Secretariat

Abdullah Javed

Operations Officer (Europe & Asia)

abdullah.javed@gndr.org

Abdullah Javed has a Master’s degree in Business Administration and has managed office administration, project implementation & coordination, financial management & logistics arrangements for development sector organizations, SMEs, and corporations for over 14 years. Abdullah has previously worked on international donor-funded projects for DFID, USAID, and WHO in the areas of Health, Energy, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Sexual & Reproductive Health Rights. Abdullah currently works at GNDR as the Operations Officer in Asia and Europe.

Adessou Kossivi

Regional Lead (Africa)

adessou.kossivi@gndr.org

Kossivi is the current Regional Lead of Africa at Global Network of Civil Society Organisation for Disaster Reduction (GNDR).

He holds a Master Degree in International Environmental Law (IEL) and a bachelor in Literature and critics. He has worked and developed expertise in Climate Change (CC), and Disaster Risk Management (DRM). He has gained expertise in leading and coordinating civil society organisations and networks in Africa.

Kossivi is a strong advocate of shifting power from the international system to community-led capacities, preparedness, and response facilitated by the local organisations.

He has worked in Togo, Mozambique, and Senegal covering climate change Adaptation, Disaster Risk Management, and development topics.

He is the current Co-chair of the Director Board of Climate Action Network-International (CAN-I). He speaks French and English with basic knowledge of Portuguese.

Ajay Singh

Project Officer

ajay.singh@gndr.org

Ajay has a Master’s degree in Management from Uttarakhand Technical University. He has an experience of 12 years in the development sector working in different projects which includes Disaster, Skill Development and Livelihood projects. Prior to joining GNDR, Ajay worked with Uttarakhand Government in one of their skill development projects where he enriched his skills on Planning, monitoring, implementation and advocacy. He also worked with the Ministry of Women and Child development, Govt. of India, as a consultant for 2 years. At present, Ajay is working with GNDR as a Project Officer.

Alejandra Mazariegos

Operations Officer for the Americas and the Caribbean

alejandra.mazariegos@gndr.org

Alejandra is Operations Officer for the Americas and the Caribbean, she is in charge of engagement with members in the region, information facilitation, new memberships, and logistics of events.

She is fluent in English, Portuguese and her native Spanish, has a degree in marketing and is a photographer. She has worked in design, branding, media coordination, and customer service. 

She is certified as a “Wake Up Brain Expert” to accelerate any type of innovation and develop creative and problem-solving skills through this methodology.She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in marketing management and coordination at the University of Cadiz, Spain.

In her free time Alejandra enjoys singing, playing instruments and swimming.

Aminata Some

Membership Engagement Officer

aminata.some@gndr.org

Aminata is our Membership Engagement Officer with 9 years of experience working in operational management in cross-cutting sectors around development and related issues. She holds a Master of Science in Management from SupDeco business school in Senegal. She has good experience in private sector organisations and CSO networks. Over the years she has gained knowledge in member engagement, programme and project monitoring in international contexts. Aminata is passionate about working in an innovative space where efforts are brought together to make a positive impact on people’s lives.

Andrew Knight

Interim Policy Lead

andrew.knight@gndr.org

Andrew is an experienced executive with more than 20 years in humanitarian, development and emergency settings with UN Agencies, international and local NGOs, the private sector, and academia. With a PhD in Development Policy and a background of working in conflict and disaster contexts around the world, Andrew is deeply committed to sustainable solutions that save lives and engage civil society. 

Beata Hudakova

Financial Accountant

Dansam Ouma

Project Officer (LLGI, MDS)

dansam.ouma@gndr.org

Dansam holds a Master Degree in Development Studies from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. Dansam is a Project Officer under the Local Leadership for Global Impact (LLGI) and Making Displacement Safer (MDS) projects where he supports project implementation and coordination, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning, donor coordination and advocacy. Prior to joining GNDR, Dansam worked as a Project Assistant at the Institute for Development Studies. Dansam has experience in working with projects related to Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, Social Protection, Conflict, Governace and Disaster Risk Reduction.

Elise Belcher

Project Coordinator

elise.belcher@gndr.org

Elise holds a master’s degree in Development and Emergency Practice from Oxford Brookes University. Prior to joining GNDR in 2020, Elise has 15 years of experience working in project coordination in a range of development and humanitarian settings including local CSOs and international agencies. Now based in the UK, she has previously lived in Papua New Guinea, Uganda and Sweden and travelled to several regions for her work. Elise is currently the Risk Driver Lead for forced displacement for GNDR, and coordinates the “Making Displacement Safer” and “Local Leadership for Global Impacts” projects.

Felix Martin

Senior Fundraiser

felix.martin@gndr.org

Coming from a creative background, Felix decided to join the non-profit sector with the goal of strengthening and supporting communities at risk. His work has covered refugee and asylum seekers in Greece and London, as well as sustainable women’s literacy and micro-financing groups across Sub-Saharan Africa. With experience in individual giving channels such as digital/postal appeals, as well as challenge events with UK and European audiences, he now works to build donor relations, identify new income opportunities, and support the coordination of fundraising applications. He is currently pursuing an MSc in International Development & Social Anthropology alongside his work at GNDR at Birkbeck University in London.

Florencia Pasquale

Translation Projects Administrator

florencia.pasquale@gndr.org

Hepi Rahmawati

Regional Coordinator (South East Asia & Pacific)

hepi.rahmawati@gndr.org

Hepi is the Regional Coordinator for Europe, East & South-East Asia and the Pacific. She has more than 15 years of field and managerial experience in inclusive and accountable humanitarian response; community resilience building through disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation; and localising global agenda with YAKKUM. Hepi also has competencies (SCQF Level 11) in Community Based Psychosocial Support. Before joining GNDR, she was member of GNDR Regional Advisory Group and member of Advocacy and Policy Working Group of ACT Alliance – a global faith-based coalition organised in national and regional forums operating in more than 120 countries.

Ipsita Sircar

Regional Coordinator (South & Central Asia)

Jabran Ali

Finance Business Partner

jabran.ali@gndr.org

I am responsible for all operational finance duties including management accounts, statutory accounts, grants audit, grants compliances, budgeting, payroll, cash management, banking, reconciliations and dealing with field enquiries and disbursements. I also prepare the monthly preparation of quarterly and annual financial statements, donor reports ensuring compliance with laws, regulations and insurance requirements.

I love working in the international not-for-profit sector and believe that I am making a small yet tangible difference. Furthermore, I enjoy supporting senior Secretariat management including the Executive Director.

Jabran has seven years of international not-for-profit experience including insecure environments such as AFPAK. He also has three years of practice experience specialising in UK income tax. Jabran holds an undergraduate degree in business administration, and an MBA in finance. He speaks fluent Pashto, Urdu and has a working knowledge of Farsi.

Koffi Apedjagbo

Project Officer

koffi.apedjagbo@gndr.org

Séverin Koffi APEDJAGBO is GNDR’s Project Officer for Africa and West Asia. With 15+ years of experience, he’s passionate about climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and community resilience. Koffi holds two Master’s degrees and previously worked with GIZ in Togo overseeing projects for sustainable resource management and energy use.

Liza Hernandez

Regional Lead (Americas & Caribbean)

liza.hernandez@gndr.org

Guatemalan, BA in Community Nutrition from the University of San Carlos de Guatemala; 2 Postgraduate Programs in Project Development and Political Advocacy and Community Development and a Master’s Degree in Gender, Sexuality and Public Policy. She has worked for more than 20 years in the field of health, public nutrition and epidemiology with a solid background in applied research in health sciences from the Human Nutrition Research Center on AgingHNRCA at Tufts University.

Regional Director of Grant Acquisition and Management for Central America and Mexico at World Vision working with international cooperation and has extensive experience with bilateral and multilateral funds, as well as private foundations for Latin America. Since 2020, she is the Regional Lead for the Global Network of Organisations of civil society for disaster reduction and Risk Driver Lead for Gender Inequality.

Martin De Leon

Operations Officer

martin.deleon@gndr.org

Naomi Paul

Fundraising Manager

naomi.paul@gndr.org

Naomi has over 20 years of experience in Fundraising, Grant Management, and Project Management. After finishing her BSc in Geology she trained as a Secondary School Geography Teacher and then a Youth Worker delivering a number of small scale community projects. She has fundraised for both small community projects and large multi-million-pound global level projects, and through this has gained experience ⁸with Institutional donors, Trusts/Foundations, local authority donors, and in fundraising events. She joined GNDR in 2020 to use her fundraising skills to raise funds to help reduce the impact of disasters on the most vulnerable, having seen first-hand the effect they have.

Nick Roberts

Head of Operations

nick.roberts@gndr.org

Nick’s substantive role is as GNDR’s Head of Operations, where he oversees the finance, human resources, administrative support and board liaison functions.

Nick is currently also interim co-Executive Director of GNDR, overseeing the implementation of the organisation’s strategy and annual work plans.

Nick holds a degree in Modern Languages from the University of Exeter and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). Having worked initially in the commercial sector he has worked in the international relief and development sector since 1998, initially as head of finance for disaster management operations at Tearfund, then subsequently as an independent consultant, both in the UK and overseas. He joined the GNDR secretariat in March 2018.

Nick Scarborough

External Communications Coordinator

Marcos Concepcion Raba

Executive Director

marcos.concepcionraba@gndr.org

Marcos is an experienced senior executive with more than 20 years in strategic & tactical planning, organisational building/development, and creating imaginative sustainability initiatives to drive growth and impact in several countries worldwide.

His first job in the non-profit sector was with grassroots organizations in Brazil. There, he witnessed the impact of the exploitation of natural resources and the damage to the environment and its consequences, as well as the violation of human rights in local communities and violence against indigenous people. Throughout his career, he has worked to promote the importance of sustainability in the task of transforming social reality. He has worked in different organizations and projects, focusing on supporting to build local leadership capacity and resilience.

Pauline Madiro

Regional Coordinator of East and Southern Africa

pauline.madiro@gndr.org

Pauline Madiro, Regional Coordinator of East and Southern Africa, is a program management specialist with extensive experience in coordinating Civil Society Networks. She has worked with multiple international and national non-governmental organizations, including Kenya Red Cross, World Vision, Amref, Children’s Mission Africa, and UNOPs, in various contexts, including fragile and conflict-prone areas, and urban, rural, and refugee settings. Pauline is a certified First Responder and has responded to multiple disasters in Africa. Currently, she serves as the Conflict Risk Driver Lead at GNDR and is passionate about Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction. Pauline holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Foods Nutrition and Dietetics from Kenyatta University, a Post Graduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management from Moi University, and is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Kenyatta University.

Rebecca Murphy

Policy Lead

rebecca.murphy@gndr.org

Becky is currently interim co Executive Director of GNDR, overseeing the implementation of the organisation’s strategy. Becky’s substantive role is as GNDR’s Policy Lead, here she heads up Policy and Advocacy, Membership Engagement and External Communications for GNDR. Becky has spent over 12 years working as a resilience and disaster risk reduction technical adviser for humanitarian teams including at ActionAid, Christian Aid and CAFOD. Here, Becky has spent significant time working in humanitarian contexts across Africa, Asia, Central America, and the Middle East with a specific focus on community resilience building in protracted crises contexts, the human rights based approach and women’s empowerment for resilience.

Becky has also spent time working for Kings College London’s Centre for Research on Integrate Risk and Resilience, specialising in research on resilience and local leadership in the humanitarian– development – peace nexus. Becky has authored a number of academic journal articles exploring the importance of local leadership for resilience building within this nexus.

Becky is currently co-chair and focal point of the UN DRR Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism (SEM) and within this, the NGO constituency.

Becky holds a master’s degree in International Development, Disasters and Adaptation from King’s College London University. Plus, a First Class BSc degree in Geography for the University of Reading.

Rehema Batti

Project Coordinator

rehema.batti@gndr.org

Rehema Batti-Ashimosi is a Project Coordinator supporting project initiatives within the GNDR network. She holds a Masters’ degree in Leading Innovation and Change, York St John University(UK), Master of Arts in Sociology(UON-KEN), Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies(KU-KEN). Rehema is a certified project management enthusiast with Project Management Professional (PMP)® and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®certifications from Project Management Institute (PMI). She is a member of PMI International and Kenya Chapters. Rehema has 24 years’ working experience in the development landscape and has expertise in project management, partnership engagement and organisational capacity building. Rehema has 15 years’ of experience engaging CSOs and local government institutions in projects related to Environmental governance and management, Resilience building, HIV & AIDS, Water & Sanitation, Education & Child Protection, and Livelihoods in selected countries in Africa, Asia, Pacific and Latin America & Caribbean.

Shivangi Chavda

Senior Regional Lead (Asia & Europe)

shivangi.chavda@gndr.org

Shivangi Chavda is working as Senior Regional Lead (Asia Pacific & Europe) with Global Network of Civil Societies for Disaster Reduction(GNDR). She is currently also holding the position of Interim CO Executive Director at GNDR.She has spent almost 2 decades now working in this sector and has been a major contributor in the Humanitarian, Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation across Asia.

As Senior Regional Lead at GNDR, she is responsible for membership engagement, networking, capacity building and leading the global programs such as Views from the frontline, Making Displacement Safer, Local Leadership for Global Impact in more than 50 countries. Her majority of the work includes strengthening collaborations amongst the key stakeholders at the national, regional and global level, gathering evidences from the communities to influence the key policies at national, regional and global forums especially focusing on localisation and risk informed development, strengthening capacities of the CSOs and mobilising funds at the regional and global level. She is global risk driver lead on Food & Water Insecurity at GNDR.

Shivangi holds a Masters Degree in Project Management from Conservatoire National Des Art et Metier , Paris as well as Banking, Industry and Finance from Chambers of Commerce in India.

Vicky Kapur

HR Officer

vicky.kapur@gndr.org

Vicky Kapur has worked in HR for around 15 years. CIPD qualified in HR at level 7 and has extensive experience in recruitment and HR administration. She has worked in a variety of different industries which include working for the Duke of Edinburgh’s award, The Institution of Mechanical Engineers and at Centrica. She joined GNDR last June, as HR Officer and really enjoys working here.

Victoria Wachira

Communications Officer

Victoria serves as GNDR’s communications officer, keeping the network informed of DRR-related news and trends. She also helps to publish and disseminate key pieces of development research and policy messages.

She has worked in the PR industry for over 5 years working with regional and international organizations in the adaptation and resilience space. Her expertise lies in strategy development, campaign planning, brand management, and international team coordination.

Victoria holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Nairobi, Kenya.

When not working, Victoria is either farming or worrying about climate change. For media and event enquiries contact: victoria.wachira@gndr.org