Fellows

Abdulahi has three years of experience in the nonprofit sector. He graduated with honors in Demography and Social Statistics from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in Nigeria. He also received certifications in Social Sector Management (sponsored by the Africa-America Institute) and NGO Management & Administration from Enterprise Development Center, Pan-Atlantic University and the Institute for Humanitarian Studies & Social Development, respectively. He volunteered with Living Hope Care under the American Jewish World Service project where he coordinated an empowerment program for the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NEPWHAN) Osun State. While working as an Account Officer and Monitoring & Evaluation Officer, he facilitated the training of 403 female sex workers on the consistent use of condoms and trained over 80 traditional birth attendants on universal safety precautions and prevention of HIV transmission from mother to child. He founded the Initiative for Sound Education, Relationship & Health (ISERH) and the Youth Affairs Center. Through these organizations, he has sponsored the Senior School Certificates Examination (SSCE) of 59 high school students, equipped 350 youths with books, awarded 17 vibrant teachers and reached over 15,700 youths in the areas of counseling and psychosocial supports. Under his leadership, ISERH provides oversight functions on the Npower Program of the Federal Republic of Nigeria designed to employ 500,000 unemployed graduates and 25,000 unskilled labors. He is a Fellow of YALI Regional Leadership Center (Cohort 3), Ghana (West Africa) 2016. In June 2016, Abdulahi was selected as a “Top 100 Brightest Young Minds” by BYM South Africa and Barclays Africa. He received ‘The Most Replicable Project Award’ of the Life Changers Foundation, U. K. in 2015. Abdulahi has developed strong leadership, youth education policy, strategy building and management skills. His interested in good governance, civic engagements, youth education, social and health issues.

Host Organization: Points of Light

Role at Host Organization: Abdulahi will support the successful development and execution of the Points of Light’s portfolio of programs focused on meeting both the academic needs and service leadership development of youth through youth and volunteer engagement in generation. He will equip youth and volunteers with the right resources that allow youth, volunteers, parents and teachers to collaborate on academic interventions and service opportunities that support the development of caring, compassionate and capable youth.

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.

Karam has two years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She double majored in Business Administration and Mass Communications, with a minor in English Literature, at Yonsei University in Korea. With her previous experiences at a social enterprise and in private equity, Karam has recently been concentrating on impact investment at the Happiness Foundation. She reviewed business proposals that were submitted by social enterprises which needed funding to scale up, evaluated their financial and social value, and structured investment instruments. Previously, she worked as a CFO at Delight, a social enterprise which manufactures and retails hearing aids. She negotiated investment terms and conditions with potential impact investors, developed annual cash flow forecasts, and obtained B Corp certification. As an analyst in a private equity investment team with Hana Daetoo Investment Bank, she reviewed investment opportunities, forecasted corporate values and monitored portfolio companies. Through these experiences, she developed financial management and evaluation skills. Karam enjoys focusing on the topics of novel financial investment structures in the social economy sector and has a strong passion for empowering the disabled, women, and youth.

Host Organization : Agora Partnerships

Role at Host Organization: Karam will work to strengthen Agora’s Investor and Mentor Networks in support of the Accelerator Program. She will plan and execute IIA, Agora’s largest event of the year and culmination of the Accelerator ’14. She will also support key initiatives in strengthening Agora’s brand in the US and internationally.

Lourdes has over three years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and she recently graduated with honors from Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) in Nicaragua where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, during which she was an exchange student at Murray State University in the U.S. for one year as part of the Global UGRAD Exchange Program. While working as an Operations Coordinator at the Organization of American States (OAS), she helped coordinating logistics and administrative operations for the Inter-American Program of Judicial Facilitators (IPJF). Previously, she worked with the community-based organization Foundation for the Development of Cuapa (FUNDED CUAPA), where she assessed the impact of several poverty reduction projects. Recognized as a young leader by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and Junior Chamber International (JCI), Lourdes has also volunteered extensively in international organizations, first in the world’s largest youth-led nonprofit AIESEC, and then as a Community Development Consultant in Brazil where she successfully developed strategies to address community needs and issues. As a fellow of the USAID funded Talent Cloud Fellowship Program, Lourdes has also conducted a research on volunteer experiences for the development of soft skills and their impact on youth employability in Nicaragua. Through these experiences she has developed skills in project management, impact assessment, research, and leadership. Furthermore, Lourdes has a strong passion for youth employment, social justice and women’s empowerment.

Host Organization: Heartland Human Care Services (HHCS)

Role at Host Organization: Lourdes will join a management team of three leaders with many years of experience to handle several major projects, including helping the Operations team at HHCS to grow toward a more strategic, coordinated approach by streamlining the infrastructure and customer service.

Maysa is a graduate of Computer Man College (CMC) where she obtained Bachelor’s of Information Technology. She also holds a Master’s degree in Project Management from the University of Medical Science and Technology. Maysa has three years’ work experience in nonprofit organizations. Most recently, Maysa was the Programs Coordinator at Organization for Voluntary Humanitarian Assistance Programme at Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL). In thos role, she researched humanitarian needs and vulnerable population context, implementation of food security and livelihood activities and conducted monitoring and evaluation of food security and livelihood projects In November 2016, Maysa participated in a mission to South Sudanese refugee camps to assess the food security situation and livelihoods opportunities reinforcing her resolve to do more to alleviate the sufferings. She is passionate about food security, women empowerment projects, disarmament, topics of poverty alleviation and eradication of hunger and passion for child education and development.

Host Organization: Street Sense

Role at Host Organization: Maysa will oversee the sales department –where vendors purchase newspapers from Street Sense as independent contractors and then sell those newspapers to the public. She will work with both the sales operation directly and supervise a volunteer sales team, focusing on the delivery of case management.

Randa has eight years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Khartoum, and a Master’s degree in International Economics, Finance, and Development from University of Surrey. In her current role with the British Council, she was central to the rapidly developing nature of British Council operations in both Sudan and South Sudan over the last three years. Among her main responsibilities are financial management, financial planning, risk management, and context analysis as well as providing support to countries in the Sudan cluster. She has developed strong managerial skills and experience in the area of human resources. She is looking forward to an opportunity that will allow her to directly contribute towards economic development projects. She is also equally keen on gaining advanced managerial and leadership skills that will help in progressing her career and enhancing the scope of work that she can deliver in the future. She enjoys travel and enjoys working in a diverse environment.

Host Organization: CARE

Role at Host Organization: Randa will support CARE International’s efforts to appropriately position the organization in a global context by providing direct support to the Head of Advocacy. Additionally, she’ll play an integral role in promoting effective fiscal oversight by preparing financial and fundraising pipeline information to CARE’s Senior Management team.

“Sheila has three years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned a Professional diploma in Procurement and Supply from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS UK); and a Bachelor’s of Commerce degree majoring in Finance from Makerere University in Uganda. While working as a Project Coordinator for the USAID Spring Accelerator Program at Ensibuuko Technologies, she helped improve access to financial services through technology and mobile banking to youth, particularly girls in rural areas of northern and western Uganda, and also carried out capacity building and training of trainers programs to rural Savings Cooperatives’ staff in areas of financial technology and mobile banking. Previously, Sheila worked in the operations department of Citibank Uganda for four years, providing cash management services and incorruptible vault practices. Through these experiences, she has developed strong project coordination and implementation skills, capacity building, and event management skills. She has been a volunteer with Uganda Rural Fund and African Empowerment Hub for three years; mentoring and empowering youth, and also providing business and entrepreneurial training to rural women entrepreneurs in central Uganda.
Sheila enjoys focusing on topics of microfinance and poverty alleviation, and has a strong passion for women’s and youth empowerment.”

Host Organization: Financial Services Roundtable

Role at Host Organization: Sheila will focus on the FinTech Ideas Festival (FIF), Technology Collaborators Program. She will assist with the full conference -working with sponsors, managing timelines, and securing speakers and small group facilitators.

Steven Caron has two years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned a Bachelor’s of Commerce Degree (Major in Finance; Minor in International Business) from Concordia University. While working as an intern in financial and business development for project COOPFORH under SOCODEVI, he helped initiate, support, and develop economic activities and businesses to help improve the economic and social situations of rural, cooperative members in Honduras. Steven has also worked for Camp B’nai Brith as a supervisor and managed a team of 13 staff members. He has also trained 42 future staff members. These experiences have taught and prepared him in project management, business development, leadership training, and financial management. Steven has a keen interest in business development, the environment, and microfinance.

Host Organization : Charity Navigator