Ecuador

Mónica Llaguno, an accomplished program evaluation and research practitioner from Ecuador, brings over eight years of experience in international children and youth-focused programming. Serving as the Associate Vice-President of Research, Evaluation, and Learning at Covenant House International (Casa Alianza) she has spearheaded the development of a regional monitoring and evaluation framework in Latin America, impacting over 7,000 children annually. Mónica oversees the outcomes of programs addressing diverse socioeconomic issues, including homelessness, food insecurity, human trafficking, and gender-based violence. Fluent in Spanish, she has played a pivotal role in facilitating efficient communication strategies and knowledge management efforts, fostering a shared understanding of effective program models. Beyond Covenant House (Casa Alianza), Mónica has contributed to global initiatives at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), influenced legislation as a Public Policy Consultant for a former New York City Council, and secured funding to expand a school feeding program in Ethiopia. Mónica holds a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from The New School and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Augustana University, both with notable scholarships.

Lucia Chavez has five years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Ecology from the University of San Francisco, Quito. Currently, she is the coordinator of “Sarawarmi Creative Laboratory,” a startup focused on designing experiences through art, science, or games for children and adults. In this process, Lucia has a special interest in motivating kids and young people to explore books and reading. Lucía also served as Head of Education of the Metropolitan Centre of Art in Quito for two and half years. During her time there, she designed programs and ran workshops relating to the art exhibitions, and coordinated and trained the facilitator’s team. These experiences helped develop Lucia`s leadership abilities and program management skills. Living and working in the tropical rain forest periodically for the past several years, Lucia developed strong bonds with the indigenous communities in the area and a renewed passion for their conservation and sustainability. Her past experiences taught her that education is the most effective strategy to positively impact these rural and indigenous communities. Currently, her areas of focus include education, opportunity access, and using art to promote social change.

Miguel has ten years of experience in the nonprofit sector and with social corporate responsibility projects. He earned a master’s degree in organizational government and culture through the Enterprise and Humanism Institute at the University of Navarra in Spain. Miguel also holds a bachelor’s degree in communication, public relations and media at the Catholic University of Ecuador – PUCE. Since 2009, Miguel has been the Head of Communication at Telefonica Foundation in Ecuador. He has implemented communication strategies and social campaigns pertaining to child labor, youth entrepreneurship, digital education, disaster prevention, and corporate volunteerism. Miguel has extensive experience in marketing for nonprofit organizations, media, publications, and research. His passion is to help vulnerable people in Ecuador and Latin American region through social, educational, and technological development projects. He enjoys meeting people from different cultures around the world.

Host Organization: American Red Cross

Role at Host Organization: Miguel will continue to build a communication strategy and system for enhancing knowledge management, information and data analysis about disaster preparedness and humanitarian assistance from around the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) for the Global Disaster Preparedness Center (GDPC) communication channels: preparecenter.org website, Twitter, Facebook and other social media. He will also reach out, capture and disseminate knowledge from relevant external organizations.