Partnership & Coalition Building

Grace Namukonde Kayamba is a graduate from the University of Zambia, the National University of Ireland-Galway and the University of Lusaka. She is 43 years old and lives in Lusaka-Zambia. Grace obtained her Bachelor of Arts with Education degree at the University of Zambia in 2005. She later did the Cambridge International Diploma in Project Management with the University of Cambridge-International Examinations in 2009. Grace went on to do further studies at the National University of Ireland-Galway where she studied Gender, Globalisation and Rights and graduated in 2013 with the Second-Class Honours Grade 1. In 2019, Grace graduated with a Master of Science degree in Project Management at the University of Lusaka. Grace joined the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) in 2007 as a Program Officer-Education and has been climbing the ladder to Senior Program Officer, Training Manager, Education Manager and currently serving as a Program Manager. As a Program Manager, Grace plans, coordinates, and oversees the implementation of projects in Education and Young Women Empowerment programs. She provides technical support to the Monitoring and Evaluation team on project evaluations and research. Grace sat on the ZANEC Board as Vice Board Secretary and Gender and Equity Chairperson. Grace has over the years managed different donor contracts ensuring that projects are managed as per donor requirements. Grace represents the organization in various stakeholder high level meetings and networks with other Civil Society organizations and government ministries. Before joining CAMFED, she worked with HODI on a UNHCR Refugee Project as a SGBV/HIV/AIDS Coordinator.

Jacqueline Anena is a public health specialist and a technical advisor for vaccines and immunization at PATH, leading efforts to improve immunization coverage and vaccines supply chain and logistics. For the last six years Jacqueline has supported the Uganda National Expanded Program on Immunization (UNEPI) with providing technical assistance in program work planning and coordination, development of implementation strategies such as the National Immunization Strategy, the immunization supply chain strategy, Human Papilloma Virus vaccine coverage improvement plan among others. She is passionate about use of human centered design in designing approaches and strategies that focus on improving user’s experience. Outside her job description, she is a mental health enthusiast and taking on initiatives to improve mental health in workplaces and among the cooperate community. Jacqueline holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health and has over 12 years of experience in implementing Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Programs. She was previously a Global Health Corps (GHC) Fellow and a staff at World Vision in Uganda.

Fernanda Cassiano is a seasoned professional in humanitarian and development operations with a distinguished career that spans across continents and focuses on refugee protection, program development, and donor relations. Fernanda holds an MSc (Merit) in Social Policy and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where she specialised in food security, social protection, and multi-dimensional poverty, supported by the prestigious Chevening Scholarship. She serves as the Head of Programme at NRC, overseeing a comprehensive range of technical areas, including Food Security and Livelihoods, Cash and Voucher Assistance, Education and Youth, Legal Protection, Protection from Violence, WASH and Shelter. Fernanda has been instrumental in leading strategic initiatives, managing partnerships, and steering the development of technical strategies aligned with NRC regional and global priorities, including gender equality, disability inclusion, and durable solutions. Prior to her current role, Fernanda demonstrated her expertise in various capacities, including as Programme Development Manager with Save the Children International in Africa, where she supported strategy alignment and managed donor relationships. Her experience also extends to regional business development and awards management with Save the Children International in LAC, highlighting her ability to foster partnerships and secure funding for programmes aimed at the most marginalised and vulnerable groups. Fernanda’s career is driven by a passion for addressing social issues such as refugee protection and social inclusion. Her work reflects a deep commitment to humanitarian principles and a strategic approach to programme management, and advocacy, ensuring impactful interventions in complex and challenging environments.

Victor Ayara is a lawyer with diverse experiences spanning from private, public and the humanitarian sector. With more than six years experience in humanitarian and development world, he has worked in several contexts assisting conflict and displacement affected population access and enjoy their rights with the view to achieving durable solutions. Considering the centrality of land in conflicts and displacement in both emergency and development context, Victor has proficiently utilized his lawyering skills to assist conflict and displacement affected people claim and exercise their housing, land and property rights, as well as their legal and civil identity rights by providing appropriate information, counseling and facilitating legal assistance to them. He has been a field staff with firsthand experience providing humanitarian relief under diverse portfolio of donor funding from German, UK, Swiss, and Norwegian government projects. With vigor passion and competence, Victor has now advanced into the mid-management position as the Information Counseling and Legal Assistance (ICLA) Coordinator, positioning him as the head and the leader of his team and department. He is presently charged with the task of coordinating the affairs of his team towards achieving his overall organizational objective of rights respected and people protected. Victor enjoys adventure, reading and has fulfillment in exhibition of true leadership and seeing smiles on people’s faces.

Lisa Graham is a medical doctor with over a decade of professional experience working in healthcare systems across several countries on the African continent. She earned her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBCh) from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. She is currently working at Partners in Health Sierra Leone as the District Advisor for the Quality Essential Health Services and Systems Support Project, a $60 million project funded by the World Bank which aims to increase utilization and improve quality of maternal and child health services in rural and hard to reach areas in five districts in Sierra Leone. Her focus has been in health systems strengthening, reproductive health, including maternal and child health, breast and cervical cancer programs, aviation and emergency medicine, and clinical health education. She is passionate about the delivery of accessible, affordable, sustainable healthcare in Africa and the development of effective health systems and programmes. Lisa has served on national technical working groups drafting national cancer policies and on the roll-out of the HPV vaccine. She is also a supervisory board member and Trustee of the AdAmi project a UK-registered charity organization based in Sierra Leone that empowers expectant and young mothers to return to education or employment.

Renée Roodhuizen is firmly convinced that the implementation and safeguarding of the Convention on the Rights of the Child can make the world a better place. As such, she informs and persuades politicians on various topics, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing children’s interests in the drafting of legislation and regulations. Renée has extensive expertise in children’s rights, with a special focus on sexual exploitation and issues related to asylum and migration, both nationally and internationally. Her profound knowledge was developed during her time as a policy advisor for a Member of Parliament in the Justice and Safety Department and as a Public Affairs Advisor at Defence for Children – ECPAT, a leading international organization dedicated to protecting children’s rights for over 40 years. A diligent team player, Renée excels at bringing together diverse groups of people. She studied political science at Leiden University and hails from a small village in the Dutch countryside. Renée is passionately committed to advocating for and safeguarding the rights and well-being of children worldwide.

Timsur Christopher Iliya is a seasoned social worker and conflict management specialist with over a decade of dedicated service in championing the welfare and empowerment of vulnerable populations, particularly orphans and children facing crises. With extensive experience in process and program development, child protection, and transformative peacebuilding, he serves as the Case Management Officer at SOS Children’s Village Programme Ogun, where he plays a pivotal role in implementing gate-keeping procedures, ensuring the fulfillment of basic needs, and providing comprehensive support to caregivers. His leadership and management skills have proven instrumental in optimizing resources and achieving organizational objectives effectively. His commitment to social justice is evident in his prior role as a Class Teacher, where he fostered a conducive learning environment while actively combating child abuse and exploitation. Passionate about child protection, case management, psychosocial support, and community development, Timsur actively engages in initiatives promoting family strengthening, holistic development, and gender equality. Grounded in academic excellence, he holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History and International Studies from the esteemed University of Jos, Nigeria, complemented by a Master’s Degree in Conflict Management and Peace Studies, enhancing his expertise in fostering positive change and spearheading sustainable peacebuilding endeavors within communities. Timsur’s unwavering commitment to uplifting the marginalized through strategic interventions and tireless advocacy for social change reflects his vision of building resilient and inclusive societies, where every individual can thrive and flourish.

Marisa Grimes has been working in the international development space for more than a decade, focusing primarily on serving smallholder farmers in East Africa with the trainings, tools, and inputs they need to increase their yields and access a stronger financial future. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from George Washington University and a Master’s Degree in Social and Cultural Analysis from New York University. Currently, Marisa serves as the Program Director of Tubura Strategy at One Acre Fund Rwanda where she leads a team of more than 35 individuals to design the strategic direction and implementation plans for marketing, enrollment, product sales and impact training for more than 750,000 farm families across rural Rwanda. Previously, Marisa worked on expanding One Acre Fund’s geographical presence in both Rwanda and Tanzania to include hundreds of additional villages and new jobs, and led the Tanzania field-facing management team for several years. She also has volunteered as a secondary school English teacher, has started her own nonprofit, and serves on a young professional advisory board for a NGO focused on improving maternal health in Nepal. In addition to her core work functions, Marisa is passionate about the professional development of her direct reports, team members and colleagues and has dedicated time to create trainings, host pair walks, and prioritize opportunities for others to grow.

Onyekachi Ayevbuomwan is an Agricultural Economist with over ten years experience as a development expert, trainer, and lecturer. Onyekachi joined Heifer Nigeria in November 2022 as a Program Coordinator with skills such as employment creation, project management, stakeholder management, and capacity building working directly with young, vulnerable, and excluded groups including farmers. Onyekachi is skilled in using the M4P approach to deliver systemic, sustainable, climate smart and environmentally friendly interventions. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State in Agricultural Economics & Extension graduating with First Class (Honors) and emerged as the best graduating female in the faculty. She began her career as a graduate assistant in the Department of Agricultural Economics & Extension, was secretary to the Department’s Graduate Program and Editor of the Maiden edition of the faculty Magazine. She served as Course advisor for entry level undergraduates and supported in lecturing (microeconomics & rural sociology) and has a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics (2015) from the University of Ibadan, Ibadan. Onyekachi began active work in the development sector in 2017 as an Intervention officer and was promoted in 2018 to an Intervention Manager in the Market Development in the Niger Delta (MADE) FCDO funded program. Onyekachi has experience as an entrepreneur and employer of labor managing an MSME for over two years between 2020 to 2022. Onyekachi is passionate about women’s economic empowerment and believes strongly that women in leadership positions will lead to economic growth. She enjoys singing, reading, photography and public speaking.

Florence Musabyemariya is from Rwanda and holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations obtained from Xiamen University (China), a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, and a diploma in Nursing. She has been working with Partners In Health Rwanda for more than five years assuming different positions since 2019 with sound experience in leading clinical programs and research with acquired skills in data collection, transcription and coding. She is experienced in non-communicable diseases where she actively contributed to the decentralization and treatment of diabetic, hypertension and asthma from district hospitals to health centers. Moreover, she has extensive training skills as a trainer of trainees on non-communicable diseases. Currently, Florence works as associate director in charge of clinical programs with responsibilities of coordinating programs at the cross-site level offering programmatic implementation, knowledge generation and use and health systems strengthening support to the clinical programs and facilitate communication with various levels of decisions making as well as with all staff, under the supervision of the deputy executive director of Partners In Health Rwanda. She coordinates and supports cross-site requests and opportunities, while in the implementation she tracks and strengthens clinical programs to ensure effectiveness and efficacy. In addition, she catalyzes new initiatives to ensure smooth onboarding and quick execution, leads in communication, project concept notes writing/reviews, partnership management, budget management, as well as overseeing programs progress. She is very passionate about global health issues especially in responding to social determinants of health around rural communities.

Emma Ingaiza is a seasoned health systems specialist, bringing over a decade of experience in implementing primary healthcare programs. Her expertise spans across various critical areas including treatment, maternal and child health, nutrition, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis. Emma holds a degree in health systems management from Kenya Methodist University, underscoring her commitment to understanding and improving healthcare delivery systems. Driven by a passion for continuous learning and growth, Emma is currently pursuing her Masters in Business Administration at Strathmore University in Kenya, aiming to blend her healthcare expertise with strategic business acumen. Throughout her career, Emma has held numerous leadership positions, each contributing to her holistic understanding of healthcare management and implementation. Presently, she serves as the Head of Health at Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), the largest grassroots organization in Kenya. In this role, Emma leads initiatives that address healthcare challenges at the grassroots level, working tirelessly to improve access to quality healthcare services for marginalized communities. Emma’s dedication to advancing health equity and her unique blend of healthcare and business acumen make her a driving force in the field of public health and social enterprise in Kenya. During her moments of vitality, Emma finds joy in engaging in activities that nurture the essence of humanity. She cherishes dedicating time to practices of meditation and mindfulness and finding solace and renewal in these mindful pursuits.

Linda Karen Hawa Compaoré has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations. Passionate about gender and conflict management issues, her undergraduate thesis focused on “The Contribution of Women’s Civil Society Organizations in Conflict Resolution in West Africa: the Case of the Women’s Platform for Peace in Casamance”. Today, this passion is reflected in her pursuit of a Master’s degree in International Development and Humanitarian Action Management, in her desire to understand the social and political dynamics underlying conflicts, and to engage meaningfully in concrete actions to promote social justice and gender equality in order to leave no one behind. Linda is a passionate advocate of women’s and girls’ rights and community development. She has accumulated valuable experience both in the field and within organizations in the development field, with over three years’ experience with NGOs and the private sector in Canada and in Senegal, where she currently lives and works for Tostan. Linda joined Tostan in 2022 and holds the position of Partnerships Officer since May 2023. This position gives her a platform to realize her vision of a world where women and girls are at the heart of change. For Linda, women’s empowerment is not just an aspiration, but a deeply rooted conviction. She sincerely believes that women and girls are the key to development, particularly in Africa. That’s why this quote from Kofi Annan: “There is no more effective development tool than the empowerment of women” illustrates her commitment and passion for women’s empowerment.