Class 13

Zuhal has eight years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned a Bachelor’s of General Science degree from the University of Juba in Sudan. While working as a monitoring and evaluation officer for Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) under a multi-donor funded emergency program, she helped to expose the myriad of problems facing internally displaced women and girls in the southern and central Darfur IDP camps. Her commitment to grassroots development and down-to-earth approach established confidence and trust among the IDP women to confide her with their problems. Previously, she worked for CARE International in Sudan in an operations role. Zuhal also worked for World Vision (WV) Darfur program as an administrative assistant. Zuhal is a member of World Plus network and has published articles about situation of women in Darfur. Through these experiences, she developed solid project cycle management skills. Zuhal´s area of focus is on women and children and has a very strong passion for the girl child.

Host Organization: Oxfam America

Role at Host Organization: At Oxfam America, Zuhal will serve as the Gender Justice Thematic Support Fellow, and will support and contribute to Oxfam America’s gender justice program and policy work. She will work towards advancing OA’s gender-thematic areas through assistance in building staff capacity in gender, expanding the gender portfolio, and achieving a more rigorous and practical integration of gender work into programs systems.

Virginia Campo has three years of professional experience in the nonprofit sector. She holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in International Relations and Latin American Studies from Florida State University and has complemented her education with leadership development and social entrepreneurship programs with the Leadership Exchange Institute. She has worked in two United Nations agencies and in the field with an American sustainable development company, Kalu Yala, in addition to experience in the banking sector with HSBC. Virginia has gained valuable project management and report writing skills while working in the United Nations, and has broadened this knowledge with first-hand field experiences as a Community Outreach Director in a rural town outside of Panama City. Living in the rural areas awoke her passion for women’s empowerment, which led her to start Hecha y Derecha, an NGO devoted to bridging the gap between women in rural and urban areas through leadership and entrepreneurship education. Virginia has honed her quantitative, analytical and financial management skills as a Management Trainee Officer with HSBC Bank. She wishes to apply these skills to advance the work of nonprofit organizations.

Host Organization: 2Degrees Foods

Tushar has four years of experience in the nonprofit sector as an LGBTQ youth rights activist, and earned a Bachelor’s in Mechatronics Engineering from Manipal University, India. He is the co-founder of QueerCampus, India’s first support group dedicated to LGBTQ youth, which was established in New Delhi in 2010, where he keeps engaging with Queer and questioning youth as a peer educator and counselor. Tushar is the Operations Head for the Equal India Alliance, a nonprofit which is working towards increasing awareness about and acceptance for LGBTQ people in India at workplaces and universities, and is currently spearheading the “I, Ally” campaign, which aims to record messages of support from straight allies from across India. Tushar worked as an advisor to the Diversity in India Network, a collective of diversity and HR professionals of multi-national corporates based in India. He is trained in Theatre of the Oppressed, a powerful line of theatre that he uses constantly in his workshops with youth. He has also dabbled in spreading awareness through regular school teaching, and is an active member of many Indian and Asia-Pacific level coalitions of youth activists working with sexual and reproductive health and rights and LGBTQ issues. He is also a published journalist, an award winning filmmaker, and a travel buff.

Host Organization: Human Rights Campaign

Role at Host Organization: Tushar will be a part of the HRC’s global engagement program, which works to advance equality for LGBT people around the world. Tushar will be researching how HRC can empower LGBT leaders.

Thembi Mdachi has two years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She is originally from Malawi, but spent most of her childhood years in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. She graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a degree in International Studies. She has a strong background in conducting empirical and quantitative research and establishing metrics to track the social impact of microfinance on social and economic development in developing nations. She is interested in designing sustainable and empowering economic projects that address the root causes of poverty. In a self-designed internship in 2010, Thembi worked as a research assistant for FINCA International in Malawi, where she studied the role of micro-finance in reducing poverty and realized the vital importance of financial literacy, particularly among women, in achieving this goal. In 2011, she helped CARE International in the Malawi Economic Development Unit analyze the impact of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) through story telling. After graduating from college, she worked with early stage impact companies that are harnessing the power of business to solver critical social, economic and environmental challenges in their communities. She is dedicated to seeing more impact investing work replicated in Sub-Saharan Africa, where she feels the region has numerous untapped opportunities and talent.

Host Organization: Agora Partnerships

Role at Host Organization: Thembi will be serving at Agora Partnerships to gain more in-depth understanding of Agora’s Accelerator model and its application to poverty alleviation in Latin America. From Agora’s D.C. office, Thembi will handle most of the administrative duties of the organization, as well as support fundraising, systems management, and board development.

Suzan has four years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery from Ahfad University for Women and a Master’s degree in Public Health and Tropical Medicine from the University of Medical Sciences and Technology in Sudan. She is internationally certified in disaster management from Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar, and received formal training in project management, advocacy, and leadership. Suzan is currently a consultant for the Non-Communicable Disease Center, providing input to the development of the work plans and projects, research designs and field research guidelines. She has worked as a technical officer for Health Alliance International providing technical support to the Sudan National STI/AIDS program for ten months. She worked closely with the Ministry of Health conducting operational research to improve and reform the HIV/AIDS prevention policies. Suzan also worked as research assistant for UNFPA Sudan in the HIV/AIDS and the gender empowerment departments. She conducted and internationally presented studies on female genital mutilation and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. Additionally, she worked as research assistant for Saudi Acute Care Co. Ltd, an independent research institution specialized in innovative health research and solutions. Suzan was the president of Ahfad Medical Students Association for two consecutive years, and represented medical students in many national and international conferences. During her undergraduate years, she interned for Global Fund/UNDP Sudan and worked as a project coordinator for AEDAS, a national nonprofit organization that works in raising HIV/AIDS awareness. Suzan has resided in both South and North Sudan, which has enhanced her strong interest and ability for working in post-conflict settings. She is especially interested in innovative health solutions, reproductive health, and health policy.

Host Organization: Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF)

Role at Host Organization: Suzan will serve as the Senior Research Officer and work within the research department under the VP of Research to achieve the Foundation’s goal of advancing research that enhances the prevention, care and treatment of Pediatric HIV/AIDS. The Senior Research Officer will contribute to idea conception, proposal submission, protocol development, personnel training, study implementation, and data management and analysis. In addition, she will contribute to the training and mentoring of research staff globally.

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.

Neimat has four years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Juba University and a Master’s degree in Gender and Governance from Ahfad University for Women in Sudan. Her research focused on women’s political participation at local level. Formerly, she worked as a Program Officer at Nidaa Training and Research Center. She also worked as a Human Rights Workshop Facilitator and Program Coordinator at the Group for Economic, Social, and Culture Rights Studies. Neimat was an active member in the leadership of the Students Association and other political and civil society organizations for several years. Neimat has gained excellent skills in working with university students in organizing political campaigns, raising public awareness about civil rights, and building democratic organizations and institutions. She was Deputy Chairperson of the Student Association from 2003 to 2004, and was the Head of the Female Student Office, from 2004 to2005. Neimat worked as volunteer with women who suffer from fistula at Khartoum Hospital. Neimat is an active politician as she was candidate for the National Parliament in 2009, and she became President of the Leadership Council of the New Forces Democratic Movement as the youngest female political leader.

Host Organization: Women for Women International (WFWI)

Role at Host Organization: Neimat will contribute to research and development of a common curriculum for the Men’s Engagement Program, including a focus on how Islam respects women’s rights. She will also contribute to preparation of a strategic priority on health services for women enrolled in the WfWI program and participate in annual and strategic planning activities, research and evaluation activities, and other program planning tasks.

Nabeel has three years of nonprofit experience focusing on elections, public health, and youth development. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Sudan University of Science and Technology. As an interpreter with the Carter Center’s International Election and Referendum Observation Mission in Sudan, he accompanied international election observers monitoring voter registration and polling centers in South Kurdufan state’s electoral process. Previously, Nabeel worked with a team of Carter Center conflict resolution experts to survey the town of Kadugli, South Kurdufan prior to the Referendum on South Sudan’s independence. After attending a workshop on AIDS and other STDs, Nabeel has volunteered to advance health education and promote adolescent reproductive health awareness with UNICEF and the Center for HIV/AIDS in Sudan. He participated in a campaign visiting different high schools and universities to hold seminars and talks on the subject. Additionally, Nabeel served as a volunteer English teacher for adults and kids at several institutes including the English Cultural Center, Future Leaders Primary School, and Sudan International Grammar School in Khartoum. Through these experiences, he developed an understanding of how NGOs function and strong project coordination and implementation skills. Nabeel is particularly passionate about gender issues, environment, and youth empowerment.

Host Organization: Voice of America

Role at Host Organization: Nabil will be working with VOA staff to identify and research stories in Sudan and South Sudan that are of interest to our audience, and will be called up to conduct interviews. He will expand his skills in journalistic and storytelling and put together his own radio pieces. In addition, Nabil will be supporting the editorial process for a daily radio program.

Moeko has three years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned two Master’s degrees in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from Arcadia University in the U.S. and in Development Economics and International Cooperation from University of Rome Tor Vergata in Italy. In the summer of 2013, Moeko worked as a UN intern at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). She enhanced the quality of IFAD’s future development projects through assessing the economic and financial analysis of its project design documents. Though this experience, she gained knowledge of some ways of the application of development economics. Her great interest lies in social and economic development including sustainability, inclusive growth, and governance, as well as conflict resolution, having gained substantial theoretical insights in academic trainings. She enjoys Argentine Tango dancing – as it is physically and mentally healthy exercise, and the tango communities elsewhere often reflect the nature of local society in terms of human interaction and values, which enriches her insights on world affairs.

Host Organization: GlobalGiving

Role at Host Organization: Moeko will provide support for their In-the-Field program, which trains travelers to visit GlobalGiving partner organizations, conduct simple evaluations, and lead workshops for new organizations. She will be responsible for providing support while these travelers are in the office and abroad, including: setting up workshop registrations, ensuring quality evaluations are occurring, driving band-end system design to enhance tracking, and analyzing the impact of the ITF program.

May has three years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and has worked as a volunteer at many organizations in both Egypt and Sudan. May holds a Bachelor’s degree of Computer Science from Modern Academy in Cairo, and she is completing her Master’s degree in Gender and Development. In 2011, May worked in the Cairo Institute for Human Right Studies (CIHRS) as a researcher and working in media monitoring for the Egyptian Parliament Election. May has significant experience collecting and analyzing data in accordance required formats, preparing and writing daily reports and bulletins being produced by the Media Monitoring Center, and preparing and submitting regular qualitative reports to the Monitoring Specialist as requested. In 2010, May worked in the Sudanese Development Initiative (SUDIA) as a researcher and in media monitoring in the Referendum of Sudan and the Election of South Kordufan. May also attends conferences and workshops to cover for her reports at the Referendum, and she has met many leaders from South Sudan including Luka Abyong. In 2010, she worked as a presenter on radio and TV outlets in Sudan and Egypt to discuss many Sudanese social and cultural issues, and in 2009, May worked at the American University in Cairo as research assistant in the political science department.

Host Organization: Voice of America

Role at Host Organization: May will be working with VOA staff to identify and research stories in Sudan and South Sudan that are of interest to our audience, and will be called up to conduct interviews. She will expand her skills in journalistic and storytelling and put together her own radio pieces. In addition, May will be supporting the editorial process for a daily radio program.

Mari has over two years of experience in non-profit sector. She earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science from Keio University in Tokyo, and a Master’s of Arts in International Trade and Investment Policy concentrating in Development Economics from the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University. Her interest in international development began when she experienced first-hand the financial default in Argentina in 2001. Since then, she became interested in development that really works for poverty alleviation. After starting her graduate studies in 2011, she joined GlobalGiving Foundation as a Project Intern. At GlobalGiving Foundation, she successfully led two fundraising campaigns for 16 partnering organizations working for disaster relief in Japan, raising almost $200,000 from 1200 individual donors. In addition, she served as an In-the-Field representative for GlobalGiving Foundation in China. She travelled throughout the country to conduct site evaluations, provide advice on online fundraising to local partners, and recruit potential partners for GlobalGiving. Mari’s special areas of interests are social entrepreneurship, crowd funding, and economic empowerment.

Host Organization: GlobalGiving

Role at Host Organization: Mari will be working at the intersection of their nonprofit partnership team and business development teams to help nonprofits that are referred by our corporate donors have a better experience on GlobalGiving. Her responsibilities will include managing communications with corporate-referred nonprofits, providing support for corporate-sponsored donation campaigns like Microsoft’s Give for Youth program, and helping nonprofit organizations post projects and write reports.

Maisoon has five years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory technology from Sudan University of Science and Technology with advanced expertise in microscopic malariology. This medical background has provided her with the foundation to work in different medical fields and related programs. In addition, being a citizen of Darfur, she gained extensive experience in humanitarian, protection, and human rights issues of disadvantaged communities, particularly reproductive and health rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Her experience covers peer education, women and children’s health, rural development, and conflict resolution. She worked for various nonprofits and private laboratories where she was involved in coordination, planning, monitoring and evaluation of different programs focusing on the training of youth and medical personnel. As a master trainer for UNFPA under the Youth Peer project, she helped implement their outreach programs, including those held in collaboration with the Sudan National AIDS Control Programme (SNAP). Currently with UNAMID, the training focuses more on HIV and AIDS, against the backdrop of protection of civilians in the community.

Host Organization: Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF)

Role at Host Organization: Maisoon will serve as the Strategic Information and Evaluation Officer, and will work within the EGPAF Strategic Information and Evaluation (SI&E) Unit to achieve the Foundation’s goal of advancing evidence program management in order to eliminate pediatric HIV/AIDS thru various integrated HIV prevention, care and treatment programs. She will compliment and support the various activities of the global SI&E team in providing the technical backstopping support as well as enhancing capacities of the global team members in various practical and field based HIV prevention, care, treatment and promotion activities.