Economic Development

Kamel Alsaadi is a highly skilled project manager with a diverse background in computer science and international cooperation, specializing in humanitarian aid and development projects. With extensive experience spanning multiple roles across various organizations, Kamel has consistently demonstrated his ability to lead and deliver results in both agile and standard management approaches. From his tenure as a Business Analyst Advisor at the Norwegian Refugee Council in Oslo, Norway, where he spearheaded the development of tailored digital engagement tools for beneficiaries, to his role as a Project Support Officer at BHRRC in London, UK, where he implemented enhanced project management practices, Kamel has been instrumental in driving strategic initiatives and ensuring the successful execution of projects. His expertise in coordination, partnerships, communication, monitoring and evaluation, and information management has contributed to his track record of effectively managing portfolios of up to USD 13 million. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from Diyala University, Iraq, and dual Master’s Degrees in International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, as well as Data Analytics and Project Management, from institutions in Spain and the UK respectively, Kamel is well-equipped to tackle complex challenges and make meaningful contributions to the field of project management.

Fernanda Cassiano is a seasoned professional in humanitarian and development operations with a distinguished career that spans across continents and focuses on refugee protection, program development, and donor relations. Fernanda holds an MSc (Merit) in Social Policy and Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where she specialised in food security, social protection, and multi-dimensional poverty, supported by the prestigious Chevening Scholarship. She serves as the Head of Programme at NRC, overseeing a comprehensive range of technical areas, including Food Security and Livelihoods, Cash and Voucher Assistance, Education and Youth, Legal Protection, Protection from Violence, WASH and Shelter. Fernanda has been instrumental in leading strategic initiatives, managing partnerships, and steering the development of technical strategies aligned with NRC regional and global priorities, including gender equality, disability inclusion, and durable solutions. Prior to her current role, Fernanda demonstrated her expertise in various capacities, including as Programme Development Manager with Save the Children International in Africa, where she supported strategy alignment and managed donor relationships. Her experience also extends to regional business development and awards management with Save the Children International in LAC, highlighting her ability to foster partnerships and secure funding for programmes aimed at the most marginalised and vulnerable groups. Fernanda’s career is driven by a passion for addressing social issues such as refugee protection and social inclusion. Her work reflects a deep commitment to humanitarian principles and a strategic approach to programme management, and advocacy, ensuring impactful interventions in complex and challenging environments.

Hayley Bisceglia-Martin has over ten years of experience working in international development. Since 2017, she has been working with One Acre Fund to raise funds for their mission to improve the harvests and livelihoods of rural smallholder farmers in East Africa. Prior to joining One Acre Fund, Hayley was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Ukraine and Samoa, where she worked to strengthen child literacy and help build local schools’ capacity. She has also volunteered her time with Americorps, at libraries as an adult literacy educator, and with programs designed to promote gender empowerment and HIV/AIDS awareness among youth. She is particularly interested in the intersection of gender and climate change, and ways we can leverage technology to support rural farm families.

Khalida Khalo Lazgeen brings over eight years of experience in the non-governmental sector, focusing on humanitarian initiatives. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Water Resources Engineering from the University of Duhok in Iraq. Khalida’s career path led her to serve as a program officer within the social and economic empowerment program at Women for Women International in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. In this role, she dedicated herself to supporting marginalized women across various districts and villages, fostering their social and economic independence by helping them establish their businesses and amplify their voices. Back in 2018 she worked in a position as a protection project manager at a local organization, collaborating with NPA organization, Khalida furthered her mission by assisting survivors of war and conflict, particularly those affected by ISIS and gender-based violence in Nineveh. Throughout her journey, Khalida honed her project management and coordination skills, along with team collaboration and communication abilities. With a deep-rooted passion for gender equality, Khalida sees herself as an advocate for women’s rights, aspiring to witness all women empowered to live peaceful and fulfilling lives, enjoying their rightful place in society.

Nehemiah Makau Abere graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology from Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology in Kakamega, Kenya. With over 9 years of industry experience, Nehemiah has dedicated the past year to serving as the IT & Facilities Coordinator at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), where he passionately spearheads digital transformation initiatives. His journey began in consultancy, playing a pivotal role as a systems implementer for clients in the retail sector. Nehemiah’s diverse experience includes a brief yet impactful technical support role at Standard Chartered Bank, followed by consultancy roles deploying technologies from global leaders such as Microsoft and Oracle. He gradually expanded his responsibilities to oversee projects and contribute significantly to business development. In his current capacity at MSF, Nehemiah is deeply committed to leveraging technology for economic development, enhancing operational efficiency, and championing accountability within the organization. His one-year tenure at MSF has further fueled his dedication to humanitarian efforts, making a meaningful impact at the intersection of technology and economic growth. Beyond his professional endeavors, Nehemiah is a valued partner at Sy-Intelli Consulting, a professional consultancy providing IT services to organizations, primarily focusing on NGOs. He holds a distinguished position as a board member for the MSF Shared IT Services Board, providing strategic direction and support to MSF on IT governance. Driven by a profound passion for economic development, Nehemiah seeks innovative ways to contribute to sustainable growth for vulnerable communities in our society.

Marisa Grimes has been working in the international development space for more than a decade, focusing primarily on serving smallholder farmers in East Africa with the trainings, tools, and inputs they need to increase their yields and access a stronger financial future. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from George Washington University and a Master’s Degree in Social and Cultural Analysis from New York University. Currently, Marisa serves as the Program Director of Tubura Strategy at One Acre Fund Rwanda where she leads a team of more than 35 individuals to design the strategic direction and implementation plans for marketing, enrollment, product sales and impact training for more than 750,000 farm families across rural Rwanda. Previously, Marisa worked on expanding One Acre Fund’s geographical presence in both Rwanda and Tanzania to include hundreds of additional villages and new jobs, and led the Tanzania field-facing management team for several years. She also has volunteered as a secondary school English teacher, has started her own nonprofit, and serves on a young professional advisory board for a NGO focused on improving maternal health in Nepal. In addition to her core work functions, Marisa is passionate about the professional development of her direct reports, team members and colleagues and has dedicated time to create trainings, host pair walks, and prioritize opportunities for others to grow.

Onyekachi Ayevbuomwan is an Agricultural Economist with over ten years experience as a development expert, trainer, and lecturer. Onyekachi joined Heifer Nigeria in November 2022 as a Program Coordinator with skills such as employment creation, project management, stakeholder management, and capacity building working directly with young, vulnerable, and excluded groups including farmers. Onyekachi is skilled in using the M4P approach to deliver systemic, sustainable, climate smart and environmentally friendly interventions. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State in Agricultural Economics & Extension graduating with First Class (Honors) and emerged as the best graduating female in the faculty. She began her career as a graduate assistant in the Department of Agricultural Economics & Extension, was secretary to the Department’s Graduate Program and Editor of the Maiden edition of the faculty Magazine. She served as Course advisor for entry level undergraduates and supported in lecturing (microeconomics & rural sociology) and has a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics (2015) from the University of Ibadan, Ibadan. Onyekachi began active work in the development sector in 2017 as an Intervention officer and was promoted in 2018 to an Intervention Manager in the Market Development in the Niger Delta (MADE) FCDO funded program. Onyekachi has experience as an entrepreneur and employer of labor managing an MSME for over two years between 2020 to 2022. Onyekachi is passionate about women’s economic empowerment and believes strongly that women in leadership positions will lead to economic growth. She enjoys singing, reading, photography and public speaking.

Jean de Dieu Izabayo Sekabanza has a keen interest in economic sciences and pursued his studies at the University of Goma, graduating from the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Management with a focus on Financial Management. Having a passion for ensuring financial integrity and risk management, he embarked on a career path that led him to the non-governmental sector. For approximately four years, he served first as the Risk and Compliance Coordinator and now as Risk and Compliance Manager at the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). In this role, he demonstrated exceptional leadership and strategic acumen in overseeing the organization’s risk management framework, ensuring adherence to regulatory policies, supporting coordination of external audit, and conducting internal controls to mitigate potential risks effectively. Prior to his tenure at NRC, He gained valuable experience in the field of finance while working with Mercy Corps DRC. This experience provided him with a solid foundation in financial analysis, budget management, and in internal control, further enhancing his expertise in the field of financial management. Beyond his professional endeavors, he is deeply passionate about youth empowering. Recognizing the transformative potential of empowering youth through leadership, skill development, and civic engagement, he actively engages in initiatives aimed at promoting youth empowerment with his community and beyond. Through his diverse experiences and unwavering commitment to excellence, Jean de Dieu continues to make meaningful contributions to his professional field and society at large.

Jeanne Mukarukundo is a professional renowned for her expertise in climate smart agricultural development and sustainable farming practices. With a distinguished background in environment Jeanne has served in different positions at One Acre Fund where she now serves as the Tree and Outgrowers Program Manager, a leading organization dedicated to empowering smallholder farmers. Jeanne’s career is marked by commitment, armed with a Master’ Degree in soil and water management from Haryana Agriculture University in India and a wealth of practical knowledge gained through years of fieldwork, she has emerged as a driving force in the realm of rural development. Previous to the work at One Acre Fund Jeanne worked as a local expert for KCC a company from Southern Korea for the design of a multi-purpose Dam that will support smallholder’s community in the Eastern province of Rwanda. She also worked for the Ministry of Agriculture in 2010 to 2011 as Watershed officer supervising the implementation of land husbandly, Water Harvesting and Hillside Irrigation (LWH) a World Bank funded project before resuming her study in 2012. At One Acre Fund, Jeanne assumes a pivotal role in spearheading the strategic planning and execution of tree planting initiatives and Out growers’ program. At One Acre Fund her achievements include initiation of one of the biggest networks of local community trees nurseries which are led by the 2000+ local enterprises and are able to produce and distribute 20 Million trees on an annual basis. As of  2023, 96 million trees were produced and distributed to farmers.

Diouma Cisse has over seven years of professional expertise in the field of monitoring and evaluation. With a degree in agro-economic engineering and a master’s in agribusiness and value chain development from the École Nationale Supérieure D’Agriculture (ENSA) in Thiès, she has a solid academic background. In addition, she has enhanced her qualifications by obtaining a certificate in monitoring and evaluation from the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organisation in 2021. Diouma’s work is to help organizations adopt a data-driven approach, using evidence and technology to demonstrate the impact of their programs. She has conducted a wide range of studies, from site surveys to baseline, mid-term and final evaluations. Her skills extend to all stages of the research process, from methodological design to data collection, processing and analysis. With extensive experience of working with international organizations, Diouma has made significant contributions to a range of sectors, including food security and nutrition, gender-based violence, education and gender transformation.

Soumashree brings over six years of expertise in diplomacy, strategic partnerships, and policy advocacy, with a strong focus on advancing gender equality and inclusive governance. She graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree from Tata Institute of Social Sciences and secured a 100% academic scholarship as a Global UGrad-Fulbright Scholar from the U.S. Department of Education. She has been nominated to represent India at international forums, including the Asian Development Bank, VSO UK, and Plan International. As a Governance and Strategy consultant at the Chief Minister’s Office in Kolkata, she specializes in establishing strategic partnerships and driving policy reforms to advance inclusive governance. A notable accomplishment is the implementation of a state-level grievance redressal system, enhancing bureaucratic accountability and empowering citizens through improved public service delivery and participatory democracy, fortifying government-citizen cooperation. She has collaborated closely with senior political figures across 11 Ministries, including Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assembly to devise effective strategies and crafted policies that leveraged communication channels to convey compelling value propositions to the electorate. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Soumashree collaborated with Samhita, an impact consultancy, playing a pivotal role in building strategic partnerships for REVIVE, a multi-stakeholder platform dedicated to empowering women economically through blended finance and technical support. Notable partners include Google, MSDF, Atlantic Council, and JPAL. Previously, she worked at Aangan Trust, where she focused on child rights advocacy and creating safe spaces for women and children. She collaborated with the communications team to execute successful social media campaigns, raising awareness around trafficking and child harm. Soumashree aspires to advance the cause of gender equality and promote inclusive governance through impactful policy changes and partnership-building initiatives.

Host Organization: Women’s World Banking

Role at Host Organization: As a Strategy and Stakeholder Management Fellow, Soumashree will work closely with the Head of the Brand, Marketing & Communications (BMC) team and also engage with the team on specific projects and initiatives that are instrumental to (1) enhance WWB’s external brand awareness and to internally (2) strengthen the BMC position as an expert strategic advisor and quality focused execution partner to the whole organization partner to the broader organization including senior management. The Fellow will also support the review and refinement of the current brand and marketing strategy, as well as to work with the team on the internal stakeholder engagement model to developing effective and efficient collaboration processes.

Morine has four years of experience in the humanitarian and nonprofit sector. She has earned a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the International Relations Institute of Cameroon, (IRIC). While working remotely as a Community Development and Resilience Officer at the Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development (NISPED), she collaborates with UNDP, the Israeli Embassy in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s Ministry of Planning, and local/national partners to promote sustainable livelihoods and resilience in the East region of Cameroon. Morine has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills by successfully training and empowering over 1000 youths and refugees in host communities through financial literacy, education, and peace building projects. Previously, Morine worked with a community-based organization as a Monitoring and Evaluation Assistant, where she provided support to over 150 adolescent girls and young women, empowering them to raise their voices against gender-based violence, facilitated training in financial literacy for 100 young people living with HIV, helping them establish savings association groups for self-growth. Morine’s versatility shines through her previous role as a Corporate Communication Assistant at the Embassy of Israel in Cameroon. There, she managed public relations for the embassy and facilitated partnership opportunities between Israeli entrepreneurs and their Cameroonian counterparts in areas of start-up companies, agriculture, and water. She also played a vital role in supporting the embassy’s communication strategy during campaigns and key events. Passionate about humanitarian relief, community development, youth and women’s empowerment, Morine is dedicated to helping young people realize their full potential.

Host Organization: American Red Cross

Role at Host Organization: As a Movement Transformation Fellow, the Fellow will sit within the Movement Transformation/Collective Impact & Partnerships Engagement (CIPE) team at the American Red Cross. The CIPE team works to ensure strong partnerships between the American Red Cross and other national societies, and provides support to national societies (NS) through work with the IFRC to be effective, local actors that can reach scale and deliver sustainable disaster management services to its communities. The team achieves this by developing long-term plans in support of the NS goals and in alignment with ISD objectives, as well as furthering the ways in which we work as a distributed network. The Fellow will primarily be focused on the development of the new IFRC Certification & the New Way of Working files in coordination with the International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and other Movement partners. The Fellow will coordinate between the American Red Cross and IFRC to ensure quality representation at the most important events, whether at the global, regional or country levels.