Fellows

Alecia has over five years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and is currently completing her Master of Science degree in Human Rights at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), under the British Chevening Scholarship. Alecia served as a Regional Programme Officer at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Jamaica from 2013-2014. While at UWI, Alecia coordinated the regional youth platform, University of the West Indies Student Today Alumni Tomorrow (UWISTAT). In this position, she gained experience in project management, programme development and youth training. Prior to this, Alecia served as an Assistant Language Teacher for the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme and was based in Shizuoka, Japan, for three and a half years. In this position, she was responsible for curriculum design, capacity building and education. Alecia previously worked as a Public (Consumer) Relations Officer which, coupled with her current responsibility as a Chevening Scholar Social Media Ambassador, has honed her communication, public speaking and outreach skills. Alecia has been actively involved in youth leadership both in her community and at the national and international level. She participated in the Jamaican national consultation process for the Post -2015 as a youth advocate, and she has represented her country at several international fora. Alecia also volunteered in Ishinomaki, Japan, after the Great Tohoku Earthquake and she was an international volunteer on the Peace Boat’s 78th global voyage. With the knowledge gained from her professional, volunteer and multicultural experiences, Alecia intends to pursue a career in human rights policy-making and corporate social responsibility.

Host Organization: ChildFund International

Role at Host Organization: Alecia Maragh will provide major support in conducting research on education, protection and economic strengthening. She will also be providing operational support, strict analysis and support to the National Offices and Lifestage team.

Carolina has six years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned a Communications degree at the Universidad of Medellín. She recently completed postgraduate studies in Sociology and Political Sciences at FLACSO, Argentina. While working at the Organización VID, she helped to strengthen the image of the institution by redesigning their virtual media. Likewise, Carolina worked at FENALCO ANTIOQUIA; a nonprofit organization that unionizes medium and small traders, for helping them to strengthen their business. One of the most relevant goals that she achieved was being designated as a member of the Strategic Planning Team. Carolina has also volunteered as a teacher on Communication and Information Technologies, at an HIV childrens’ foundation. She taught a group of children how to use web tools for their own development and self-education. Through all these experiences Carolina has acquired significant skills such as: creating multimedia educational material, researching relevant information and pedagogical resources, and organizing memorable social and institutional events. Carolina strongly believes in the mixture of education, technology and communication, as a powerful key to fight poverty and improve quality of life.

Host Organization: Mozilla Foundation

Role at Host Organization: Carolina will help design and develop a distributed training program for teaching web literacy skills. She will leverage existing research and conduct their own light research to inform and support a global program that provides guidance/instruction/community support for people that want to teach others how to read, write and participate in the digital world.

Deepa has seven years of intense work experience in the nonprofit sector, where she trained and facilitated leadership experiences for young students around the world. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Science from Rajasthan University and started working with AIESEC in 2007 as a volunteer. Most recently, Deepa worked as a management consultant and counselor/trainer for young people. Before that, she worked with AIESEC International for a year, where she was responsible for handling operations in the Asia Pacific region. Her main role was to guide young student leaders from different Asia Pacific countries to coordinate the operations and align their national strategies with the global strategies of AIESEC for growth and development. Deepa was the President of AIESEC organization in Mauritius for two years. During her tenure, she initiated various projects on issues like Environment, Youth leadership, Cultural Understanding, Education & Sports, Gender, and Drug abuse. Additionally, the projects also provided a platform for the local youth to discover and develop their leadership potential. She got reputable companies involved in these projects as CSR, and worked very closely with government bodies to get support and recognition for her projects. She also got her environment project funded by UN Habitat in Mauritius. For three years, Deepa volunteered with a child development nonprofit organization, rural development organization, and AIESEC. Deepa is very interested in youth development & empowerment, social enterprise management, and international exchange programs. She has a passion for training, facilitation and project management. She also cares deeply for animal welfare and environmental conservation.

Host Organization: Youth For Understanding

Role at Host Organization: Deepa will begin the implementation of a 5-year business plan with the primary focus being on the diversification of YFU’s revenue sources; including both short-term and long-term recommendations for YFU. This will allow the organization to operate more effectively.

Hythem has eight years of extensive experience with three years of experience in grant management in the nonprofit sector. He earned a Master’s degree in Development Studies from the University of Medical Sciences and Technology in Sudan. As a Program Coordinator with Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), Hythem was responsible for developing and managing the Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Report (PMER) basic tools in accordance with NCA global PMER. Hythem was also the country gender focal point for NCA Sudan. Previously, Hythem has worked with AECOM International Sudan (AIS) under the USAID- funded project Sudan Transition and Conflict Mitigation (STCM) project. During his works as a Grants Specialist with AIS, Hythem was a member of the grant management team that had managed almost 50 different grants per year in different sectors that include but are not limited to; livelihood, water, infrastructure, capacity building, conflict mitigation, and exchange visits. Through his work with different international organizations such as Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), AECOM International Sudan (AIS), and Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), Hythem has gained skills in proposal writing, project management, report writing, gender mainstreaming, and monitoring and evaluation. Hythem has strong passion for building the capacity of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to play a stronger role in positive social changes.

Host Organization: Nexus Fund

Role at Host Organization: Hythem will utilize his experience conducting research and managing projects to build up the innovation lab and grants program and find ways to support civil society in countries at risk of mass atrocities. He will support the fundraising director in their efforts and build Nexus Fund’s capacity to liaise with grantees.

Lina has two and a half years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned a Bachelor´s degree in Business Administration from the University of Los Andes in Colombia. While working as Social and Environmental Promoter in the Aqueduct of Bogota, she has helped to formulate projects about educating people and enterprises on how to handle their solid wastes. In 2013, Lina was chosen to be a fellow of Balloon Chile, where she gave classes on entrepreneurship and innovation to local entrepreneurs of Lonquimay and Malalcahuello, Araucanía, South of Chile. Previously, she worked in a Marketing Research Agency, coordinating quantitative and qualitative projects for different industries. Lina has volunteered in Asociacion Somos CaPAZes where she gave classes to kids about how to handle conflicts, and coordinated an environmental project. Through these experiences, she developed project formulation, and coordination, marketing research, and teaching skills. Lina enjoys focusing on the topics of entrepreneurship, innovation, and development of projects.

Host Organization:  Latin American Youth Center (LAYC)

Role at Host Organization: Lina will be working with Academic support and tutoring, Community Peace Building, and Arts & Media programming within the Teen Center. She will be responsible for working with Teen Center staff to facilitate recruitment and registration of middle/high school youth and evaluating student progress in the programs.

Mayada Abdelazim has four years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She is a graduate of Economics with a major in Development from the University of Khartoum. She obtained her Masters in Development studies from The University of Medical Sciences and Technology. She is the co-founder of the SheLearns initiative, which has supported female education in Sudan since February 2012. Mayada has had in-depth experience in women’s rights in Sudan and the horn of Africa, as a projects assistant at SIHA. She worked to enhance the capacity of women at the grassroots level, supporting them to organize themselves in cooperatives to improve their livelihood and gain access to rights. Mayada also worked with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as a researcher on missing persons in Darfur. Mayada is interested in finding ways to link macroeconomic interventions and the development of local communities, by creating cost effective, pro-poor strategies.

Host Organization: Mentor Capital Network

Role at Host Organization: Mayada will expand interaction with entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors (collecting and telling stories, performing due-diligence for investors, and identifying where to further support them). She will also identify potential new opportunities for collaboration.

Hamza has five years of experience in the development sector of Pakistan, and has a strong academic background in Development Economics with a Postgraduate Degree (MSc.) in Economics from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. Hamza’s thematic areas of expertise are regional connectivity and trade, development economics, democracy and social accountability, quantitative analysis, gender development, social budgeting, and child rights governance in Pakistan. He has gained experience progressively working for global, regional and national organizations on forwarding human rights of children, youth, women, and the most vulnerable populations in Pakistan. He was associated with the Economic Growth Unit at Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), a premier think tank in Pakistan, in the capacity of Project Associate. Hamza also has experience working with various international non-profit organizations such as the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Save the Children, Actionaid International, The Asia Foundation and national non-profit organizations like Social Innovations, Pakistan Microfinance Network, Bedari, and Youth Parliament of Pakistan. He has shown resilience and commitment to working in sensitive areas of Pakistan for Afghan refugees and Internally Displaced People from the conflict area of Swat, in Khyber PakhtunKhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA). Hamza’s core competencies include a drive for results, working with people, communication, formulating strategies and concepts, analyzing and interpreting, networking, and strategic thinking.

Host Organization: International Center for Research on Women

Role at Host Organization: Hamza will be a Research Fellow specializing in quantitative data analysis and program monitoring and evaluation. This research will help to support ongoing projects by providing input into the design of new studies in various gender related initiatives.

Momo has 5 years experience in the non-profit sector, having studied Education in Kyambogo University in Kampala, Uganda. While working as Assistant Project Manager for Save the Children International (SCI), under the DFID (UK Aid) funded “Education for All” Project, he helped increase school enrolment in Lakes State, as well as helped in the identification of schools for rehabilitation and construction of Temporary Learning Spaces (TLS) and improving the professional skills of teachers through training. The project focused on people who missed the opportunity of getting formal schooling due to the long period of conflict in South Sudan. In 2014, Momo helped in the founding of; The Rescue Initiative (TRI-SS), a South Sudanese National organization, where he currently holds the portfolio of Board Chairman. Momo’s latest assignment has been in Malakal – Upper Nile State, the area worst hit by the crisis in South Sudan, where he worked for War Child and later MEDAIR. The tasks in Upper Nile involved the

implementation of Education in Emergencies Projects and the distribution of Non Food Items (NFIs) and Shelter materials to the most vulnerable. With this experience, Momo has been able develop skills in coordination, training, strategy planning and development as well as the ability of understanding and gaining skills in overall Project cycle management. Momo is currently focusing on gaining skills in Multi Sector Programming to boost more school enrolment in a country that has the highest illiteracy rates in the world.

Host Organization: World Vision

Role at Host Organization: Momo will support the development of an Education in Emergencies strategy and capacity building materials for the World Vision National Offices. Momo will focus time on South Sudan and the Middle East by providing project management support to the strategy development.