Class 22

Imran completed his undergraduate studies at Pune University majoring in Cost & Works Accountancy. After a Post Graduate Diploma in Banking and Finance and several concentrated certificate courses within the field of sports sciences, coaching and sports business management, he has been involved in sports based youth programming (sport for health) for various organizations over the past five years. As a 2015-16 Global Health Corps fellow in the U.S, he served as a Program Manager for Student-Athlete development with The Grassroot Project. Prior to the Global Health Corps Fellowship, he worked with SE TransStadia Pvt. Ltd as “Manager- Coaching operations” spearheading strategic planning for establishing a financially sustainable Community Football club in Gujarat, India while directly managing on-the-ground implementation and maintenance of delivery quality of its sports and health education programs in schools. Imran is an Exemplar Global (RABQSA) certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt dedicated towards achieving process excellence for organizations. Additionally he has been certified in the Sciences and Technology of Coaching by AISTS Academy (Lausanne, Switzerland), represented his State and University in the game of CRICKET aside from being an AIFF certified football (soccer) instructor in India.

Host Organization: Global Health Corps

Role at Global Health Corps: Imran will provide dedicated support to GHC fellows, alumni and partner organizations who are based in the US. His primary responsibilities include supporting fellowship program activities for the 40 US-based fellows as well as alumni chapter programming, including organizing quarterly workshops, planning placement organization meetings and overall, supporting fellows in their professional and leadership growth throughout the fellowship year.

With over 7 years’ experience of working on social impact projects in Africa, Southeast Asia, and North America, Oyindamola is passionate about raising ethical leaders to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and development in rural and urban communities, as well as empowering social change professionals to function effectively at the intersection of passion, purpose and impact. Leveraging on his experience in contributing towards solving society’s tough problems, he thrives at using his experience in tri-sector leadership to facilitate collaboration with key players in business, government, and the development sector for social good. Passionate about empowering young people, and representing their interests, he was named African Youth Hero in November 2015 by the African Union Commission, due to the role he plays in promoting the rights of young people in Africa. In June 2015, he was selected as part of 100 Brightest Young Minds in Africa by Brightest Young Minds and Barclays Africa, and in March 2017, he was named Top 3 finalist for the Nonprofiteer of the Year Award by the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, New York. As an Atlas Corps Fellow, he served with Practice Makes Perfect (PMP) and Evaluate for Change (EFC), both in New York, U.S., where he honed his experience in capacity building, learning experience design, international development, social entrepreneurship, youth development, and nonprofit management. He is also an Alumni of the American Express Leadership Academy, which is an executive leadership development program by American Express and facilitated by Points of Light and Center for Creative Leadership, USA.

Host Organization:  Practice Makes Perfect

Role at Host Organization:  Oyindamola will support the company’s scale group in maintaining calendars, scheduling appointments and meetings both internally and externally. He will also help prepare meeting materials, follow up on discussions, coordinate travel for the scale group, work on quarterly evaluations; hire, train, and onboard new employees; prepare and approve financial statements and budgets; and develop PMP’s programs and services.

Yoctan has more than four years of experience in the nonprofit sector and holds a Master’s Degree in International Politics (Globalization, Poverty and Development) from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom where he was a Chevening scholar. Previously, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from Universidad Americana in Managua, Nicaragua. In recent times, Yoctan has been a project coordinator at several Nicaraguan nonprofit organizations, most recently at Grupo Fundemos where he worked more than two years designing, planning and executing development projects directed at young citizens and focused on developing educational programs on the subject of democratic governance and youth civic empowerment. Through these experiences he has developed skills in project design and coordination, research, public speaking, and event logistics management.

Host Organization: Atlas DIY

Role at Host Organization: Yoctan will support the building and supporting of cooperative, front desk management, program facilitation, research, and operations support. In this role, Yoctan will work to enhance the services and programs Atlas DIY is able to offer our growing community of 500 members. This role will be crucial to living out the Atlas DIY vision and uplifting our commitment to the immigrant communities we serve.

Solange Nyamulisa is a human rights advocate, journalist from the Democratic Republic of Congo. She earned a Bachelor in Journalism at National University of Rwanda and a postgraduate degree in Diplomacy and Strategy at “Centre d’Etudes Diplomatiques et Stratégiques” in Madagascar. Most importantly she is a proud mother of two daughters. Solange has eight years experience working in the field of communications, public information, advocacy and networking with media, government, grassroots organizations, Non for profit Organizations and international organizations. In 2007 Solange did a training of trainers in journalism with Tiziano Project which is dedicated to expand knowledge and access to information worldwide by empowering communities to tell their own stories. During this training, she produced few short documentaries that were broadcast on CNN. In 2008, while working as a Communications Officer for ActionAid in eastern Congo, Solange joined a Women’s Rights Movement called Sauti ya Maman mu Kongomani, (Congolese women’s voice). Her journalism background allowed her to play a key leadership role within the movement as the spokesperson for stakeholders’ outreach and public awareness. In 2009, she worked as a reporter and producer of documentaries and radio broadcasting for Internews Rwanda as a focal point for DRC within the project called Information exchange sensitization Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. These documentaries contributed in the conflict resolution and peace dialogue between Congolese and Rwandese people. Solange served as a Communications Specialist in different international organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme (Central Africa Republic, DRC), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (DRC). The materials she produced helped to increase the organizations ‘visibility, highlighted key achievements and contributed to resources. Starting in 2011, Solange volunteered for 4 years as a Communications Officer for UNDP in Madagascar where she played a central role during the electoral process in developing and implementing the organization`s communications strategy, including its resource mobilization strategy. Solange has the goal to develop a communications tool that will allow easy access to information and outreach on women’s rights, since she believes “whoever has information has power.”

Host Organization: Voice of America (VOA)

Role at Host Organization: Solange’s Fellowship in the Africa Division will engage audiences and outreach to the youth of our target countries in Africa. She will learn about the VOA, and its unique news gathering and broadcasting operations around the world. She will work with news production and broadcasting techniques, US journalism, VOA’s code of journalistic ethics.

Santiago earned a Bachelor’s of Institutional Communication and Advertising from Argentinian´s Catholic University and has almost three years of experience in the social sector. While working for the Government of the City of Buenos Aires he received training in public management and supported the communication of the various programs carried out by the government in health, education, public works and transport matters. He travelled to Africa as part of AIESEC´s Global Community Development Program and volunteered for one year in a boarding school for kids with disabilities in rural Kenya. This experience opened his eyes to a more inclusive community approach by integrating vulnerable communities into society. He used his storytelling and photography skills to fundraise and install solar water pumps to bring water to the school in a sustainable way. He holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Social Innovation Management from the Amani Institute in Nairobi, Kenya, and utilized new skills to design, prototype and implement his first social innovation venture as Co-Founder and Managing Director of Drums in the Dark, an initiative to change the existing paradigms & mental models around blind people in Kenya´s society. In acknowledgment for his work towards the prevention of blindness, rehabilitation, training and education of the blind, he was given an Appreciation Certificate issued by Kenya Society for the Blind and awarded a recognition diploma as East Africa`s Emerging Social Innovators issued by Ashoka and American Express Foundation. As an apprentice at Ashoka East Africa he was exposed to different social entrepreneurs and systems change theory models that helped him comprehend the value of sustainable solutions to address social issues. He coordinated and supported Africa Yoga Projects (an Ashoka Fellow) Disability Team in writing funding proposal, budget planning and communications best practices in order to scale their impact. His passion for long lasting and positive change, his communication skills and his empathetic personality to connect with a wide range of people from various social sectors made him quickly find a job as Communications Officer & Social Entrepreneurs Coordinator in Socialab´s headquarters in Argentina. Interested in exploring new ways for innovation he joined Neelus, a consultancy that leverages creativity and innovation in both private companies and public institutions.

Host Organization:  American Red Cross

Role at Host Organization: Santiago will serve as a Disaster Preparedness Associate for the Global Disaster Preparedness Center (GDPC) within ARC’s International Services Department (ISD). GDPC offers support services to the global Red Cross/Red Crescent network in areas related to disaster preparedness and innovative solutions for national societies for knowledge management, research and technical assistance.

Fernanda has 6 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and recently earned a bachelor’s degree in English Language Teaching from the Binational Center Instituto Mexicano Norteamericano de Relaciones Culturales. She started as a grassroots volunteer at “COMAC” working with people living with HIV-Aids and the LGBTIQ+community, advocating for human rights, reaching out to at-risk youth, as well as hosting an internet-radio program. She was selected on the entrepreneurship program “Jovenes con Valor” 3rd generation by Ashoka when she founded “It Gets Better Mexico,” which is the 10th international affiliate of the “It Gets Better Project.” In 2011, she was chosen to be part of the “U.S. Consulate General Monterrey’s Youth Council” where she functioned as a president, and developed social-community projects to strengthen Mexico-U.S. relations. She also works to date with them to advance LGBTIQ+ rights in their foreign diplomatic agenda. This work led Fernanda to be selected for the “International Visitor Leadership Program” by the U.S. State Department in the field of “Human Rights and Gender Identities.” Fernanda is a well-known speaker who has participated in (inter)national forums about gender and sexual diversity, including giving a TEDx talk. The organization “Paz Es” recognized her as an exemplary citizen, and the U.S. State Department as a “top young leader,” both in her hometown. Her fields of expertise are focused on: entrepreneurship, leadership, advocacy, education, diversity, languages, and youth development combined with strong skills such as management, strategic planning, logistics, public relations, and a global citizen view. Most recently, Fernanda became a member of “Global Shapers,” an initiative of the World Economic Forum.

Host Organization: Latin American Youth Center (LAYC)

Role at Host Organization: Fernanda will work with the Teen Center (TC) staff to facilitate recruitment and registration of middle/high school youth and evaluating student progress in the programs. Fernanda will also collaborate with TC staff to assess the needs of youth, and then liaison with LAYC staff to identify workshops and activities that address those needs. A primary role for this position will be the development of a youth leadership project.

Pascal has six years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Information Systems from the Institute of Public Administration and Management, University of Sierra Leone. As a development professional, he has diverse experience in child advocacy, youth empowerment and gender equality issues. Pascal has worked as a child ambassador for Search for Common Grounds where he later became a trainer for the Golden Kids News (a program that advocated for the voiceless and marginalized children). As a Knowledge Management Coordinator of JSI Research Camp, Training Institute, Inc. in Sierra Leone under the USAID-funded Advancing Partners and Communities project, he worked on reproductive, maternal, neonatal, and child health (RMNCH), and water and sanitation components by creating and distributing compelling stories of beneficiaries and communities. Previously, Pascal worked as the Communications Lead of BRAC Sierra Leone (after going through a six-months International Young Professional training in Bangladesh) for over three years and was integral in raising the organization’s profile. He developed and rolled-out the communications policies and strategies, ensured brand compliance of all collateral materials, and initiated an emergency response unit that developed community needs assessment across program areas to inform BRAC’s economic recovery plan. Pascal is the founder of Zenith Academy, a free home remedial for school dropouts in Sierra Leone. He is one of the pioneers of the Africa Changemakers Network where he leads the Social Innovations unit, and he is a YALA Citizen journalist. In all these commitments, he has developed strong research and interpersonal communication skills, and leadership in project management and emergency response. As a survivor of a decade civil war and an Ebola outbreak, Pascal is passionate about child, gender and youth issues with more focus on how social innovation and entrepreneurship can be used to reinvent and boost up these areas. Pascal is a HeForShe advocate and loves storytelling, composing songs, and is curious to learn new languages.

Host Organization: World Vision International

Role at Host Organization: Pascal will foster communication, networking, and information sharing to improve learning and collaboration on child protection and gender efforts across the organization and with partners, that supports more effective programming and advocacy at the national level, strengthens World Vision’s influence externally, and builds credibility with donors. This includes coordination and strengthening of mechanisms and processes to manage and grow dynamic global WV Child Protection and Gender Communities of Practice.

Nchotou has over four years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Curriculum Studies and Teaching/Biology and a Master’s degree in Zoology (Medical Parasitology) from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Nchotou is also a U.S. National Institute of Health-Fogarty International Center Fellow in Biomedical Research Ethics through the South African Research Ethics Training Initiative (SARETI) where he earned another Master’s degree in Research ethics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. While working as a Public Health project Coordinator with Research for Development International in Cameroon, he worked alongside researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine Cancer Center to design and implement cervical cancer screening project for women living with HIV in Cameroon. He has also contributed to the successful implementation of the International epidemiologic Database to Evaluate HIV/AIDS in Cameroon and the Active Search for Pediatric HIV/AIDS, which helped improve the health of children living with HIV. Through these experiences, Nchotou has developed skills in project management and implementation, research, project planning, leadership development, research ethics, as well as monitoring and evaluation. His work in research ethics from the African perspective earned him an award to present at the International Association of Bioethics (IAB) Satellite Symposium in Edinburg. Going forward, he has strong passion working with institutions to translate health research into policy and health policy into practice that improves the health conditions of populations.

Host Organization: Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Role at Host Organization: Nchotou will provide support to the Komen Global programs by working with the different components of the program, from breast cancer assessment reports to individual projects. He will assist with data collection to assess impact and also create presentations and market tools as necessary to communicate successes, progress, and needs.

Akram has seven years of experience in program design and management, monitoring and evaluation, and research for diverse community development projects, both for national and international non-profit organizations. He earned a Master’s degree in Sociology from Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan, earning distinctions in his course and research work. He recently worked with the Marie Stopes International for a DFID-funded project as Manager of Technical Services in Punjab province, where he developed and implemented the monitoring and evaluation system at provincial level, developed protocols of four research studies,, and managed them at regional level in nine districts, analyzed beneficiaries’ data using STATA/SPSS/Pivot table on a monthly basis, and ensured the project progress via Franchise Live Application for Monitoring and Evaluation. In an additional role, Akram has piloted the implementation and monitoring of Marie Stopes’ behavior change communication strategy and action research tools, and developed and implemented 80 small scale social action projects at a regional level. Previously, Akram has worked on several community development projects funded by the USAID, UNICEF, The Asia Foundation (TAF), Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), and British Council (BC). He has strong writing and analytical skills and wrote 16 successful grant proposals for different local nonprofit organizations. He has rendered services to different organizations and developed their systems, profiles, annual and decades’ reports. He also conducted mid-evaluation of Ilm Ideas Program funded by the UK-Aid and managed by the PRISE in district Nankana, Punjab. Akram has six research publications in internationally recognized journals and 15 articles. He also volunteered with The Citizens Foundation, World Council of Religions and Dialogue Pakistan. Akram has keen interest in working on system improvement and quality indicators of community development projects in collaboration with the nonprofit sector and aspires to help marginalized communities.

Host Organization:  Center for Islam and Religious Freedom (CIRF)

Role at Host Organization: Akram will help CIRF expand its research, education, media production, and advocacy, working at the intersection of Islam and religious freedom, in support of religious freedom, both in populations where Musilms are a majority, and in populations where Muslims are a minority.

Kanishka is a development practitioner with experience particularly in DDR and Peacebuilding, Community Engagement, Development Communications, Post-Crisis Development, Migration, and the Third Sector. Kanishka has worked with conflict associated groups, war victims, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and marginalized groups. He has proven expertise in project management, formulation and administration with a background in development communications, and earned a Masters in Media in Development from SOAS, University of London. He has managed community projects and delivered creative workshops and information campaigns on community engagement, conflict transformation, youth empowerment, for multicultural audiences. Through these experiences, he developed substantive experience in project management, partnership & coalition building, community mobilization, conflict mapping, and social marketing. Kanishka is a recipient of the Chevening Fellowship awarded by the British Government recognizing the next generation of global leaders for development. Kanishka enjoys focusing on the topics of Community Activism, Conflict Transformation, Social Integration, Development Communications and using Media as a tool for social change.

Host Organization: Philanthropy University

Role at Host Organization: Kanishka will oversee the cultivation and growth of communities throughout the PhilU platform. This will involve communities of practice outside of course (e.g. groups of learners grouped by region, topic, etc) as well as inside courses (helping moderate forums, stimulate conversation, etc). Community is a pivotal component of the PhilU experience.

Jeremiah has over six years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and earned a Bachelor’s of Technology degree in Geology from the Federal University of Technology, Minna – Niger State, Nigeria. Jeremiah loves communication, and has displayed a strong, consistent passion for social development, championing causes with various youth groups, and consulting for local NGOs. He is an Associate Fellow of the Nigeria Leadership Initiative, a Technical Working Group member of the Young Legislative Advocacy Project (YLAP) in Nigeria, a pioneering member of the African Youth Initiative on Population, Health & Development (AfrYPoD), a #Choice4Life Advocate, and a Co-Founder at Social Good Nigeria. Along with 54 other young advocates at #Choice4Life, Jeremiah championed an online campaign that culminated in the passage of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill into an Act, ending its 13 year journey in the Nigeria National Assembly. Having worked on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights and Gender issues, He enjoys working on Citizen Rights and Participation in Governance, as well as Technology and Innovations around Social Entrepreneurship.

Host Organization: RFK Human Rights

Role at Host Organization: Jerry will provide crucial support to all aspects of the Young Leaders program, including volunteer engagement, communications, and fundraising. The Young Leaders program is expanding, and Jerry will greatly assist with developing Young Leaders chapters in new cities. The Fellow will coordinate events, organize volunteers, and support advocacy efforts.

Elton has four years of cumulative experience in the nonprofit sector and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media and Communication from The University of the West Indies, Mona in Jamaica. Previously, Johnson worked in the Arts providing communication support to numerous fundraisers and initiatives aimed at preserving Jamaica’s arts and culture, and securing scholarships for Jamaica’s next generation of artists. This he achieved over his three years in marketing communications with the Caribbean’s premier arts institution, Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts and the Arts Foundation of Edna Manley College. He has also volunteered extensively in anti-discrimination as a Youth Ambassador for the dynamic Respect Jamaica campaign. Elton’s efforts have been aimed specifically at dismantling gender, class and LGBT discrimination. Simultaneously, he worked as Social Media Consultant with Respect Jamaica, raising awareness of the adverse effects of discrimination on Jamaica’s development using social media tools. With UNICEF Jamaica, he volunteered as a youth advocate with the mandate of increasing youth representation and youth participation in nation building. Elton’s future goals include serving as a global civil servant with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and becoming a documentary filmmaker.

Host Organization: Bread for the City

Role at Host Organization: Elton will participate in departmental meetings and activities respective to their role. He will develop creative content to capture and engage audiences, work directly with clients to help them tell their stories in a variety of mediums, and gain valuable writing, communications, and fundraising experience in a nonprofit setting.