Human Resources & Operations

Wanga Katimba has over six years of experience in operations and program management working for non-
profit organizations. In 2020, she was awarded a fully funded MBA scholarship by the Scottish government and Heriot-Watt University through their Gender Equality Initiative. She successfully graduated with a Master’s degree in Business Administration in December 2023, complementing her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Northrise University. Currently, Wanga is involved in the Strengthening Oxygen Utilization and Respiratory Ecosystem project with PATH Zambia. This initiative aims to provide all patients, regardless of place of birth, with access to the lifesaving medical oxygen they need and seeks to reduce maternal, child, and overall mortality from hypoxemia-related causes through improved access to high quality oxygen services. Wanga actively participates in technical working groups and civil society coalitions dedicated to implementing the Zambia National Medical Oxygen Strategic Plan (2022 to 2026). In her prior position, she dedicated four years to the Care and Treatment project with ICAP at Columbia University in Zambia. This initiative provided care for HIV-related illnesses and offered mentorship to healthcare workers and community volunteers. Wanga is particularly interested in gender and women’s issues, contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals, and working for NGO’s that aim to accelerate health equity so all people and communities can thrive. She is passionate about raising awareness and advocating for improved services and management of chronic diseases such as endometriosis in her country of birth, Zambia.

Densley Awa Awafong is a humanitarian aid worker with over twelve years of experience in both the development and humanitarian sectors. He has always had focus on both programs and field operations; optimizing productivity, efficiency, and service quality across various environments. He is a holder of a Bachelor’s degree in the Social Sciences and a Master’s degree in international relations from the Protestant University of Central Africa. He is currently serving at the International Rescue Committee (Cameroon Program) as Senior Field Manager for the past four years. His position entails managing the IRC’s Northwest Region field office with an oversight of all operations and supply chain functions. This includes Safety and Security Protocols, Procurement, Finance, Warehousing and Asset Management, Fleet Management, and Office Administration. Through his leadership and dedication, backed by strong work ethic and excellent breadth of experience in aid programs, the visibility of the organization has met with much positivity. This, because of the highly impactful programs implemented which are geared towards meeting the needs of the most vulnerable. He is very passionate about integrating in a multicultural and multidisciplinary team of Humanitarian aid workers. His strives are to provide life-saving emergency assistance to people living in some of the most inhospitable environments. As a result, he has worked effectively with cross functional teams in local NGOs and International NGOs such as Plan International and INTERSOS in ensuring operational and service excellence.

Sylvia Privette has more than 15 years of experience in HR management and processes. She has a BA in International Relations and an MA in Human Resources. After living abroad and travelling around the world, she is settled in Peru where she collaborates at a French based NGO, that works alongside people with disabilities in times of peace, conflict, and natural disaster. She is passionate about helping others and is interested in studying about human behavior and leadership.

Dr. Siddharth Narendran is a distinguished medical professional and researcher currently serving as a Medical Officer at Aravind Eye Hospital, Coimbatore, and a Faculty member at Aravind Medical Research Foundation. His educational journey began with earning an MBBS and MS in Ophthalmology from Dr. MGR University and Aravind Eye Hospital. Driven by a passion for advanced research, Dr. Siddharth pursued a postdoctoral fellowship in Ocular Immunology and Genetics under the guidance of Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati at the University of Virginia. Dr. Siddharth’s exceptional work has been acknowledged through numerous awards, including the AIOS-HOYA Young Researcher Award, the JM Pahwa award from VRSI, the Col Rangachari Award from AIOS, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology Best Paper Award in 2023. Notably, he was the first Indian recipient of the Resident and Fellow Research Award by the Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology. In addition to his academic achievements, Dr. Siddharth holds patents related to the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and CRISPR-based diagnostics, showcasing his innovative approach to tackling complex medical challenges. Dr. Siddharth’s primary aim is to develop and strengthen the research capacity and capabilities in India, enabling the country to effectively study and address its own unique problems in the field of ophthalmology. By fostering a robust research ecosystem, he hopes to empower Indian scientists and medical professionals to find solutions tailored to the needs of the Indian population, ultimately improving eye care and overall health outcomes in the country.

Belinda Oluoch is a supply chain professional with nine years of professional experience in the industry. She is currently heading the Inventory department at SHOFCO, a grassroot movement across Kenya slums providing services, community advocacy platforms, education and leadership development for women and girls. A proud graduate of Maseno University with a Bachelor’s degree. She was inspired to pursue a career in Business Administration with IT, Supply Chain Management Option, since it offers a wide variety of opportunities for career advancement and also had a chance to create positive impact indirectly, in the urban slums of Kenya through SHOFCO. Her responsibilities in her current role include overseeing a team of inventory staff, managing an inventory tracking system, evaluating deliveries and stock levels, analyzing daily stock and supply, managing assets and ensuring the programs team members get their resources in a timely manner to support their daily activities. Her professional abilities also lie in Procurement and Logistics management. Besides her professional career, her passion is to fight stigma and discrimination against mental illnesses and people living with mental health conditions. She is also passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion. She is currently supporting SHOFCO in Mental Health awareness creation through trainings as a TOT and mentor under the Youth Voice Project, across the country. Her dream is to have a world free from mental illnesses, especially among the youth.

Ya Sera Cham completed high school in 2002 and went on to study a one-year course in Information Technology (IT). In 2010, she pursued a diploma in financial services with ICM (Institute of Commercial Management) from Jollof Tutors. In 2010, she applied for an internship position at Tostan and was offered the position in December of the same year. Due to her performance, efficiency, hard work, and dedication, she was fully employed as an accountant in 2012. However, in 2014, Tostan faced some financial challenges in funding projects, which led to the closure of some branch offices in some countries, and termination of some employee contracts to reduce cost expenditure, and Gambia was part of it. Her contract was also terminated in that event in December 2014. Nevertheless, she continued to volunteer and help in the finance unit. In 2020, when the position of logistics officer was announced, she applied for it and was offered the job after undergoing the interview procedures. Her experience working in the accounts department equipped her with knowledge in developing annual project budgets, financial reporting, budget management, proper bookkeeping, cash tracking, and the use of QuickBooks software, among others.

Syed Ali Abdul Wahid has two decades of experience working in the voluntary sector. He began his career by working for the welfare of people living with HIV/AIDS and sensitizing communities on safe sex practices. He then transitioned to working towards building the capacities of Non-Governmental Organizations in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, aiming to improve operations, management, and sustainability in the NGO sector. Additionally, he managed a child education and rights program in the southern state, covering three districts facing issues of child labor and school dropout rates. He later moved on to the eye care sector, where he is part of a consulting division focusing on improving operations of eye hospitals in India and abroad. In addition, he has been involved in visual media development focusing on eye health awareness. He guided an initiative on implementing total quality management at a large eye hospital and introduced concepts of 5s, kaizen, and other continuous improvement practices.

Linda Karen Hawa Compaoré has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations. Passionate about gender and conflict management issues, her undergraduate thesis focused on “The Contribution of Women’s Civil Society Organizations in Conflict Resolution in West Africa: the Case of the Women’s Platform for Peace in Casamance”. Today, this passion is reflected in her pursuit of a Master’s degree in International Development and Humanitarian Action Management, in her desire to understand the social and political dynamics underlying conflicts, and to engage meaningfully in concrete actions to promote social justice and gender equality in order to leave no one behind. Linda is a passionate advocate of women’s and girls’ rights and community development. She has accumulated valuable experience both in the field and within organizations in the development field, with over three years’ experience with NGOs and the private sector in Canada and in Senegal, where she currently lives and works for Tostan. Linda joined Tostan in 2022 and holds the position of Partnerships Officer since May 2023. This position gives her a platform to realize her vision of a world where women and girls are at the heart of change. For Linda, women’s empowerment is not just an aspiration, but a deeply rooted conviction. She sincerely believes that women and girls are the key to development, particularly in Africa. That’s why this quote from Kofi Annan: “There is no more effective development tool than the empowerment of women” illustrates her commitment and passion for women’s empowerment.

Abenezer is a Human Resource Professional with almost ten years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Abenezer earned a Bachelor of Art in Public Administration and Development Management from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. While working as a Senior Human Resource Officer with CARE International in Ethiopia, he helped the organization to recruit, train, and retain a high performing workforce and implemented gender equality program in recruitment to increase female employees in the organization. Previously, Abenezer worked as a HR & Admin Manager with International Rescue Committee Ethiopia program under USAID and other donors funded programs. Through these experiences, he has developed strong people management skills, communication skills, and created welcoming workplaces for employees, where they can strive to do their best. Abenezer enjoys focusing on the topics of economic development, democracy, and human rights and has a strong passion of reading books.

Host Organization: Panorama Global

Role at Host Organization: As a Talent Acquisition Fellow, Abenezer will help Panorama Global source, identify, screen, and hire individuals for a broad range of roles across the organization affiliates. The Fellow’s role includes: inputting the overall hiring strategy of the organization to ensure the teams consist of a diverse set of qualified individuals; ensuring the staffing needs of the company are being met, with a long-term talent strategy in mind; and devising and implementing sourcing strategies to build pipelines of potential applicants, such as employer branding initiatives.

Mercy Njogu is an experienced HR professional currently serving as the Human Resource Manager for Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) in Nairobi, Kenya. With over eight years of experience in Human Resource Management, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management with a specialization in Human Resources from Moi University, a Higher Diploma in Human Resource Management from the Institute of Human Resource Management, and a Diploma in Business Administration from the Nairobi Institute of Business Studies. Her role revolves around ensuring that SHOFCO’s HR policies and procedures align with its goals and objectives. One of Mercy’s significant achievements at SHOFCO was spearheading a comprehensive HR review that resulted in organizational restructuring, job evaluations, and the successful implementation of a new pay structure. This initiative significantly enhanced employee engagement and satisfaction within the organization. Prior to her role at SHOFCO, Mercy worked as an HR and Administrative Assistant at the Kenya office of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and also dedicated her time as a volunteer HR professional at The Aga Khan University Hospital. As a leader, Mercy places a strong emphasis on the value of human capital and is deeply passionate about mentoring and empowering young girls, recognizing the transformative impact it can have on their lives and communities.

Indiana Siu holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy and a Master’s in Arts with focus in Asia at Chengchi University in Taiwan. She currently serves as Regional Director for Operation Smile in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Her interests are to further Operation Smile’s impact in rural sites, build local capacity, and ramp up programs to promote health access and timely quality care. Indiana strongly believes that more than ever nonprofit health organizations have a duty to support their beneficiaries and become more centered around patients’ needs; how to overcome their barriers to care and avoid catastrophic health expenditure. Before being promoted to Regional Director she served as Executive Director for the Nicaragua chapter, becoming one of the strongest foundations of Operation Smile in Latin America by providing completeness of care for patients born with cleft and expanding programs to impact the public system.

Sharaf Al-Faqawi, a Palestinian humanitarian worker, has fourteen years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Currently serving as the Gaza Area Manager at Humanity & Inclusion (HI), he is responsible for developing and implementing intervention strategies, proposal development, coordination of shared services, and security management. Previously, Sharaf held managerial and technical positions, including as the Inclusive Education Project Manager, where he focused on mainstreaming the educational needs of children with disabilities. He also worked as a Rehabilitation and Occupational Therapy Officer, improving access to rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities and providing technical support to local partners. Throughout his career, Sharaf has been dedicated to addressing the basic and humanitarian needs of people affected by armed conflict in the region.