Gender & Women’s Issues

Wanga Katimba has over six years of experience in operations and program management working for non-
profit organizations. In 2020, she was awarded a fully funded MBA scholarship by the Scottish government and Heriot-Watt University through their Gender Equality Initiative. She successfully graduated with a Master’s degree in Business Administration in December 2023, complementing her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Northrise University. Currently, Wanga is involved in the Strengthening Oxygen Utilization and Respiratory Ecosystem project with PATH Zambia. This initiative aims to provide all patients, regardless of place of birth, with access to the lifesaving medical oxygen they need and seeks to reduce maternal, child, and overall mortality from hypoxemia-related causes through improved access to high quality oxygen services. Wanga actively participates in technical working groups and civil society coalitions dedicated to implementing the Zambia National Medical Oxygen Strategic Plan (2022 to 2026). In her prior position, she dedicated four years to the Care and Treatment project with ICAP at Columbia University in Zambia. This initiative provided care for HIV-related illnesses and offered mentorship to healthcare workers and community volunteers. Wanga is particularly interested in gender and women’s issues, contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals, and working for NGO’s that aim to accelerate health equity so all people and communities can thrive. She is passionate about raising awareness and advocating for improved services and management of chronic diseases such as endometriosis in her country of birth, Zambia.

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.

Isabel Ruiz is a 36-year-old passionate professional living in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico. In 2011, she obtained a degree in Environmental Systems Engineering from the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN, by its acronym in Spanish). Her commitment to making a positive impact on both environmental and social fronts led her to study a double-degree master’s in Environmental Sciences, Natural Resources Management and Development. For the last year and a half, she has collaborated with Heifer Mexico as manager for the social capital and women empowerment department; in her role, she has the mission to guarantee that projects include actions to impulse social cohesion, women and youths opportunities, and caring for the earth. Additionally, Isabel provides guidance and support to staff members, aiding them in implementing projects focusing on gender equality, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Samuel Asare-Danquah is a Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) specialist with a diverse background in Monitoring and Evaluation, Accounting and Finance, Marketing, and Energy Economics. He has a varied career history in monitoring and evaluation, research, market research account management, and consulting. With two Master’s degrees in Energy Economics and Accounting and Finance from prestigious institutions in Ghana, Samuel has continually sought to enhance his knowledge and expertise in the field. He also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM – UK) with a Chartered Marketer status and a member of CIM-UK. With over fifteen years of experience working with multinational institutions, Samuel is a passionate MERL professional and strategist. His career journey has seen him grow from an M&E officer at CAMFED Ghana to his current role as Head of MERL, where he provides strategic guidance, ensures the functional integration of MERL activities into program design, and oversees the implementation of cross-team projects. Prior to his role at CAMFED, Samuel also worked as a market research executive at Kantar Ghana, where he managed key accounts such as BAT, Diageo, MTN, and Coca Cola. A natural leader, Samuel has successfully led diverse teams of professionals on various projects, showcasing his ability to drive performance and deliver results.

Bupe Mulenga Kabamba holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Lusaka, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in demography with economics from the University of Zambia. She has ten years of experience in research and evaluation. She currently works as Research and Learning specialist on a malaria project helping to generate data for decision making to end malaria. Previously, while working as a Research Associate at the American Institutes for Research she contributed to understanding how making data easier for communities to understand can empower them to participate in decision making. Before this she had worked in the agriculture sector contributing to research aimed at improving post-harvest practices among small scale farmers and getting them the right seed varieties for food security. Her career started out at the Zambian chapter of a global standard called the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative advocating for disclosure of remittances of mining companies to the government and receipts of the government from mining companies. Given her experience in diverse sectors Bupe believes in and is passionate about the application of data-driven and evidence based, sector wide approaches in any intervention as a holistic remedy if people’s lives are to be improved. A feminist, she believes in including women’s and local voices and lived experiences in every space and at all levels.

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.

Jasmine Rogers is an experienced member of CAMFED International’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Team. Based in Cambridge, UK, Jasmine joined CAMFED in 2018. In her role as MEL manager, Jasmine works to evaluate the impact of the organisation’s programmes, translating data and insights into valuable learning and providing technical and coordination support to CAMFED’s MEL teams in Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Jasmine holds an MA in Environment, Development and Policy from the University of Sussex, where she explored gendered socio-political relationships between environmental and developmental challenges in low-income countries and a BA in Geography from Durham University. With seven years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Jasmine is committed to the promotion of community-based grassroots social change concerning gender equality, agriculture and climate change, and the transformative power of inclusive education.

Khalida Khalo Lazgeen brings over eight years of experience in the non-governmental sector, focusing on humanitarian initiatives. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Water Resources Engineering from the University of Duhok in Iraq. Khalida’s career path led her to serve as a program officer within the social and economic empowerment program at Women for Women International in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. In this role, she dedicated herself to supporting marginalized women across various districts and villages, fostering their social and economic independence by helping them establish their businesses and amplify their voices. Back in 2018 she worked in a position as a protection project manager at a local organization, collaborating with NPA organization, Khalida furthered her mission by assisting survivors of war and conflict, particularly those affected by ISIS and gender-based violence in Nineveh. Throughout her journey, Khalida honed her project management and coordination skills, along with team collaboration and communication abilities. With a deep-rooted passion for gender equality, Khalida sees herself as an advocate for women’s rights, aspiring to witness all women empowered to live peaceful and fulfilling lives, enjoying their rightful place in society.

Ange Ishimwe Benimana is a talented accountant known for her exceptional ability to manage numbers and navigate financial complexities. She is deeply committed to empowering women and dedicates her time to mentorship, advocacy, and actively participating in initiatives that support women’s advancement. Outside of work, she enjoys workouts, movies, music, traveling, and dining out with loved ones.

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.

Fanwi Seraphine Kakwi is a community social change worker and a Child Protection/Safeguarding Officer at SUSTAIN Cameroon and ECPAT Cameroon. She has over eleven years of experience in the development field. She is passionate about empowering women and girls providing them with the environment to achieve their full potentials. Fanwi is also an Evangelist and the founder & Executive Director of Mercy Seed Outreach. She holds a BA in Bible and Theology from All Nations For Christ Bible Institute International in Benin City, Nigeria and she has a diploma in inclusive special needs education and a Teacher’s Grade I Certificate.