Our People

she/her | Based in Madrid, Spain | Joined in 2014

As Director of Partnerships, Deepa is responsible for building equitable partnerships that transfer power to local civil society organizations through inclusive advocacy, campaigns and capacity strengthening initiatives – with the goal of transforming the refugee response sector into one that is accountable, equitable and that ultimately leads to greater refugee human rights.

Deepa was the founding Director of Asylum Access Malaysia, and has worked and consulted with the International Detention Coalition (IDC), UNHCR, and Statelessness Network Asia Pacific (SNAP).  Deepa has an LL.B from the University of London, and a LL.M from Columbia Law School, which she received as a Fulbright Scholar. She has been admitted to the Bar of England and Wales, and previously practiced as a corporate litigator in Malaysia.

she/her | Based in the USA | Joined in 2016

Elizabeth supports operations at Asylum Access, ensuring that the organization has the structure and resources it needs to achieve its mission and vision. She oversees the organization’s planning, monitoring and evaluation efforts as well as its human resources, risk mitigation and technology strategies.

Prior to joining Asylum Access, Elizabeth worked as a Program and Technology Manager at the We Teach Science Foundation, where she implemented remote tutoring and mentoring programs that helped middle and high school students struggling with mathematics. Before joining the nonprofit world, she conducted astrophysics research at a variety of institutions, including NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and University of California-Santa Cruz. Elizabeth graduated with Bachelor of Science in Astronomy and Physics from The Ohio State University.

they/them | Based in the USA | Joined in 2019

As Director of Operations and Strategy, Gabriella works to design and implement inclusive processes and ways of working at the Resourcing Refugee Leadership Initiative (RRLI), as well as overseeing evidence generation and fundraising strategy. With a background in community-led initiatives, Gabriella is motivated by and grounded in the power of grassroots movements that refugee leaders and communities around the world are creating to transform the refugee response sector and seeks to support these movements through their work.

Before working at RRLI full-time, Gabriella worked at Asylum Access in different roles. Originally hired as a Special Advisor to Executive Director, they progressed to becoming a Policy Officer, and finally Senior Advisor, where they were a key member in the launch of RRLI.

Before joining Asylum Access, Gabriella worked in several capacities supporting immigrant and refugee communities in Greece, rural Colorado, and New York City. They have also been active in advocating for survivors of sexual assault, including by creating educational initiatives in their community. Gabriella holds a BA in American Studies from Williams College, and an MSc with Distinction in International Migration and Public Policy from the London School of Economics.

They are currently based in their native New York, where they love to enjoy all of the art, food, community, and dancing that the city provides.

he/him | Based in Zimbabwe | Joined in 2022

Graham coordinates RRLI’s communications with partners, supporters and the wider public. He is driven by a strong passion and desire to effect positive change in the world, particularly through responding to forced displacement. He has experience in Digital communication and he believes that technology is a powerful tool in communication and if used properly, it can expedite the much-needed change in our world today. Graham is currently based in Zimbabwe and he loves reading current affairs and also enjoys playing tennis and swimming.

he/him | Based in Belgium | Joined in 2021

Hane Alrustm is the Resourcing Refugee Leadership Initiative (RRLI) Director of Programs at Asylum Access. As a person of displacement, Hane believes that solutions come from within the displaced communities. and this is what motivates him to join Asylum Access.

Before that, Hane co-founded the SHiFT social innovation hub in the north of Lebanon, focusing on personal development, socio-economic development, and reconciliation as means for social stability after rounds of conflict have stopped in the country. In addition to that, he led the mental health and psychosocial component at SHiFT and designed and launched the MHPSS intervention after Beirut Blast in 2020.

In 2017, He founded the SADA troupe for playback theatre. It was formed by 14 locals coming from various neighborhoods who aimed to establish a safe platform where their communities can express their narratives, memories, fears, and aspirations before experiencing them coming alive on stage. SADA is now an established organization working with hundreds of children, women, and men in one of the former frontlines of the city.

He is a board member of the International Playback Theater Network (IPTN). Formed in 1990, the IPTN is an association of Playback Theatre groups, practitioners, and supporters. The IPTN exists to enable all Playback practitioners to connect as a global community, foster networking, and deepen collective learning and wisdom.

He finished his bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in theater studies, believing that theater and arts have the power to create pluralistic narratives that promote cooperation and carry the seeds of change.

Hane is passionate about theater, arts, and animals.

she/her | Based in Thailand | Joined in 2022

With a passion for building a just and dignified life for people in displacement, Jennifer has been working in non-profit and philanthropy sectors for more than a decade on topics of Forced Displacement, Migration, Anti-Human Trafficking, and Education.

She joined Asylum Access in 2022 as a Grants Manager and works with global and national teams in grant management, grant proposal and report writing, as well as donor communications.  Prior to joining the team, she worked in the philanthropy sector, overseeing a regional program in Asia about rights protection and ending immigration detention for people in displacement.  She is excited to join the global team of Asylum Access and continues making impacts through walking the journey along with people in displacement.

Jennifer enjoys working with people and jointly solving problems with creativity, loves travelling, exploring the world, and new ideas!

The world could be a better place if Everyone makes one step forward in embracing differences

he/him | Based in Kenya | Joined in 2022

Julius is a strong communicator who has a keen sense of fun, as well as the talent and drive to be the best. He has an excellent understanding of the latest accounting and financial concepts both in NGOs and profit-making enterprises and possesses the ability to deal with ambiguity and changing business requirements. He has commercial knowledge and experience of working in international environments particularly in the humanitarian sector with over 7 years of extensive international work experience and consultancy Experience in Program/project management, Internal and External Audit, Financial Management, Risks Management, Grants Management, Contract Management, Capacity Assessments, Capacity Building, Budgeting, Income and Investment Management, Due Diligence processes, Government and Donor Compliance, and NGO Programming. Experience with major Government and Donor requirements and compliances, including PEPFAR, USAID (U.S.G), FCDO/UKAID, UN and EU besides financial management processes in the retail chain. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Business Administration, has a Master’s Degree in Project Planning & Management, BSc in Human Resource Management, Certified Public Accountant Kenya (CPA-K) and other management training with similar experience in policy review, development and implementation.

Having been a victim of the Kenyan 2007 post-election violence, I completely understand the pain, stress, loss of hope and all other challenges victims of conflict go through. My past experience in overcoming the problems and challenges of war drives my passion on humanitarian work. I want to listen, talk, discuss and be a part of the solution towards a world where every human is valid and legal, empowered to speak, exercise their rights and make decisions for themselves.

she/her | Based in Kenya | Joined in 2022

Born and bred in Kenya, I have grown up witnessing gross human rights violations resulting in the displacement of people within my continent (Africa). Sadly, in 2007 I got first-hand experience with this following the post-election violence that erupted in Kenya. It was so devastating to see citizens turning against each other, victimizing and violating one another due to political differences. Having the privilege of working with such affected persons was one of my turning points, and I vowed to contribute to humanity, and what better place to achieve this than at Asylum Access! I am happy to work as part of a team that believes in leaving no one behind in the promotion of justice, respect, and dignity for refugees. In my current role at Asylum Access, I enjoy keeping my team members organized, informed, and prepared for anything that comes their way!

I have over 10 years of experience in the field of Project Administration and Management. I have taken up several administrative roles in the past ranging from Office Administrator, Executive Assistant, Project Assistant, and Programmes Officer. I have worked with various organizations in the human rights field and outside namely:

1. The Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI) – a membership-based network of 44 NHRIs in the African Continent
2. Akiba Uhaki Foundation – Social Justice community-based organization
3. African Economic Research Consortium (AERC)

I hold a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education (Business Studies – Major and French – Minor) from Kenyatta University in Kenya.

I’m a creative and practical person and like doing things with my hands. In my free time, I like beading and cooking. Beading sessions help me to bond with my daughter in a very relaxed way and promote virtues such as cooperation, sharing, and patience between us.

she/her | Based in the USA | Joined in 2016

Lisa joined the Asylum Access team out of a deep drive and commitment to ensure that people who have been forced to leave their home countries can find safety and rebuild their lives. Lisa manages Asylum Access’s global fundraising and communications strategies, and loves connecting with individual donors, private foundations, and anyone else who wants to join the movement to make human rights a reality for refugees.

Lisa received her Juris Doctorate from the University of San Francisco School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts, in music, from Pomona College. In law school, Lisa served as Executive Editor of the USF Law Review and Co-Chair of the Public Interest Law Foundation. She was also a Dean’s Scholarship recipient. In college, Lisa participated in every singing ensemble willing to accept her, and she was especially devoted to the college a cappella music scene. Lisa spent four years singing with and managing the Claremont Shades, the first co-ed a cappella group at the Claremont Colleges.

After law school, Lisa moved to East Africa to learn about the refugee rights movement and figure out how she could play a role in advocating for power to be put back into the hands of people who have been forcibly displaced. She is a proud alumna of the Volunteer Legal Advocate program at Asylum Access Tanzania (now Dignity Kwanza) where she supported refugee clients to obtain legal documentation and co-founded a refugee women’s empowerment group.

Before joining the Asylum Access global team in 2016, Lisa was pursuing her other passion – making music with children – as the Program and Special Events Director for the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir.

Lisa is currently based in Oakland, California, USA, and in her free time loves being with friends and going on adventures with her husband and baby boy. She is also passionate about travel and cannot wait to share this big, beautiful world with her son.

I’m proud to work for an organization that’s advocating for a complete transformation of the system of refugee response. People who have experienced forced displacement have been excluded from decision making for far too long. I’m proud to serve as an ally and use whatever power and privilege I have to fight for equity.

— Lisa D’Annunzio

she/her | Based in Mexico

he/him | Based in Mexico

she/her | Based in Colombia | Joined in 2021

María Adelaida Hernández is the Finance Operations Associate Director at Asylum Access, managing grants budgeting, reporting, compliance and recognition across the organization by partnering with country offices and HQ staff. With more than 8 years of experience in the NGO sector, María has previously worked with Grameen Foundation at their Colombia office where she led the office grant financial management and served as the project manager of a project that partnered with the Interamerican Development Bank, Starbucks and a coffee Cooperative. She then moved to work with the coffee Cooperative, delosAndes, where she led the projects area, managing infrastructure and development programs directed to the coffee growers.

María holds a Bachelor of International Business from EAFIT University in Medellín, Colombia, a European Bachelor in Administration from IECS University in Strasbourg, France and a Master of International Cooperation and Project Management from Ortega and Gasset Institute in Madrid, Spain.

she/her | Based in Vietnam | Joined in 2021 (Previously 2016-18)

As the Global Systems Manager at Asylum Access, María Fernanda supports our team with the implementation and improvement of processes and systems, making our teams more efficient and effective. María Fernanda also oversees the organization’s monitoring and evaluation efforts, and she is motivated by Asylum Access’s impact on refugees’ ability to rebuild their lives.

María Fernanda is a proud Asylum Access alumna, having provided support to our regional advocacy and communications team in Latin America, as well as providing legal advice to refugees and asylum seekers in Asylum Access Ecuador.

María Fernanda is passionate about human rights, social justice and sustainability. Before joining the team, she interned at the World Food Programme’s public information department in Ecuador, where she had her first opportunity to learn about the reality refugees face in Ecuador. She has also volunteered with TECHO Ecuador to build emergency housing for people living in extreme poverty in rural and periurban areas of Ecuador. Additionally, she has contributed as a monitoring and evaluation consultant for projects related to early childhood education and development.

María Fernanda graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Universidad San Francisco de Quito, and holds a Master in Science degree in International Development Studies from the University of Amsterdam.

María Fernanda is currently based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In her free time, she loves to read, travel, and explore cultures through their food.

she/her | Based in the USA | Joined in 2023

Maria is the Executive Assistant to our CEO, Sana Ali Mustafa. Maria supports Sana’s leadership with key administration and communications support with internal and external stakeholders. She is driven by our organization’s work helping others to live without fear and make a positive impact on their own lives and communities.

Before joining Asylum Access, Maria had several years of experience managing offices and administrative work, overseeing all procedures and programs while working at a university. This included overseeing budgets, funding programs, supervisory work, as well as event and travel management.

Maria holds a BA in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her two kids and their dog, Anna, as well as watching sporting events.

she/her | Based in Austria | Joined in 2023

Mariela is a communications expert with 17 years of experience working for intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and leading media organizations in Venezuela, Spain, Austria, and Portugal.

As a Venezuelan citizen and part of a migrant family spread all over the world, she has closely witnessed the hardships that forcibly displaced people go through, and she is convinced that access to fundamental human rights makes a difference in the opportunity to rebuild their lives and recover their agency.

She contributes to Asylum Access’ work by providing strategic assistance to increase its visibility across all its platforms, strengthen its reputation, and engage key stakeholders to support its growth further.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Andres Bello Catholic University in Caracas and a master’s degree in public policy from King’s College London.

Mariela started her career as a journalist for El Nacional newspaper, where she covered topics such as education and public health, trying to increase the visibility of underrepresented groups and bring attention to important policy issues. In 2009, she was selected to work and study in Madrid with a group of 20 Latin American reporters, and she became part of a network of more than 270 journalists who have been awarded the Balboa/Iberis Fellowship for Young Ibero-American Journalists.

After moving to Vienna, Austria, in 2011, she served as Press Freedom Adviser for Latin America and the Caribbean at the International Press Institute, where she developed and managed programs for the region. While at the Institute, she was also the co-editor of a book providing advice for journalists on how to cover the Millennium Development Goals. She is also the co-author of a book about Barrio Adentro, a public health program introduced in Venezuela in 2003.

Before joining Asylum Access, she worked for eight years at the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID), where she held the positions of Public Affairs Officer, Chief of News and Media, and Acting Director of Communications. At the Centre, she led efforts to raise KAICIID’s profile by developing a new digital strategy, creating engaging public information material, and implementing media outreach activities.

Mariela enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, being close to nature, reading, and doing yoga.

she/her | Based in Uganda | Joined in 2023

Mary is a social innovator with over five years of experience in Community Development and is passionate about refugee governance and the meaningful inclusion of displaced communities in the humanitarian sector. Her experience as a displaced person drives her advocacy on migration and human rights.

She has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Makerere University Uganda with a major in International Business Management.  She worked with Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN) and Research Study Centre (RSC) Oxford as a research lead in Uganda on the study “Evaluation of Refugee-Led Organisations in East Africa.” The study explored the impact of refugee-led organisations in East Africa. Mary also served as the country lead for the Kuja Kuja Uganda Community Feedback program by Alight Uganda (Formerly American Refugee Committee) for three years, where she supported the exchange of feedback between refugee communities and aid organizations. She led a Women’s Computer Literacy Program and has continuously volunteered with refugee-led organisations as an administrative and public relations officer.

Mary is also a steering committee member at the Just Tech and Migration community, which works to address the growing harms caused by digital technology deployed in asylum and migration spaces.

he/him | Based in Mexico | Joined in 2022

Miguel Angel Santibáñez joined Asylum Access in 2022. He is part of the Finance Team as the Grants Accountant. He is a graduate of the Banking and Commercial School (Escuela Bancaria y Comercial) with a degree in Finance. During his years of work experience, he has worked on budgetary, banking, treasury, analysis and research issues. He has worked in the public, private, and NGO sectors. With his work, he seeks to impact his environment and achieve improvements.

Miguel is passionate about social justice, human rights, and respect. His main hobbies are traveling and seeing the world, soccer and he is a food lover.

Monitoring and Evaluation Assistant

he/him | Based in the USA | Joined in 2024

Mike is a facilitator, evaluator, and analyst helping in the headquarters office with program evaluation. Passionate about supporting local communities to create change and tell stories of their choosing, he is excited to continue our work to transfer power to local offices and beyond to our grassroots and refugee-led partners. He loves qualitative research and evaluation design, and catalyzing connections and new ideas with meaningful gatherings of people committed to social change.

Prior to finding program evaluation, Mike has been a data systems designer, a cross-cultural teacher, and a massage therapist. His broad technical and organizational experience smooths conversations about translating work on the ground into operational systems that make sense.

Mike holds a recent MS in Research Methods with a Program Evaluation focus. This included a strong appreciation of evaluation for equity and social change, and it included extended training for a certificate in Applied Environmental Studies that he focused on climate and the US response to displacement.

Mike also stays active in social change locally, and enjoys indoor climbing near home for relaxation and health.

she/her | Based in the USA

RRLI Director of Partnerships

he/him | Joined in 2023

Mohamed Ahmed began working in the field of forced displacement in 2016 when he first became a displaced person. He has participated and led in designing and managing projects of different sizes and scopes aimed to help refugee populations of different backgrounds. He is a detail-oriented individual with good analytical skills and a passion for advocating for refugee leadership.

In his current position, he is heavily involved in developing RRLI strategies for fundraising, advocacy, and evidence generation. Mohamed believes in compassion, empathy, and a genuine love for human beings. He believes that integrity is crucial in achieving justice. He believes that the leadership of refugees is indispensable in driving transformation toward the displacement crisis worldwide.

Since childhood, Mohamed has liked to write and has published several articles; he hopes to publish his first novel. Outside work, he loves to play football and cook. Mohamed dreams of a world where all people have equal rights and freedom, a world where everyone has an equal opportunity to reach their full potential and achieve their goals, and a world where all people have agency over their lives and live in dignity.

he/him  | Based in the USA

Chief Financial Officer

she/her | Based in Canada | Joined in 2023

Rouba’s interest in joining Asylum Access is her lived experience working with organizations that support refugees and her belief that every person, despite their background, ethnicity, and religion, deserves basic human rights, like legal empowerment, shelter, and education.

Rouba supports the finance and accounting functions at Asylum Access as well as dealing with external auditors while ensuring the organization’s financial integrity and delivering high-quality financial assessments helping in strategic decisions.

Rouba has over a decade of work experience in international and local not-for-profits in North America and the middle east. She holds a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) and a certification in Community Shift from the Ivey Academy at Ivey Business School.

Outside work, Rouba is a professional basketball player and has played in Lebanon for professional leagues and the national team. She traveled many times to represent her club/country in international tournaments. Since she moved to Canada, Rouba has been playing for local leagues in Toronto.

Policy Officer

she/her | Based in Uganda | Joined in 2022

Salwa is a Policy Officer in charge of institutional engagement.

Prior to joining Asylum Access, she worked as In-House Counsel at a Tax firm in the USA, and a Law clerk with the State of New Jersey. She has also worked for top law firms in Uganda.

Salwa holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree from Makerere University Kampala (Uganda), a Post-Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Center Kampala, and a Master of Laws (LLM) in Banking and Financial Law from Boston University School of Law.

During her studies at law school, she developed a passion for human rights advocacy and worked with the Public Interest Law Clinic and the Human Rights Center Uganda to advocate for human rights in Uganda. She has actively participated in human rights sensitization and founded an organization that advocates for women empowerment and girls right to education.

Salwa is excited to do work that makes an impact in the life of forcibly displaced persons and influences policy change all over the world. In the next five years, she hopes to travel more, read more and start a family.

Chief Executive Officer

she/her | Based in the USA | Joined in 2020

Sana Ali Mustafa is a movement leader in the forced displacement sector and a feminist human rights activist fighting against systems of oppression in Syria and around the world. Sana’s work has been informed by her experiences as a brown, queer, Arab, and forcibly displaced woman. After being forcibly displaced by the Assad regime, Sana led the establishment of global efforts for the representation and inclusion of forcibly displaced persons, such as the Global Refugee-led Network. Sana is currently Chief Executive Officer of Asylum Access, where she leads the organization’s work to dismantle decades of colonialism, fight for self-representation, and build intersectional coalitions to demand human rights for all forcibly displaced people.

Prior to joining Asylum Access, Sana managed her own consulting business where she helped over a dozen public and private sector organizations such as Oxfam International, Open Society Foundations, United Nations, WeWork, and others to establish strategies to operate more equitably in support of refugee rights and refugee leadership.

Sana is also an active public speaker. She has delivered a TED talk and spoken at the United Nations headquarters in New York, the National Press Club in Washington, D.C, the Carnegie Endowment, the White House, Harvard Law School, Stanford, and numerous other venues.

Sana is a board member of Karam Foundation, which helps Syrian refugee youth in Turkey harness their ambition and creativity. Sana is also a member of Syria’s first Syrian Women’s Political Movement, a coalition with the aim of uniting women from across professional fields and ethnic lines to create a vision for women’s inclusion in a future Syria.

Communications and Creative Manager

he/him | Based in the Netherlands | Joined in 2019

Simon is a designer and ecologist who leads how the work at Asylum Access is shared with our supporters and the wider public. He enjoys the challenge of translating and visualizing the complex aspects of our work into something that everyone can understand and get on board with. He is motivated by the tenacity of the rest of the Asylum Access team and our collective dedication to bettering how we as a society respond to forced displacement.

Before joining the team, Simon lived and worked in Japan for four years. There, he helped one of Japan’s largest homegrown NGOs, Ashinaga, to internationalize their brand and establish an international fellowship program for young African leaders.

Simon holds a BA in Human Sciences from Oxford University and a Diploma in Editorial Design and Digital Publications from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He is currently studying for an MSc in Forest and Nature Conservation at Wageningen University and Research.

Simon is based in the Netherlands and, in his free time, enjoys learning languages and cycling through the Dutch forests armed with binoculars and a camera to observe local wildlife.

Narrative matters, which is why I deeply appreciate the time, care, and resources that Asylum Access has dedicated to putting people and equity first in how we talk about forced displacement.

— Simon McDonagh

Special Advisor to the CEO

Based in the USA | Joined in 2023

As Special Advisor, Susan provides strategic support to the CEO in the areas of board management, communications, fundraising, human resources, strategy, and organizational growth and culture.

Susan brings 12+ years of experience working at the intersection of humanitarian response, human rights, and philanthropy. As a child of immigrants, Susan has dedicated her career to supporting and advocating for communities affected by forced displacement. Her previous work experiences include NetHope, HIAS, Tent Partnership for Refugees, Mercy Corps, UNHCR, International Rescue Committee, and the US Department of State. Susan also serves on the USA Advisory Board for Talent Beyond Boundaries, a global nonprofit working to develop labor mobility pathways for refugees.

Susan received her MPA from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia. She is an avid lover of the outdoors and in her free time enjoys rock climbing, skiing, and hiking with her partner and pup, Nala.

Development and Communications Coordinator

she/they | Based in Mexico | Joined in 2022

Valeria Campos joined Asylum Access in 2022 and is the Development and Communications Coordinator. They feel a strong commitment to contribute to the fight for Human Rights. They wish to see a world in which no human being is labeled illegal.

They previously worked for the State Human Rights Commission. They assisted in the Gender-Based Violence and Women’s Human Rights Department. Later they started working for the International Rescue Committee, where they supported people who had been forcibly displaced.

They have a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations with a specialism in International Cooperation for Development.

Outside of work, Valeria continues advocating to make safer places for the LGBTQ+ community, women, and children in any way they can. In their free time, they love to spend time with their dog, Mallow.

I deeply believe that being kind, compassionate, and caring is revolutionary

Abeer started her career in the humanitarian field in her home country, Syria, with an organization named SOS Children’s Villages.  She often went to the frontlines of the Syrian war to document the impact of the war on civilians, especially children. She interviewed and wrote stories about hundreds of families. She also met and spoke with combatants, learning what motivated them to leave their jobs and schools to fight a dangerous and bloody war.

In 2017, she was selected to be a fellow with Atlas Corps, a competitive fellowship program for social change leaders to serve in the United States. Her Service in New York City inspired her to pursue an MA degree in conflict resolution and coexistence to closely analyze civil wars in the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Syria. She spent the summer of 2019 working at a policy think tank named The Century Foundation in New York, learning how evidence-based progressive policies can target the root causes of conflict to foster peace, justice, and democracy in the Middle East.

In September of 2019, she started working with the visual investigations team at The New York Times on multiple projects that reported Syria, Iraq, and Lybia. She worked on a series of Pulitzer Prize-Winning reports that proved, for the first time, that Russian airplanes targeted hospitals and other civilian areas in Syria.

Abeer is a firm believer that policy research and advocacy are important to end human rights violations, hold culprits accountable and build a peaceful democratic world.

Davis supports RRLI team members in completing program activities that foster accessibility and inclusivity. During grantmaking cycles and strengthening programs, Davis focuses on providing logistical support to program teams and coalition members as they review applications and select new grantees. Davis is also responsible for grantmaking administration, financial administration (supporting RRLI’s finance manager and program officers in funds disbursement to grantees), and other administrative tasks.

As a victim of forceful displacement in the 2007-2008 post-election violence in Kenya, Davis believes that refugees should have a seat at the decision-making table and take a leading role in developing and implementing solutions within their communities, considering that they have a better understanding of their communities’ needs, challenges faced by their communities, and potential solutions to such challenges.

Davis holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, majoring in Finance and Banking, and is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA-K). Davis is currently based in Kenya, and he is passionate about abstract art.