Scholars

Abiodun Emmanuel Ojo is a logistic manager and humanitarian worker with over four years of experience at Doctors Without Borders. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology and a Master’s degree in Economics from Belgorod State Technical University. Emmanuel has worked with Doctors Without Borders as Logistic Manager in Haydan, Yemen to run a state hospital and research the challenges of sourcing water and fuel in this remote region. The United Nations constructed a 80KW solar power system and dug a borehole of 380-meter depth for the hospital based on his work. He previously worked for the same organization in Aweil, South Sudan, where he facilitated construction of two hospital buildings and renovated many buildings to enhance the quality of care. Overall, Emmanuel is passionate about using his engineering skills to achieve global health equity.

Belete Hiruy Kellil has over ten years of experience in the nonprofit sector in Africa. He earned his master’s degree in Development Evaluation and Management from the University of Antwerp and a bachelor’s degree in Educational Psychology from Addis Ababa University. Belete is an International Certified Project Manager and a Fellow of the American Academy of Project Management. During his tenure as the Regional Partnerships Advisor at SOS Children’s Villages International in the Eastern and Southern Africa region, Belete significantly improved grant procurement, management, partnership building and donor relations in country offices in Mozambique, Uganda, Ghana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Ethiopia. Previously, Belete established and managed Handicap International’s monitoring and evaluation systems in Ethiopia. He has extensive work experience with multiple donors in both development programming and emergency response. He is a board member of a nonprofit organization working with refugees and displaced populations, and a founding member of a local nonprofit organization working on peace building and conflict resolution in Ethiopia. Through these experiences, Belete has gained solid skills in leadership, coaching and mentoring, project management, M&E, donor engagement, and grant management. Additionally, Belete enjoys focusing on youth development and innovation.

Bikash has 20 years of experience in the humanitarian and development sector with significant achievements in leading large scale multi-country humanitarian response programs, developing/institutionalizing humanitarian policies and strategies, leading organizational and community-centered Emergency Preparedness Plans, mainstreaming DRR, climate resilience, Comprehensive Safe School programs, and linking relief, rehabilitation and development (LRRD). He has led and supported more than 70 emergencies in several countries across the globe with Action Aid, LWS, CARE, ADRA, Tdh, and HelpAge International, as a humanitarian focal person and commendable technical experience in cash-based programs, nutrition, protection, education, WASH in emergencies, and food security & livelihoods in emergencies. Bikash has facilitated more than 100 training on various areas. He is a seasoned professional with expertise in PCM such as needs assessment, proposal development, log frame & budget preparation, monitoring and evaluation. Bikash currently working with HelpAge International as Emergency Response Manager. The key responsibilities are coordinating and managing the Global Emergency Fund (GEF) and supporting country offices, partners, and network members for humanitarian crisis response. Bikash received a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Utkal University in Odisha, a Master’s degree in History, and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the Utkal University of Culture in Odisha.

Cynthia Changufu-Kalaluka has over fourteen years of experience in public health. Cynthia has a Master’s degree in Public Health and a Bachelor of Science Honors Degree in Pharmacology which she obtained from Leeds Beckett University and the University of the Witwatersrand respectively. She has worked for large international organizations such as Population Services International (PSI) and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI). She is currently working for PATH which she joined in 2016. Cynthia is particularly passionate about working with vulnerable populations that have been disadvantaged because of socio-economic status, gender, age, disability status, and those living with chronic conditions. Cynthia was born with Sickle Cell Disease (genotype: Haemoglobin SS), and she is passionate about raising awareness and advocating for improved services and management of the disease in her country of birth, Zambia.

Daniel Ng’andu is a tech enthusiast who is passionate about making a community impact. He graduated with a degree in Computer Science from the Copperbelt University in Zambia in 2018 and is driven by the potential of technology to revolutionize healthcare delivery and improve the well-being of underserved populations. He actively engages in global and national technical working groups, such as the Digital Square Digital Health & Interoperability Working Group, the Ministry of Health M&E and Digital Health Technical Working Groups, and the Health Data Collaborative Digital Health & Interoperability Working Group. With over five years of experience as a software engineer, he has contributed to three transformative national projects, particularly in the tax and healthcare sectors. Currently, as a project officer at PATH Zambia he leads the Zambia Digital Community Health Project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He seeks to bridge the gap between healthcare and technology, ensuring that communities benefit from digital tools and innovations.

Dennis Dias is a teacher with over a decade of experience in education. He is a 35-year-old resident of New York City. Dennis was born in southern California. He completed an undergraduate degree in history and English at the University of California, Riverside. As an undergraduate, Dennis volunteered with organizations supporting LGBT youth. After graduating, Dennis served as a United States Peace Corps volunteer in Albania, contributing to youth development and English instruction. His experiences in Albania instilled an ongoing concern for international development and-cultural exchange opportunities. Dennis completed a master’s degree in Intellectual Disability/Autism at Teachers College, Columbia University, and is currently completing a master’s degree in International Policy Management at Kennesaw State University. Dennis works as a special education teacher for the New York City Department of Education. Dennis specializes in inclusive and literacy instruction as a special education teacher. Dennis is interested in international and comparative education, particularly institutional policies that promote access, equity, and inclusion for all students, regardless of their gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, home language, ability status, or migratory status. He believes that educational policies and practices are deeply entwined with matters of social justice. Although often regarded as a secondary concern, education is a central pillar in sustainable development.

Dnyana S is serving as an American India Foundation (AIF) Banyan Impact Fellow with Seba Jagat in Kalahandi, Odisha, in the project of public health. Dnyaneshwar is a first-generation learner. He is a Master’s degree holder in Gender, Culture, and Development. Being critical of the add-and-stir approach to gender, he has written two research papers about media representations of gender, masculinities, and sexualities during his academic career. As an intern, he has worked with adolescent male children from underprivileged communities in Pune on gender sensitization and leadership skills. He has had short-term research experiences with folk artists and young entrepreneurs from Maharashtra. He has worked with men against violence and abuse for a research project on the construction of men and masculinities through different social institutions. He is a former Goonj Urban Fellow, where he worked with different left-out communities in West Bengal and Odisha on various initiatives by Goonj, like health and education. He intends to create safe spaces for people with different gender, sexual, social, and cultural identities. He believes in fluidity and tries to dismantle binaries for the betterment of human rights. He believes in acceptance, awareness, and advocacy for the rights of underprivileged people

Elisabeth Medina is a public official who works for the Corruption Eradication Commission of the Republic of Indonesia. She graduated from the Department of Physics, Bandung Institute of Technology. She is currently assigned to the Development Team of JAGA, a platform initiated by the Corruption Eradication Commission that aims to encourage transparency and good governance practice in public services. During her assignment, together with the team, she managed to develop two main menus that enable the citizen to file complaints, which are JAGA Bansos (social aid) and JAGA Penanganan COVID-19 (COVID-19 handling). Previously, she was a policy analyst in Research and Development Directorate, focusing on the energy and natural resources sector. As a policy analyst, she conducted desk-based research and field observation to perform regulatory and corruption risk analysis and then provide recommendations to the related key stakeholders. She is interested in governance and transparency issues, two main problems that still exist in Indonesia. She hopes her work in policy research could prevent state-capture corruption thus improving the governance, and her work in the JAGA platform could promote government’s transparency thus empowering citizens to monitor the government. During her free time, she is active in the Aparatur Muda community and loves to do occasional running or mountain hiking.