amplifying voices in social enterprises and driving impact strategies. Selorm’s trajectory is characterized by a fervent belief in competent leadership, social entrepreneurship, and fostering a sustainable future for generations to come.
Host Organization: Generation
Role at Host Organization: As a Global Business Development Fellow, Selorm will help identify potential employer partners and the key stakeholders at those companies, initiate outreach, and pitch to interested organizations. They will use Salesforce to record and track interactions and analyze their pipeline. They will also provide account management support to key employer partners, support the delivery of key partnership initiatives (e.g. running events, gaining employer feedback, designing capacity building sessions) to grow the relationships.
Selorm Adzimah
Ghana (Host: Generation)Selorm is a dedicated and dynamic professional who is deeply committed to driving positive change and sustainable development across Africa. Armed with a Master’s in Business Administration, Selorm possesses a rich tapestry of skills encompassing project management, research, and social enterprise development. He is a visionary founder and lead strategist at Ecowillow Ghana, fostering environmental governance and nurturing youth talents. Selorm’s extensive engagement with various organizations, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and ActionAid Ghana, demonstrates his passion for societal progress. As a seasoned researcher and recruitment consultant, he has led initiatives amplifying voices in social enterprises and driving impact strategies. Selorm’s trajectory is characterized by a fervent belief in competent leadership, social entrepreneurship, and fostering a sustainable future for generations to come.
Host Organization: Generation
Role at Host Organization: As a Global Business Development Fellow, Selorm will help identify potential employer partners and the key stakeholders at those companies, initiate outreach, and pitch to interested organizations. They will use Salesforce to record and track interactions and analyze their pipeline. They will also provide account management support to key employer partners, support the delivery of key partnership initiatives (e.g. running events, gaining employer feedback, designing capacity building sessions) to grow the relationships.
Vandana Yadav
India (Host: CODE)Vandana is a full-stack marketing and communications professional from India. With over a decade of experience, she holds a Master of Arts in Journalism & Mass Communication from Guru Jambheshwar University, a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi, and a BE in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Gujarat Technological University. A former engineer and a journalist, she is now in the management realm, leading organizational strategy and implementation for scaling outreach and communication efforts. Vandana has diverse experience working with startups, entrepreneurs, government bodies, academic institutes, and media. She has experience in managing brands, creating new and diverse content, writing, and program management, and is adept at using digital tools and platforms such as InDesign, QuarkXpress, Canva, WordPress, Adobe Experience Management, and social media. She enjoys writing and curating stories from the higher education and health sectors and has previously covered areas such as entrepreneurship, leadership, grassroots innovation, research, technology, and community. Vandana has a passion for curating impact stories and is comfortable with various formats of print and digital content. Over her decade-long career, she has worked with Business Standard – the financial daily, IIT Gandhinagar, IIM Ahmedabad, National Innovation Foundation – India, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, health tech startup Shivom and most recently with the Indian School of Business. Her expertise is in strategic management, outreach and communications, program and stakeholder management, brand development, negotiation and conflict resolution, and team management.
Host Organization: Center for Open Data Enterprise (CODE)
Role at Host Organization: As a Communications, Outreach, and Business Development Fellow, Vandana will work with the Research and Communications Manager to support CODE’s communications, outreach, and business development strategies. The Fellow will be responsible for: updating and implementing CODE’s communications strategy, supporting the entire CODE team to engage with current and potential partners, implement the business development strategy, and drive revenue growth.
Lame Dislotsotlhe
Botswana (Host: Open Contracting Partnership)Lame is a Social Impact Communications Consultant with six years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned an honors degree in Professional Design (Visual Communication), and a diploma in Graphic design from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, in Botswana. Most recently, Lame worked with Our Solid Roots Association, as a communications consultant, managing the nonprofits internal creative projects including its branding, illustrations and publications. In 2019, he worked with (LEGABIBO) Lesbians Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana as a communications specialist, and designed the Visual brand identity, and the marketing materials for an LGBTQI+ advocacy campaign dubbed “beyond the rainbow.” The campaign was a first of its kind in the country, and its events lead to the government’s decision to decriminalize same sex relationships in Botswana. As the Founder of (WAW) “Who Are We Organization”, a youth arts and sports nonprofit, he developed and led an adolescent-youth sexual, and reproductive health rights workshop to bridge the gap between parent –child communication on issues of Sex and Sexual reproductive health which led to the setup of a youth friendly clinic, improving access to Sexual Reproductive Health services for youth in the community. Lame is passionate about using visual storytelling to advocate and create visibility for marginalized communities, and also hosts an indigenous language promotion podcast called “Ipelele Ngwao”, which focuses on preserving the diverse intangible heritage in Botswana. Through these experiences, Lame has gained strong project planning, storytelling, and campaign management skills.
Host Organization: Open Contracting Partnership
Role at Host Organization: As a Digital Strategist and Content Fellow, Lame will leverage all digital channels—social media, the website, newsletters and email campaigns—to engage existing and new audiences. Lame will also write, edit, and produce original OCP content that is compelling, smart, and clear. The Fellow will also manage OCP’s website and coordinate the day-to-day communication stream including social media. Lastly, Lame will help educate editors and journalists around the world as to why the trillion-dollar world of contracting and procurement matters so much for public integrity, markets, and development.
Morine Nchangwie
Cameroon (Host: American Red Cross)Morine has four years of experience in the humanitarian and nonprofit sector. She has earned a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the International Relations Institute of Cameroon, (IRIC). While working remotely as a Community Development and Resilience Officer at the Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development (NISPED), she collaborates with UNDP, the Israeli Embassy in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s Ministry of Planning, and local/national partners to promote sustainable livelihoods and resilience in the East region of Cameroon. Morine has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills by successfully training and empowering over 1000 youths and refugees in host communities through financial literacy, education, and peace building projects. Previously, Morine worked with a community-based organization as a Monitoring and Evaluation Assistant, where she provided support to over 150 adolescent girls and young women, empowering them to raise their voices against gender-based violence, facilitated training in financial literacy for 100 young people living with HIV, helping them establish savings association groups for self-growth. Morine’s versatility shines through her previous role as a Corporate Communication Assistant at the Embassy of Israel in Cameroon. There, she managed public relations for the embassy and facilitated partnership opportunities between Israeli entrepreneurs and their Cameroonian counterparts in areas of start-up companies, agriculture, and water. She also played a vital role in supporting the embassy’s communication strategy during campaigns and key events. Passionate about humanitarian relief, community development, youth and women’s empowerment, Morine is dedicated to helping young people realize their full potential.
Host Organization: American Red Cross
Role at Host Organization: As a Movement Transformation Fellow, the Fellow will sit within the Movement Transformation/Collective Impact & Partnerships Engagement (CIPE) team at the American Red Cross. The CIPE team works to ensure strong partnerships between the American Red Cross and other national societies, and provides support to national societies (NS) through work with the IFRC to be effective, local actors that can reach scale and deliver sustainable disaster management services to its communities. The team achieves this by developing long-term plans in support of the NS goals and in alignment with ISD objectives, as well as furthering the ways in which we work as a distributed network. The Fellow will primarily be focused on the development of the new IFRC Certification & the New Way of Working files in coordination with the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and other Movement partners. The Fellow will coordinate between the American Red Cross and IFRC to ensure quality representation at the most important events, whether at the global, regional or country levels.
Giovana Cury
Brazil (Host: Generation)Giovana is originally from São José dos Campos, Brazil. Giovana earned a Bachelor’s degree in Translation from Sao Paulo State University – UNESP in 2014. Five years later, she earned a Master’s degree in International Marketing from the Brazilian Association of Consultancy and Advisory in Foreign Trade. In 2023, she earned a postgraduate degree in Sustainability and Environmental Studies from Getulio Vargas Foundation – FGV. Now, Giovana has accumulated extensive experience in operations and content creation. For two years, she worked at BOOMI, an online marketplace for eco-friendly brands supporting daily operations, developing new sustainable products, and creating some of the digital marketing strategies. Previously, Giovana worked for three years at AliExpress, an international B2C e-commerce platform, developing the content strategy and content localization for the Brazilian market as well as leading a team of 9 international writers. She also had the chance to develop customer-oriented skills during her one-year experience as a Customer Service Specialist at a 5-star hotel working with different departments to anticipate the needs of VIP customers. Giovana also learned about different subjects and fields while working for around nine years as a freelancer Portuguese, English, and French translator. Giovana is interested in sustainability, climate change and social impact; she is committed to regenerative development, social responsibility, and advocates for climate action. She has been an active member of the Climate Fresk Organization, facilitating workshops for the local community. Giovana was also a member of CISV (Children International Summer Village) for many years.
Host Organization: Generation
Role at Host Organization: As a Global Learner Engagement (LE) Programs Fellow, Giovana will support the operations of Generation’s newly launching GYE Direct (fully remote) programs in Ghana, Colombia and 1-2 additional countries by 2024. Giovana will work alongside dedicated project teams and Global LE team members to design offerings, develop supporting tools, support the hiring and training of operations staff, support program launches and monitor / troubleshoot outcomes for learner mobilization, onboarding and mentorship support. The Fellow will also manage global alumni engagement (for GYE Direct alumni) and serve as the primary point of contact for learner engagement topics for GYE Direct Programs.
Abenezer Weyesa
Ethiopia (Host: Panorama Global)Abenezer is a Human Resource Professional with almost ten years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Abenezer earned a Bachelor of Art in Public Administration and Development Management from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. While working as a Senior Human Resource Officer with CARE International in Ethiopia, he helped the organization to recruit, train, and retain a high performing workforce and implemented gender equality program in recruitment to increase female employees in the organization. Previously, Abenezer worked as a HR & Admin Manager with International Rescue Committee Ethiopia program under USAID and other donors funded programs. Through these experiences, he has developed strong people management skills, communication skills, and created welcoming workplaces for employees, where they can strive to do their best. Abenezer enjoys focusing on the topics of economic development, democracy, and human rights and has a strong passion of reading books.
Host Organization: Panorama Global
Role at Host Organization: As a Talent Acquisition Fellow, Abenezer will help Panorama Global source, identify, screen, and hire individuals for a broad range of roles across the organization affiliates. The Fellow’s role includes: inputting the overall hiring strategy of the organization to ensure the teams consist of a diverse set of qualified individuals; ensuring the staffing needs of the company are being met, with a long-term talent strategy in mind; and devising and implementing sourcing strategies to build pipelines of potential applicants, such as employer branding initiatives.
Faryal Najeeb
Pakistan (Host: Generation)Faryal is a youth development and community engagement specialist with 7 years of working in the not-for-profit sector. She holds a Master’s degree in Mass Communication and is an IVLP alumnus of the Young Leaders: NGOs and Civic Activism program. As the Program Manager, Faryal manages Lincoln Corners (American Spaces) in Sindh, Peshawar, and Balochistan, where she supported the implementation of the Academy for Women Entrepreneurship (AWE), STEM workshops, entrepreneurship boot camps, digital storytelling for GBV & Climate Change workshops, and campaigns against gender-based violence facilitating over 2000 young women. She is passionate about exposing the youth of Pakistan to more opportunities and building their capacities through volunteering, networking, and skills development. Faryal has also worked as a communications and content development specialist at for-profit and not-for-profit organizations for 6 years, where she maximized the causes and built brands through social media campaigns, copywriting, and editorial content. Faryal volunteers with not-for-profit organizations and underserved schools to mentor teenagers in communications, resilience, dialogues, and active citizenship. She loves exploring new places, meeting new people, bonding over food, and making friends over tea.
Host Organization: Generation
Role at Host Organization: As a SAMEA Strategy Fellow, Faryal will be a strategic thought partner and force multiplier to the Region COO. This is an exciting year for Generation’s growth for Kenya, India, Pakistan, and their newly-launched Ghana program, and the Fellow will focus on supporting key innovations (e.g. freelancing), regional strategy development, and country launch support in Ghana.
Shakir Ali Khan
Pakistan (Host: American Red Cross)Shakir has over 5 years of experience in the non-profit sector of Pakistan. He has expertise in case management, communication, monitoring, evaluation, and research. He holds a Master’s degree in Muslim Cultures from Aga Khan University International in The United Kingdom. He worked at the Silver Jubilee Development Agency Pakistan (SJDAP) as a caseworker & mentor with ultra-poor families on their socio-economic upliftment. He worked with families on 7 quality of life indicators, i.e., education, health, livelihood, nutrition, habitat, access to finance, and community inclusion. He has facilitated 15 families through numerous interventions and has acquired micro loans of approximately 02 million PKR for them. Earlier, he was associated with the Family Educational Services Foundation (FESF) as an M&E and communication officer. He overlooked 77 social action projects to assess and report their output, outcome, and impact. Before that, he worked with the Basic Education for Awareness Reforms and Empowerment/Basic Education for Afghan Refugees (BEFARe), an Independent Monitoring Unit (IMU) on the ‘Capacity Building for Civil Society’ project with DAI and USAID, where he assisted in the data collection, reporting, management and designing of M&E tools. He has also studied the ‘Conflict and Development’ module from the Open University (UK), where he has analysed various conflicts through the conflict analysis framework and participated in a mock conflict negotiation simulation. Additionally, he has spent significant time volunteering for community schools, libraries, and welfare boards as a mentor, educator, and management personnel, where he gained project coordination and project management skills. Working in conflict, education, and social development contexts has honed his critical thinking, cultural sensitivity, rapport building, and monitoring and evaluation skills. Besides his professional and voluntary endeavours, Shakir loves sports and exploring new cultures.
Host Organization: American Red Cross
Role at Host Organization: As a Business Planning Analyst Fellow, Shakir will be part of the Quality, Data and Learning team and will support planning, analysis, data visualization, and reporting functions for both the American Red Cross International Services Department (ISD) and the Service to the Armed Forces/International Services (SAF/IS) Department. Shakir will help senior leaders’ decision-making by providing accurate data, helping to identify trends and effective comparatives, analyzing key performance indicators, and creating data visualization and other reporting materials. The Fellow will bring expertise in business analysis, planning, and performance management concepts and a willingness to learn new systems and applications. Shakir’s contribution will allow the Business Planning team to provide superior reporting, analytics, and planning support.
Tafadzwa Munyaka
Zimbabwe (Host: One to World)Tafadzwa has six years of experience in the nonprofit sector. He holds an MSc International Relations degree from the University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe, and a BSc in Media and Society Studies from the Midlands State University in Zimbabwe. He is a YALI Regional Leadership Center Southern Africa alumnus. Tafadzwa is an Operations Manager at Bayethe Development Institute, an SRHR and economic empowerment organization in Zimbabwe. He is a transformational leader and social change agent who believes in turning his vision into reality through strategic alliances and coordinated action. He is responsible for initiating and developing clear, concise proposals, grant writing, and implementing fundraising activities, donor cultivation, and stewardship. He has managed to raise US$ 800,000 from 2017 to date on advancement of SRHR access for young people, economic empowerment of LBTQI people, and child rights programming. He researches, writes, and edits time-sensitive program documents, budgets, activity reports, and cultivates relationships, including communicating with relevant local partners, stakeholders, and donors. Among the various duties in this portfolio is working in concert with the finance and administration team to oversee grant management, draft budgets, and disbursement of funds, including monitoring budgets and expenditures. Tafadzwa worked for the Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children (ZNCWC), a child rights coordinating and umbrella body in Zimbabwe as an Advocacy and Communications Officer. He organized and coordinated child rights actors and led successful advocacy and lobbying activities, chief among them establishment of the Parliament Caucus on Child Rights in 2020.
Angela Umoru-David
Nigeria (Host: Medici Road)Angela possesses four years of experience in both the nonprofit sector and media space. Currently, she is the Chief Operating Officer at Jela’s Development Initiatives (JDI) where she supervises project implementation, organizational operations and communications. She manages diverse teams to provide access to clean water as well as sanitation and hygiene facilities, mental healthcare, voluntary blood donors through an artificial intelligence called J Match and promotes youth empowerment through volunteering. Most recently, she co-designed and implemented advocacy campaigns on mental health inclusion for PWDs and voluntary blood donation. She is also a writer and solutions journalist, whose work has explored maternal mortality, anti-corruption, climate change, mental health and food security, amongst other themes. As a World Literacy Foundation Ambassador (2020), she raised awareness on how illiteracy affects daily life by curating 112 ‘literacy stories’ which she shared on social media. Previously, she worked as Media and Communications Officer at Skills Outside School Foundation (SOSF) focusing on securing relevant partnerships and creating publicity for the Foundation’s work in life skill education through digital media and production of media materials. In the time she worked with SOSF, she raised the organization’s profile by increasing social media followership by over 80% and initiated partnership discussions with various organizations. She is certified by the University of California through Philanthropy University in developing Advocacy campaigns. Angela is most interested in improving inclusion in education, good governance and mental healthcare.
Host Organization: Medici Road
Role at Host Organization: As a Communications Analyst Fellow, Angela will assist in shaping, and executing, the audience engagement strategy and she will lead digital storytelling efforts for the organization. The Fellow will work side-by-side with senior staff to gain practical experience learning how to turn data and stories into infographics. Angela will also learn how to use software like Adobe InDesign and Photoshop and practice storytelling and community engagement skills with diverse stakeholder groups including residents and peer organizations.