Project Management

Lorna Kanyuga is a development professional with five years of experience in the social sector, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Nairobi. She recently served as the Kenya Philanthropies Lead at Microsoft, where she coordinated digital skills and entrepreneurship training programs. Previously, she worked at Yusudi Limited, where she led the development, testing and launch of Jijali, an online learning program that uses blended learning techniques to provide personalized entrepreneurship and career training to over 1,400 young people. She was also a Life Skills Trainer at the same company, where she developed and delivered career preparation training to over 200 unemployed college graduates and young professionals. Prior to that, she managed the Social Projects Department at the AIESEC office in Kenya, where she led the development and implementation of strategies to grow the international volunteer program. Through these experiences, she has gained skills in project/program management, training, and youth development. In her spare time, Lorna volunteers at schools in informal settlements in Nairobi, where she supports schools in providing life skills training to students and fundraises for learning materials. She is passionate about skills development for youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, youth development and the use of technology in education.

Host Organization: Luminate

Role at Host Organization: At Luminate, Lorna will serve as Project Management Fellow. She will help track and implement all of Partner Support’s major projects by collecting data and impact and by providing project management / implementation assistance. She will gain exposure to work across six regions (Southeast Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, Latin America, and the United States), as well as multiple impact areas.

Antsa Razafimbelo is a specialist in project management and has worked with national and international organizations and institutions in many sectors. He has managed and carried out several large-scale projects (climate change, agribusiness, environment, renewable energy). He has expertise in financial analysis, budget management, management of agreements and contracts, cash flow, mechanisms and procedures of entities such as private investment funds, government programs, working with private multinationals and international funds such as GCF, GEF, IFAD, Adaptation Fund. He has worked for private companies such as Nordex Group, Quaero Capital, Energie Team, and for international organizations and multilateral banks such as AfDB, ADB, World Bank, UNDP, UNEP, FAO, GCF, GEF, IFAD, IFOAM – Organics International in many countries: Mali, Niger, Vietnam, Somalia and Sudan, Benin, Cameroon, DRC, Chad, Madagascar, Ghana, Togo, Burkina Faso, Sao Tomé & Principe, France, UK, Germany.

Host Organization: Collaborating for Resilience

Role at Host Organization: At Collaborating for Resilience, Antsa will be serving as Program Management Fellow. He will manage partner collaborations and undertake action research in one or more program areas, and contribute to program development, marketing and communications initiatives. He will help build the organization at a critical moment in its growth by: working to solidify partnerships in Asia, Africa and/or Latin America; delivering action research that builds the capacity of civil society partners to drive governance innovations; and expanding the base of support from philanthropic and international development agencies.

Mehdi is currently a Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Accountability professional with more than ten years of experience, including five in Monitoring and Evaluation in both the development/humanitarian and impact investing sectors at Oxfam and Yunus Social Business. Passionate about multidisciplinary knowledge and learning, Mehdi has always been an autodidact. He holds a Master’s degree in Accounting Sciences from IHEC Carthage. During his career, he earned multiple certificates related to his domain of expertise. Mehdi has spent the last three years working mainly with marginalized communities on tackling economic and gender inequalities, topics he has a strong passion about besides humanitarian work. His contribution covers many aspects and includes in particular: assessments; impact measurement; evidence-based learning; strategy design and interventions framing; designing monitoring and evaluation processes and developing tools (IT); capacity building; and empowering people and organizations. Mehdi is recognized for his problem-solving skills, his strategic thinking abilities, and his innovative and creative thinking.

Host Organization: Transparency & Accountability Initiative

Role at Host Organization: At the Transparency & Accountability Initiative, Mehdi will serve as the Monitoring, Evaluation, & Learning Fellow. He will help implement TAI’s internal MEL system and practices. He will also support TAI’s learning initiatives, including staff internal reflection sessions, funder member-facing events and/or written products, and research around TPA-related topics.

Mialy Rasoanarivony is currently a business analyst at BNI Madagascar. The position allows her a deeper understanding of the economic realities of her country over the past 4 years by assessing the scope of several activities. Surrounding herself with financial decision-makers and leaders has greatly enhanced her risk management, analytic skills, and financial decision making towards large to middle activities. BNI is the first banking Industry implementing the environmental and social management system toward the private sector businesses they accompany. She has a great interest for Development and Environment as SDGs goal to achieve. Madagascar has great environmental potential, as the country deserves to become a developed one regarding all of their resources. Her versatile background in environmental and financial fields up to Master Degrees will help her achieve the perfect intersection of business and environment. She also has focused her environmental studies on waste water optimization for textile companies, hydrological studies, assisting a borehole implementation to meet a company’s water needs with all technical studies, and the bioremediation techniques for soil polluted by hydrocarbons. Those have been done with strong collaboration with the Nationals Environmental and Industrial Centers. In addition to circular economy experiences toward some private sectors. She strongly believes that the sustainable financing accompanied with adapted environmental policies and strategies should be an impactful component for private sectors sustainable development achievements.

Host Organization: Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship

Role at Host Organization: At the Miller Center, Mialy will serve as the Impact Measurement and Management Fellow: Supporting the onboarding of social entrepreneurs onto an impact measurement platform and conducting independent research with SCU faculty.

Patrícia Imada has over seven years of experience tackling social and gender inequalities and fostering women’s and youth empowerment in the nonprofit sector, public institutions, and social businesses. She earned a Post-certificate degree in Social Innovation Management from Amani Institute and a Master’s degree in Gender Studies from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Her most recent experience was as head of Relationship, Diversity & impact at PrograMaria, helping the social startup achieve its mission of promoting women’s participation and inclusion in technology, considering the intersectionalities in between gender and race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic conditions, age, disability, among other factors. Throughout her career, she has worked in the management and operations of several projects addressing topics such as youth leadership and empowerment, responsible tourism and awareness about social inequalities, women’s digital inclusion, women’s economic empowerment, prevention of sexual violence against children and women, and youth political education, having worked in some of the poorest and hardest to access areas in Lima, Peru. Patrícia is constantly seeking the best ways to create a positive, sustainable, and holistic impact through her actions, aiming for a better and just world, with worthy lives for all.

Host Organization: Girl Up

Role at Host Organization: At Girl up, Patricia will serve as the Girl Up Global Operations Fellow: directly supporting Girl Up’s Senior Director, Global Operations in building and launching Girl Up’s global affiliate network, including supporting the first two pilot affiliate entities in Mexico and Brazil.

Irina Mkrtchyan is circular economy and grant writing expert, as well as environmental enthusiast from Armenia. She holds a master’s degree in Marketing, PR and Advertising from the University of Sheffield,UK and a second master’s degree in agribusiness from Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU) in Armenia. She holds a BA in marketing and agribusiness from the same university. She is the co-founded and development lead of “ISSD” Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Development of Communities” NGO (founded in 2017), where she is leading various environmental and rural development projects, supported by organizations like UNDP, Norwegian Retailers Fund and others. Irina is supervising grant writing, marketing, fundraising and development activities. She has raised over 550,000USD in grants and donations within the last 2 years. She has 13+ years of experience in marketing, consulting, public relations/outreach, solid waste management and environmental protection, green communication, strategic planning and development, project/grant management, startup management. She is specialized in designing, planning, executing and monitoring project and marketing/PR campaigns. Irina has strong knowledge and international experience in various industries including Fortune 500 companies, the World Bank, UNDP, GEF, World Resources Institute. Her professional/research interests are circular economy, waste management, recycling, marketing, grant writing, rural development, women empowerment, environmental protection and policy development, partnership development for implementing joint projects.

Host Organization: National Academy of Public Administration

Role at Host Organization: At National Academy of Public Administration, Irina will be serving as a Business Development and Communications Fellow: Supporting the organization’s development and fundraising efforts, and expanding and implementing communications strategies to leverage technology and social media for visibility of the organization.

Pearl Gahwera has over three years of experience of brand management in advertising, marketing, communication, and public relations, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce (Finance) from Makerere University Business School, Uganda. For the past 4 years, Pearl has been a full-time volunteer at 40 Days Over 40 Smiles Foundation (4040), a youth-led non-profit organization in Uganda, which supports children in vulnerable communities to improve their learning outcomes. Through her work as the Head of Communications at 4040, she has provided strategic and implementation support towards the organization’s work like the Angaza Literacy Program, which supports 300 children annually to improve their learning outcomes, and the Angaza Learning Centre. Pearl recently transitioned into the Angaza Learning Centre Project Lead role where she oversaw the planning for the set-up of the learning centre as well as liaised with the community leaders where the centre is scheduled for set-up. Previously, Pearl worked at Scanad Uganda, an advertising agency, where she supported 3 brands to improve their products, communications as well as growth in the industry. Pearl is also a member of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Community in Kampala for the outstanding work she is doing towards social impact in Uganda. From these opportunities, Pearl has developed outstanding leadership skills, project planning and implementation as well as great communications and marketing skills. She is interested in education, unemployment, gender inequality and civic education.

Host Organization: Advocates for Youth

Role at Host Organization: At Advocates for Youth, Pearl will be serving as an AMAZE Global Partnerships Fellow: Assisting in efforts to maintain, expand, and facilitate communications and partnerships associated with Advocates’AMAZE International work.

Selamawit Mersha has seven years of experience in Program Management, Program Development and Quality in the non-profit sector. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Masters of Social Work from Addis Ababa University. Selamawit is a RISE UP Youth Champions Initiative Fellow, Alumni of Young Leaders Training Program, and Alumni of Young Policy Makers of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung. Her professional background includes working on Migration, Livelihoods, Youth Development, SRHR and Gender equality programs. While she served as a Livelihood Specialist in Save the Children International Ethiopia, Selamawit improved the lives of Young Ethiopian and Eritrean migrants under the Ethiopia Migration Program supported by FCDO through Socio-economic reintegration, resilience and self-reliance programs. Previously, Selamawit improved the Sexual reproductive health and wellbeing of young people in Ethiopia through life skills, advocacy and meaningful engagement, provision of YFS and capacity building of partners through the GUSO SRHR program funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Selamawit has formed and led Youth Advocate groups for YNSD and FAWE Ethiopia who advocated for social issues such as SRHR, gender equality and meaningful engagement. Selamawit also improved the lives of young Ethiopians under projects funded by RISE UP, CSSP, Embassy of Finland and Packard Foundation. Selamawit has consulted government stakeholders, youth groups and nonprofit organizations on Program Development and Quality, Youth Engagement and Gender mainstreaming. Through these experiences Selamawit has developed skills in program management, technical and consulting expertise, and capacity building. Selamawit is interested in Youth Development, Gender Equality, and Behavioral Science.

Host Organization: ideas42

Role at Host Organization: At ideas42, Selamawit will serve as a Behavioral Design Fellow: contributing to different behavioral design projects in Global Health and participating in professional development opportunities, specifically around behavioral science and program design, with additional opportunities to contribute to research approaches.

Chibuonu Obiageli Ezennabike is a public health professional with ten years of experience in the non-profit sector. Chibuonu earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Microbiology from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Uli, Anambra State of Nigeria. While working as the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer with Caritas Nigeria on the 4GATES Project, a CDC-funded HIV/AIDS program, she helped improve the PMTCT program monitoring and evaluation by designing reporting tools, building capacity of facility staff, and ensuring data quality in Eastern Nigeria. She also coordinated the monitoring and evaluation activities of the Pediatric and Adolescent Program and FLAGSHIP Program in Delta State and ensured consistent availability of data for tracking project progress and making informed decisions. Previously, Chibuonu volunteered as a data entry clerk for RISE Clinic Nigeria for some months before being employed by the organization. Chibuonu worked with RISE Clinic Nigeria (subsidiary of RISE GHI San Diego U.S), a community-based organization to plan and implement community outreach events, health fairs and to promote health education in rural communities of Anambra State. In this role, she was also responsible for research, monitoring and evaluation of Nigeria’s Epilepsy Care Advancement Program. Chibuonu, over these years, has developed skills in monitoring and evaluation, research, health education, health system strengthening, institutional capacity building, and project management. Chibuonu enjoys focusing on adolescent, maternal and child health issues, and has a strong passion for research. She is very optimistic that efficient and effective use of data in research and public health interventions will ensure sustainability and improvement of health systems in Africa.

Host Organization: ideas42

Role at Host Organization: At ideas42, Chibuonu will serve as a Behavioral Design Fellow: contributing to different behavioral design projects in Global Health and participating in professional development opportunities, specifically around behavioral science and program.

Mita Puspita earned a Medical Doctor’s degree from Padjadjaran University. She has seven years of experience in clinical trial vaccines. She is responsible for the bacterial vaccine clinical trial, which handling the clinical trial from the very beginning to the end. Her main responsibility is; literature searching as the background of clinical trial design, developing clinical trial protocol, clinical trial site identification, coordinating vaccine clinical trial with the trial centers, monitoring the clinical trials, reviewing the reports, and responding to the feedback from the National Regulatory Affair about a clinical trial in the licensure process. She also has experience in managing vaccine safety data and analysis. Since graduated from medical school and was then involved in dengue research in Bandung. She also had experience as a physician in very remote areas in Yahukimo District, Papua, Indonesia. After she was involved in INA-RESPOND, Indonesia Research Partnership on Infectious Disease as a Research Assistant. She now focuses on preventive medicine and public health. Her passion to support immunization programs, that can decrease the morbidity and the mortality of communicable infectious diseases in Indonesia.

Dwi Rezeki Kirana Bangun is a civil servant in the Ministry of Finance of Indonesia. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Management from Indonesia Open University. She has been working in Indonesia Tax Court for six years and has a strong understanding of taxation and management both in theory and practice. Besides that, she developed an interest in nature and the environment. She is currently participating as a Hutan Itu Indonesia (HII) volunteer, one of the leading organizations campaigning about Indonesian forests. She also participated in fundraising and collected 86 million rupiahs to adopt more than 430 trees in the Sumatra forest. Recently, HII and more than 140 collaborators declared 7 August as Forest Day in Indonesia for the first time. This action is acknowledged by the Minister of Environment and Forestry. Combining her government experience and volunteering in HII, she initiated a movement called Forest is Our Friend (FiOF). Every month, FiOF presents a talk show called ‘Forest Talk’ that invited various speakers from all over Indonesia, such as Dayak Tribe Community, musicians, filmmakers, researchers, and anyone related to the forest. Her main goal is to raise awareness for Indonesian people to know more about the importance of protecting the forest as it is the source of clean air, clean water, and home for millions of people, flora, and fauna. She encouraged people to take real action by planting trees in their homes or protecting the existing forest with tree adoption and visit national parks to support ecotourism.

Zhifa Lailatunnazhifah is an International Relations graduate with a keen interest in public policy and community development. Her career began with the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI), where her legacy of trilateral cooperation “China-Indonesia Youth Exchange Program” remains. She acquired four years of experience directing international conferences, working closely with the Indonesian diaspora across the world, and accomplished 60% growth of FPCI chapters at local universities. She assisted a female parliamentarian at the House of Representatives. During her tenure, she was accountable to aid with Commission I counterparts and delivered support in the Privacy Data Protection Bill drafting session. She is currently managing a capacity-building project for Indonesian women entrepreneurs under Kinara Indonesia and Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. Her compassion to bring impact to society has been cultivated since doing community service assignments in high school. She is currently leading Think Policy Society, a community for Indonesian young professionals with a focus to promote evidence- and empathy-based policymaking in Indonesia. Her professional journey has exposed her to the urgency of implementing a gender-transformative approach in public policy. She is now working on an interesting project, where she got to support gender justice values and meaningful and inclusive youth participation with Rutgers International. During her spare time, she likes to read about world history, social movements, and behavioral studies.