IVCO 2022 Spotlight Series – Meet the Speakers
With IVCO 2022 approaching fast, our Spotlight Series continues. Today, we are featuring the next group of international volunteering in development experts, whom some of you will be able to meet in Senegal in just 6 days:
- Elizabeth Agatha Musah, VIONet Sierra Leone
- Wendell Westley, Australian Volunteers International (AVI)
- Ingrid Adovi, Foundation Paul Gérin-Lajoie
- Emmanuelle Parent, International Bureau for Children’s Rights
- Benjamin J. Lough, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Romanus Mtung’e, Cuso International
Elizabeth Agatha Musah, VIONet Sierra Leone
Elizabeth Agatha Musah is a feminist, advocate, social entrepreneur and founder of 4HER Initiative, a revolutionary force to break societal barriers associated with the female gender and build their social capital, increase financial independence and enhance their participation in leadership and good governance.
Elizabeth is a born leader who started demonstrating her leadership quality way back in her primary and secondary school days when she served as a head girl at all levels. She holds a BSc (Hons.) in financial services from the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM) and MSc in development management from the University of Sierra Leone. She is a YALI 2016 Fellow, Women’s Excellence & Humanitarian Recognition Awards Winner 2022 and among the 100 Most Influential Young People, 2020 Global Award for her outstanding work to make the world a better place.
Elizabeth has organized several training sections, workshops, seminars, symposiums, etc. for young people, girls and women, to help build, empower, transform and impact a more productive life. She mobilises and works with communities to raise awareness, empower and improve citizens’ lives, to be better able to speak up, demand improved services as well as demonstrate their responsibilities for a better and sustainable society as change-makers.
As an activist, the bulk of her work goes toward charitable ventures. She provides mentorship, scholarships to schoolgirls, gifts, sanitary and hygiene materials to young women and girls to maintain their dignity and pride, clothing and food, and education, as she believes “Life is better when we all smile together.”
Elizabeth is the founder and team lead of 4HER Initiative and had held several positions such as programme manager (FOCUS 1000), western area coordinator (VIO-Net), advocacy and communication specialist, consultant, finance and administration manager (Options Consultancy Services, UK), project officer/logistics (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [FAO]) and finance and administration officer (United Nations on HIV/AIDS [UNAIDS]).
Elizabeth Agatha Musah will speak at THE ROLE OF INSTITUTIONS IN CREATING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR VOLUNTEERING on Tuesday 18 October, 2:45-3:45PM
Wendell Westley, Australian Volunteers International (AVI)
Wendell is the country program manager for the Southern Africa Program in Australian Volunteers International. Wendell has worked in the development sector for many years and has a strong commitment to supporting civil society organisations. The Australian Volunteers Program in Southern Africa supports local partner organisations to access skilled Australian volunteers, provides small grants and looks for ways to support partners through networking and capacity-building.
Wendell Westley will speak at SESSION A – VOLUNTEERING BY AND FOR MIGRANTS, REFUGEES, AND ASYLUM SEEKERS on Tuesday, 18 October, 4-5PM
Ingrid Adovi, Fondation Paul Gérin-Lajoie
Ingrid Adovi is a fervent defender of human rights and a facilitator and consultant on the themes of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender-based violence (GBV) and violence against women and girls (VAWG). He has provided services to several CSOs and the government of Benin, as well as sub-regional and international organisations.
He holds a double master’s degree in gender, development project management and sociology anthropology from the University of Abomey-Calavi after having obtained a bachelor’s degree in information and communication sciences. Ingrid also has several certificates in human rights, management of humanitarian organisations and civil society. For the past 10 years, he has been involved in community activism as well as a volunteer. Through his commitment and achievements, he has held important positions of responsibility within these structures and today puts his expertise at the service of two NGOs as a member of the board of directors. Since June 2021, Ingrid has held the position of gender equality and inclusion advisor for the Program CLE in Benin.
Ingrid Adovi will speak at INSIGHTS FROM VOLUNTEERS ON THE FUTURE OF VOLUNTEERING IN DEVELOPMENT, Wednesday, 19 October, 1:30-2:30PM
Emmanuelle Parent, International Bureau for Children’s Rights
With an MBA in business management and a bachelor’s degree in international studies specialising in project management, Emmanuelle Parent has many strings to her bow. She has several years of experience in international cooperation in project management, organisational development and monitoring and evaluation roles in Cameroon and Burkina Faso, as well as strong experience in entrepreneurship and business development in the private sector. Moreover, in 2018 she co-founded a mineral analysis, environmental and quality control laboratory headquartered in Montreal and operating the first subsidiary in Burkina Faso.
Through her professional experience, Emmanuelle has developed expertise in strategic planning, business development and results-based management. After a few years in the private sector, Emmanuelle returned to international development in 2020, the sector where she feels her skills have the most impact.
Emmanuelle Parent will speak at INEQUALITIES IN VOLUNTARY COOPERATION on Tuesday, 18 October, 11AM-12 NOON
Benjamin J. Lough, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Ben Lough is a professor of social work and business administration at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and faculty director of international service at the Center for Social Development, Washington University in St. Louis. He also works as a senior research associate for the Center for Social Development in Africa, University of Johannesburg.
He has published extensively on volunteering for development and has worked as a research consultant for multiple NGOs and IVCOs. He was the lead researcher and writer of the 2018 UNV State of the World’s Volunteerism Report and continues to support the ‘global research agenda on volunteering for peace and development.’ In addition to his research interests on volunteering, he writes and teaches about community development, non-profit management and social innovation.
Benjamin J. Lough will speak at SESSION B – CLIMATE CHANGE & ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, Tuesday, 18 October, 9:30AM- 10:30PM
Romanus Mtung’e, Cuso International
Romanus possess over 23 years of experience in managing health and economic development programs in the areas of economic empowerment, access to quality health services, marketing, sales, demand creation and behaviour change communications. He is a training facilitator for development program managers, an experienced health manager with a degree in health management and marketer with a master’s degree in marketing, and has strong analytical and planning skills and high ability to coordinate the efforts of many stakeholders to meet intended goals.
Some of his major achievements through working with international and national volunteers include but are not limited to managing and providing economic empowerment to thousands of small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) through Business Development Services (BDS), market linkage, access to finance and technology and business formalization in Tanzania. He also managed 18 sub-grantees that included NGOs and CBOs and a network of over 2,000 volunteer community change agents (CCAs) under the funding support from Global Fund and U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) in 18 regions of Tanzania for over a six-year period. He has been a country representative for Cuso International for the past six years in Tanzania after having worked as a country director for Population Services International (PSI) for over 17 years.