We are proud to announce Fundación Avina's Advisory Board in Africa
With highly respected leaders from across the continent, the Advisory Board will play a key role in implementing Avina's strategy in the region, providing guidance, support, and coordination throughout African territories.
We deeply appreciate the generosity of Rose Maruru, Dr. Hamady Diop, Dr. Phumlani Nkontwana, Dr. Shehnaaz Moosa, and Mahmood Sonday, who have accepted our invitation to join us on this journey. Their contributions will be essential in strengthening our commitment and impact in the African countries where we operate.
As a global organization, we embrace the Global South perspective as a key element of the collaborative processes we develop with our allies. "Avina's strategy for Africa illustrates its unwavering commitment to collaborating for sustainable development and learning from the continent's vast potential", explains Amadou Mbodj, our Program Manager and lead for Avina's strategy in Senegal.
Having the experience and knowledge of this highly qualified group reinforces our belief that collaboration is the key to driving systemic change in favor of human dignity and the care of our planet.
Rose Maruru (she)
With over 30 years in the civil society, development and philanthropy sector, Rose is a seasoned global development expert. She is the co-founder and CEO of EPIC-Africa, an organization that seeks to increase the impact of philanthropy in Africa by filling in critical data and capacity gaps in the philanthropic market infrastructure. Rose has held several management and executive positions in organizations around the world. She is a board member of the Firelight Foundation and The Accelerator Project. She is also a member of the WINGS Enabling Environment Steering Committee and is on the editorial board of Alliance Magazine.
Dr Hamady Diop (he)
Hamady is seasoned professional specializing in International Development across all 54 African countries. He is the CEO and Founder of DnS Consulting. He brings a wealth of experience in transforming nations through impactful initiatives. His focus areas encompass fisheries and aquaculture, blue economy strategies, and comprehensive agricultural policy expertise. He excels in navigating the intricate landscape of natural resource management, contributing both at the policy and implementation levels. He provides unparalleled advisory services, offering strategic insights to African countries seeking sustainable growth.
Dr Phumlani Nkontwana (he)
Dr Phumlani Nkontwana is a development economist, researcher and entrepreneur involved in the science and practice of entrepreneurship-led sustainable development in Africa. He is the founding academic director of the Allan Gray Centre for Africa Entrepreneurship at Stellenbosch University and founding CEO of Fuata Africa (fuata.org). He is a Steering Committee Member for the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship (see https://gsbberthacentre.uct.ac.za/) and Board Member for Interdisciplinary Network for Technology and Entrepreneurship Research in Africa (see www.intera.network). During his career, Phumlani has actively participated in multiple social change projects to enhance entrepreneurship-led sustainable development, spanning 15 years across Africa.
Dr. Shehnaaz Moosa (she)
Shehnaaz oversees the Research Program, in the Africa Region, which supports cutting edge research on climate-compatible development in Africa. She also provides technical input on a range of projects at SouthSouthNorth ranging from the Sustainable Settlements Facility to the Kuyasa Project. She previously consulted on a range of projects to the public sector including managing the National Strategy for Sustainable Development in South Africa. She has also lectured in Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town. Shehnaaz holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering, an MSc in Engineering and a PhD in Engineering.
Mahmood Sonday (he)
Mahmood is the Managing Director of the Reos Partners Africa Office. He has a background in the private sector, government, venture philanthropy and building cross-sector partnerships. He brings his experience and leadership in project design, partnerships and systems transformation to guiding and supporting teams collaborating to achieve meaningful and lasting results. Sonday has worked with leading institutions in Africa and internationally, across sectors, on climate change, public health, peace and governance transitions, economic inclusion, equity, and building non-violent workplaces and communities.
