Fellows

Disha has seven years of experience in the development communication sector and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Indraprastha University in New Delhi, India. She worked as communication manager with the Vasudha Foundation to promote socially just and sustainable models of energy in India. She also helped to develop the communication strategy for the foundation and its campaigns. She worked on creating the branding guidelines and specific communication material (audio-visual, print, and web-based) to be disseminated through media outlets. Previously, Disha worked on an independent documentary about women’s rights and religion in India. It was a self-initiated project, so she was responsible to do research, shooting, editing, and directing of the documentary. Disha has volunteered as a communications consultant for Outer Shell Africa, a social enterprise to enhance the wellness of Sub-Saharan Africans living with skin conditions. Through these experiences, she has developed strong strategic communication, graphic designing, and filmmaking skills. Being a feminist, Disha enjoys focusing on areas related to gender rights, and she has a strong passion for animal protection.

Host Organization: Atlas Corps

Role at Host Organization: Disha will be engaged in communications, public relations, project management, and partnership building. Disha will strengthen and practice these skills in the implementation, evaluation, and expansion of the Atlas Corps external presence as included in our communications and public relations strategy

Génesis has more than three years of experience as an advocate for sexual and reproductive rights and youth leadership in the nonprofit sector. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Universidad Central de Venezuela with academic honors and an invitation to serve as a teaching assistant in the Clinical Psychology Department. As a youth network coordinator for International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere, she developed the structure and functions of the network, supporting meaningful youth participation and the network’s engagement with the organization’s strategical framework for 2016¬2022. She was in charge of planning and providing capacity¬-building activities for nearly 23 youth board members of IPPF/WHR’s Latin American and Caribbean partner associations. She also took part in several advisory groups on comprehensive sexuality education and sexual and reproductive rights. Previously, she was program coordinator at Construyendo Futuros Civil Association in Caracas, Venezuela, in charge of Quiero Saber (I Want To Know), a program aimed at providing comprehensive sexuality education to children and adolescents in vulnerable and rural zones of the Miranda State in Venezuela, including Petare, one of the biggest slums in South America. During her tenure, she systematized program indicators and statistics and developed the program’s handbook for teachers and facilitators, leading to 38% growth in the numbers of schools offering the program to its students. She has been a volunteer for Family Planning, Venezuela (PLAFAM) since 2013, representing the nonprofit at national and international events but also as a peer educator at clinics and in Caracas’ vulnerable communities. She has developed program/project management, strategic planning and communications, and community outreach skills. Génesis area of expertise and interest is sexual and reproductive health and rights with a focus on youth issues.

Host Organization: International Planned Parenthood Federation / Western Hemisphere Region

Role at Host Organization: Génesis will assist staff in managing sexual and reproductive health programs related to youth, gender-based violence, and HIV/sexually transmitted infections (STI) to implement programmatic strategies related to: youth leadership, comprehensive sexuality education, increasing access to quality health services (including HIV- and STI- related services), prevention and mitigation of gender-based violence, sexual rights and sexual diversity, and youth participation in programs and governance. Génesis will provide vital support to achieving the desired outcomes of these programs and contribute to the strategic vision of the team, including monitoring existing programs and developing new ones.

Najoua has more than eight years of experience in the venture philanthropy and nonprofit field, and she earned an MBA from Al Akhawayn University with concentrations in Finance and Business at the Bottom of the Pyramid. She recently wrote a research-backed paper about underprivileged women’s entrepreneurship that was commissioned by the European Union. Before this, she served as program manager for the Drosos Foundation, a Switzerland-based venture philanthropy, where she reviewed funding proposals and was involved in carrying out design, monitoring, evaluation, and learning to support programmatic and financial decisions. She also led the development of the Enactus Morocco program, inspiring and monitoring teams to develop and run entrepreneurial projects that improve the lives and standards of living of people in need. She is dedicated to inspiring new entrepreneurial approaches to solve global poverty issues, as well as conducting research on impacts measurements. She is persuasive and recognized for her ability to train, lead, and be part of effective teams. Her skills build on her eagerness for new learning, a genuine compassion for vulnerable children and people, and a belief that anything is possible if we can actively imagine it into existence.

Host Organization: Affinis Labs

Role at Host Organization: Najoua will apply her skill set to managing entrepreneurship projects primarily in the Middle East and North Africa region, including startup hackathons, prize competitions, and the supervision of the Minbar online entrepreneurship platform.

Rachael has more than seven years of progressive hands-on experience in communications, public relations and marketing in both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations in Uganda. She has particular expertise in creating and editing original communication works, brand management, events management, and media writing, among many other things. As a tech-savvy professional and keen connoisseur of the fast evolving social/new media landscape, Rachael has harnessed the power of social media and the Internet to optimize communication reach and impact. In her job as the Public Relations and Communications Officer at Makerere University Joint AIDS Program (MJAP), Rachael has been commended for her proactive role in advocating for addressing the human rights issues that aggravate the spread of HIV among adolescent girls and young women as a way of controlling the epidemic. She is also a campaigner for the elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS and represented MJAP on the national organizing committee during the nationwide campaign launches. Her work at MJAP has given her a deeper understanding of HIV prevention, care and treatment, HIV policy, LGBTI issues, and sexual and reproductive health among others. In her previous job as Communications Manager at Barclays Bank of Uganda Limited, Rachael was a community investment champion and volunteered in projects aimed at equipping disadvantaged young people with the skills necessary for them to become employable or able to start their own businesses.

Host Organization: Global Communities

Role at Host Organization: Rachael will work across the team and focus on developing and implementing strategic partnerships internal and external communication strategy. Also, she will complete research and analysis projects of the current development landscape, including the identification and due diligence of potential partners.

Sushmita has more than five years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and holds a Master’s of Science in Microbiology from Bangalore University, India. While working as a Program Coordinator at Media Advocacy Group in Kathmandu, she coordinated several projects on gender equality in the media, safe migration, women’s empowerment, civic education and right to information. Along with this, she managed overall programmatic and organizational activities including internal staff, donor reporting, event management and grant writing. Previously, Sushmita has worked in READ Nepal that builds Community Library and Resource Centers (CLRCs) to bring rural prosperity through education, social and economic empowerment, for three and half years. In READ, she gained communication and marketing experience along with project planning and implementation skills. Moreover, she got the opportunity to learn community engagement and community mobilization through direct interaction with women and marginalized community. Besides, she was engaged in short term hand washing project funded by UNICEF in several schools of Kathmandu. Over the years, she has managed programs for different donors including UN Women, UNDP, South Asia Women’s Fund, USAID and FHI 360. Through these experiences, she has developed strong skills in policy advocacy, community mobilization, capacity building, partnership development, donor communication, event management, and media engagement. She enjoys working with diverse communities and has a strong passion for working for the rights of the socially excluded to bring positive social transformation in society.

Host Organization: Internews

Role at Host Organization: Sushmita will report directly to the Vice President of Global Technology, providing assistance on a broad range of matters ranging from events coordination to strategic planning and communications. She will also provide direct assistance in implementing Internet freedom and digital security programs.

Zaneta has two years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned a Master’s of Philosophy in Social and Developmental Psychology from the University in Cambridge in 2016 and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. As a United Nations Intern in the Office of the Special Representative to the Secretary General for Sexual Violence in Conflict, she worked with colleagues to produce country reports, briefing notes, communications material and project proposals. Zaneta worked for four years for the Los Angeles Loyolan, Loyola Marymount University’s National Pacemaker Award-winning student-run news organization, including a stint as Editor in Chief overseeing a 50+ person staff. As a journalist, her work has been recognized by the California College Media Association and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. Zaneta also spent two summers interning with the International Justice Mission in their Kenya Field Office. As a Communications Intern in 2013 she developed specific curriculum for school trainings on issues related to child sexual abuse and produced all external communication and monthly reports for the office. In 2012, as an Administrative Intern, Zaneta compiled research reports on Kenyan legal and police policy issues and planned various projects including a police and prosecutor training co-sponsored by the US Department of Justice. Through these experiences, she developed strong skills in research and reporting, media and communication, and project management. Zaneta enjoys working on issues of justice and human rights and is particularly passionate about women’s and children’s rights.

Host Organization: Teach For All

Role at Host Organization: Zaneta will ensure the effective day to day operations of the Public Affairs team and contribute to the team goals of raising awareness of Teach For All and forwarding the work of other teams through communications and marketing support and project management.